What is Carpal Tunnel

1 Comment / Blog, Health / By Oliver Leonetti LAC MSAOM

Last Updated on March 15, 2024

Carpal Tunnel syndrome is one of the most common wrist issues treated in our clinic. It is estimated that 1 in 40 people have this condition, with over 8 million people diagnosed with carpal tunnel every year. Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with carpal tunnel as men. The carpal tunnel is the region of the wrist where the median nerve and the tendons of the finger flexors enter the hand. The tunnel is formed by dense connective tissue and carpal bones.

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What Causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal tunnel occurs when the tissues of the carpal tunnel become compressed and put pressure on the nerves and blood vessels passing through the tunnel. Pain is typically experienced as nerve pain in the hand, fingers, and in wrist. Carpal tunnel is often associated with the overuse of computer mice and keyboards. In fact, any repetitive and sustained activity that causes compression of the wrist can cause carpal tunnel syndrome.

What Are Carpal Tunnel Symptoms?

The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome typically affect the wrist and the hand. Nerve pain, numbness, aching, or sharp pain are all common symptoms. Due to nerve compression, there may be burning sensations and muscle weakness. An accurate diagnosis will determine if your symptoms are due to carpal tunnel syndrome or something else such as wrist tendonitis.

How Does Acupuncture Help Carpal Tunnel Pain?

Your acupuncturist will conduct a complete assessment of your arm, wrist, hand, shoulder and neck. After assessing your range of motion and strength they will perform hands-on orthopedic tests and palpation to differentiate carpal tunnel syndrome from wrist tendonitis or radicular pain coming from the neck.

After accurately determining what is causing your pain your acupuncturist will construct a treatment plan designed specifically for your condition.

Treatment will generally include:

Hands-on techniques to mobilize the bones of the carpal tunnel and free space for the nerve.
Acupuncture through the carpal tunnel to release tight tissue, reduce pain locally and activate weakened and inactive muscles.
Advice and help with correct posture and work ergonomics that reduce the recurrence of pain.
Strengthening and stretching exercises for home care.

1 thought on “What is Carpal Tunnel”

Amna Yousaf
November 18, 2023 at 10:19 am

We appreciate you being a trustworthy resource for information on the frequently difficult path of managing chronic pain. Anticipating more informative posts regarding the treatment of neuropathic pain!

Majun Suranjan

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           Katherine V. 
 March 9, 2023.
 
 
 Verified While recovering from injuries sustained from a car accident, I have seen a few different acupuncturists as well as a chiropractor and masseuse at Inner Gate, and I have appreciated them all. The care I've received has been stellar - compassionate, personable, considerate, and soothing. Truly, Inner Gate practitioners have greatly helped me in my healing process. Thank you!
  
 
        Abbie W. 
 July 26, 2022.
 
 
 Verified I have been seeing Nick Maxwell for Craniosacral massage for the last several months after a car accident left me with whiplash, nagging low back pain, a mild concussion, and stress and anxiety. He is an incredibly gifted healer that has helped me immensely! I have had a plethora of bodywork over the years, and I can undoubtedly say that his massages are the best. He has also helped with digestive issues/SIBO/nervous system recovery. I would never see anyone else again after finding him. I am much calmer, happier, and healing well thanks in big part to his care.
  
 
        Elizabeth M. 
 February 10, 2022.
 
 
 Verified Well, I will start by saying that Nicholas Maxwell is my favorite massage therapist. I went to him after 1 year of shoulder pain. Before going to him, I was waiting for the pain to just go away; it didn't. He was the first person I sought any help from. I'm sorry to say, I didn't expect that much relief from a massage but after about 3 sessions I felt close to cured of 1 whole year of pain! He recommended a great physical therapist to solve my shoulder stiffness and pain. My pt said that Nick did a great job of loosening up the muscles for a quicker recovery. Nick seemed to wipe out all the surface pain and extraneous tenderness so that my pt could pinpoint my injury which turned out to be shoulder tendonitis. Now I see both of them concurrently. They both gave the same estimate for recovery, which was shorter than I thought it would be. I've had more that 50 massages in my lifetime (CA, NY, NV), Nick is the only massage therapist I have been to that leaves me feeling better for days and days after the actual massage. If I could describe what Nick's massages feel like, it would be like this: If the ocean waves had massaging hands, they would be Nick's. Before going to Nick, I am a chuck steak. After my massage, I am filet mignon. What can I say, Nick Is Awesome!!
  
 
        Julian J. 
 November 4, 2021.
 
 
 Verified My physical therapist suggested acupuncture for my chronic knee injury in July 2021. I'm going to explain my story, but I want to say at the beginning that Emma Ellsworth at Inner Gate Health & Wellness saved me from a life of chronic pain. It's really difficult and frustrating to find good care anywhere these days, so trust me when I tell you that you can end your search now. Just call Inner Gate and ask for Emma. I always find it helpful to read health care reviews from folks who suffer from the same issues as me, so here's a bit about my medical history: My orthopedic physician diagnosed me with IT band syndrome in my right knee in January 2021. I began a course of physical therapy, but not only did the IT band syndrome not get better, I actually developed IT band syndrome in my left leg due to overcompensation. I pushed myself a little too hard and started noticing that even very light exercise would cause my symptoms to flare up (inflammation, pain, swelling, etc.). By May 2021, I could not walk more than 3 blocks at a time without my knees flaring up. Keep in mind that I'm an otherwise healthy person in my mid-30s. I then developed hamstring tendinopathy in both legs, I assume to disuse. Along with preexisting patellofemoral pain syndrome issues, suffice to say that my knees were totally busted, okay. After all that, my physical therapist and orthopedic physician basically threw their hands up and suggested either cortisone shots for the rest of my life, acupuncture, or prescription pain medication that I really shouldn't be taking due to family history of hypertension. In comes Emma. I'm a huge believer in modern Western medicine and everything, but Emma succeeded where two physical therapists, a physiatrist, my orthopedic physician, and my primary care doctor all failed. Emma succeeded not only because she did something they did not - acupuncture - but she succeeded because she was more effective and patient at taking time to find the actual root cause of my issues. She is super methodical about interviewing me at the beginning of every session, evaluating what worked / didn't work from last time, trying out new areas for acupuncture, and over the course of 4 weeks eventually found an acupuncture solution that reduced my pain. I remember when it happened - I had an acupuncture session one Friday in October, and two days later I was going for a walk and ended up walking like 3 times further than I had walked in the past 6 months. I stopped and was like, "Wow my legs don't hurt at all." The pain literally vanished, went from a 5-6/10 on the pain scale all day every day down to 0-1. The massive pain reduction has allowed me to resume my physical therapy exercises with less pain and start rebuilding my knee strength. I still go to acupuncture to deal with some knee meniscus issues and overall wellness / mental health issues. Honestly, I feel such a tremendous sense of wellness after every acupuncture session that I kind of don't ever want to stop going. Anyway, if you made it this far, thanks for reading and hopefully my story is helpful. Seriously, go see the folks at Inner Gate. You won't regret it!!
  
 
        Mitchell P. 
 October 19, 2021.
 
 
 Verified Inner Gate Health & Wellness provides exceptional care! Their staff, specifically Emma Ellsworth, is skillful, compassionate, and effective at providing holistic healing services, including acupuncture. I highly recommend treatment with Inner Gate and Emma Ellsworth for symptoms including depression, anxiety, pelvic floor pain, back pain, and digestion issues.
  
 
        Ruben S. 
 April 15, 2021.
 
 
 Verified This is a long overdue, rave review for Terry. I've been to many acupuncturists over the last decade and she is hands down the most helpful and accommodating. I came in with a very unsolvable problem (tinnitus) and had tried everything before coming to Terry. Terry has helped improve my symptoms with Tinnitus and a number of other issues. She's also extremely patient and takes time out of every session at the beginning to go over progress and how I'm feeling. She has a good understanding of my problems and is always ready with solutions to help. Acupuncture with Terry is one of the highlights of my week -- thank you for being so great!!
  
 
        Dr. Kaley B. 
 November 28, 2020.
 
 
 Verified Very impressed! Great acupuncture, well organized front desk. Liz is fantastic, and I'm not a fan of needles. Finally got some relief from back and neck pain. Looking forward to a few more sessions!
  
 
        Abbie W. 
 September 15, 2020.
 
 
 Verified I highly recommend Oliver Leonetti at Innergate Acupuncture! I have seen him for the last 12 years for various ailments - ranging from nagging sports injuries to digestive issues to insomnia/anxiety, and he always provides the highest level of care that truly lasts. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable and skilled, but he is super kind and caring and always take the time to truly listen. I always feel better after leaving my appointment. I honestly do not know what I would do without Oliver or Innergate Acupuncture! Also, I've seen several of the acupuncturists there, and they are all fantastic as well.
  
 
        M W. 
 July 9, 2020.
 
 
 Verified I can't recommend these guys enough! I have a 10 yr old competitive skier who was having some knee pain & had never had acupuncture done before...not only did these guys gently ease him into the entire process - they also helped him get back on the ski hill after the first couple of treatments I was super impressed with their professionalism & how both Liz and Casey approached his injury - now my little guy looks forward to going to his acupuncture appointments! Yay! Thank you a zillion times over for taking such good care of my little guy.
  
 
        Abby J. 
 January 9, 2020.
 
 
 Verified I used to think acupuncture was sort of hokey. Not total witchcraft, but definitely not the magic, cure-all that people said. Well, folks, a few months in and I can report that I'm a changed woman! Well, really, it only took one session. Terry took my whole health history into consideration and helped with everything. Anxiety, sleeplessness, colds, ankle injuries, back pain--you name it. I've come in with problems and always left improved. I'm sure all the acupuncturists are lovely, but I want to stress how awesome Terry is. She takes my concerns seriously without making me feel like I'm at a stuffy doctors office. She approaches her work with humor and friendliness and is spot on with her treatment. Terry has made me feel comfortable from the get-go and has made my weekly appointments something for me to look forward to. My friends all have heard me rave about her, so I'd say everyone I know should go see her, but then I may never be able to squeeze in my appointments again! Just kidding, of course. Also, big props to the front desk staff too. They have been super kind and helpful when guiding me through insurance issues or unexpected after work traffic. I'd highly recommend Inner Gate SE to anyone with any ailment!