Can Chiropractic help Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a common condition that causes pain, numbness and tingling in the hand and arm of the affected individual. It happens when the median nerve gets compressed as it travels through the wrist. The painful feeling may also result in a reduction of grip strength and hand function.

Some risk factors for CTS, include obesity, monotonous wrist activity, pregnancy, genetic heredity and rheumatoid inflammation. An estimated 4%-5% of people suffer from CTS worldwide with the most susceptible population being elderly individuals aged between 40 and 60 years.  CTS is more prevalent among women compared to men.

The management of CTS depends on the severity. In most circumstances, a trial of conventional treatment is encouraged on patients. This would include physical therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, corticosteroids and surgery if needed.

Chiropractic is also a form of conventional treatment that can also be helpful for CTS. A study in 2019 looked at the management of CTS with multimodal therapy including a combination of manipulation of the cervical spine and wrist. 13 Carpal Tunnel cases were confirmed by electrodiagnostic tests and were treated with nonsurgical conservative care. Outcomes were tracked over 10 weeks using the Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire.
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This study suggests that a multimodal conservative care for CTS, including a combination of cervical and wrist manipulation, provided favorable outcomes. However, due to the study being limited, there needs to be further research to delineate the best conservative care for CTS.
 
Reference:

1. Genova A, Dix O, Saefan A, et al. (March 19, 2020) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Review of Literature. Cureus 12(3): e7333. doi:10.7759/cureus.7333
2. Taylor, D. . (2019). MANAGEMENT OF CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME WITH CONSERVATIVE MULTIMODAL THERAPY: A PROSPECTIVE CASE SERIES OF OUTCOMES WITH CONCURRENT WRIST AND CERVICAL MANIPULATION. Journal of Contemporary Chiropractic, 2(1), 123–130. Retrieved from https://journal.parker.edu/index.php/jcc/article/view/80