Carpal Tunnel in Adelaide

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition caused by compression of the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. It causes numbness, tingling, weakness, and pain in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and half of the ring finger. The condition affects approximately 3 to 6 percent of the general population and is particularly common among office workers, tradespeople, and anyone performing repetitive hand and wrist movements.

While carpal tunnel is often thought of as solely a wrist problem, chiropractic research has identified that nerve compression can also occur at the cervical spine, shoulder, or elbow — a concept known as double crush syndrome. This is why a chiropractor will assess the entire path of the median nerve from the cervical spine to the wrist. Treatment may include wrist joint mobilisation, carpal bone adjustments, myofascial release of the forearm muscles, cervical spine adjustments to address any upper-level nerve compression, and nerve gliding exercises. Research in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that chiropractic care combining wrist and spinal manipulation was effective in reducing carpal tunnel symptoms.

Your chiropractor will also provide ergonomic advice for your workstation, recommend appropriate splinting for night use, and suggest modifications to repetitive activities that may be exacerbating the condition. Conservative management including chiropractic care is recommended as a first-line treatment before considering corticosteroid injections or surgical release.