Carpal Tunnel? – Compression of the Median Nerve

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a fairly common complaint in our society.  It is not an actual disease, but a collection of symptoms, or a syndrome.

Your doctor will probably tell you that the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by compression of the nerves as they pass through the carpal tunnel of the wrist, and that it requires surgery to relieve the pressure. That can sometimes be so. Alternatively, it may not. A friend recently had the carpal tunnel operation and sadly she was worse afterwards.  Then her doctor told her that the surgery doesn't always work!

So if it is only compression within the carpal tunnel, why doesn't the surgery always work?

The answer could be because there are many other conditions that can mimic carpal tunnel syndrome.

Lets start with the Median Nerve. Its entrapment of the Median nerve within the carpal tunnel of the wrist that causes the pain of CTS. So, could entrapment of this nerve anywhere along its length cause pain similar to CTS?  You'd better believe it.

Lets just follow the median nerve from its origin. The brachial plexus, of which the median nerve is a part, exits the spine between the fourth cervical and the first thoracic vertebrae, passes between the scalene muscles, passes under the clavicle, behind the upper end of the pectoralis minor in the shoulder then down the arm, through the elbow and down through the wrist.

Also passing through the elbow is the deep radial nerve which can also be entrapped.

So apart from the wrist where can the median nerve be trapped? For a start, tight scalene muscles can definitely cause entrapment particularly if they are tight with trigger points as a result of a whiplash injury. Next the median nerve can also be trapped between the clavicle and the first rib, Thirdly where it passes behind the pectoralis minor it can also suffer entrapment if that muscle is tight as often happens if the arms are kept extended to the front for extended periods of time. A common occurrence with computer users, holding the "mouse" with no other support for the arm for sometimes hours at a time. When the problem occurs in the shoulder, it's called thoracic outlet syndrome..

So you see there is at least three other places where the median nerve can become entrapped. Then there is the deep radial nerve, which can be trapped by the supinator in the elbow (called tennis elbow), plus there is referred pain from the scalene muscles, which can also cause pain in the arm, wrist and hand.

Lastly the muscles in the forearm which control all hand and finger movement can become tight through overwork and cause tendonitis, or swelling of the tendons where they pass through the carpal tunnel. Clearly this is a form of CTS but if the swelling of the tendons is reduced by treating the associated muscles, then the problem will resolve without surgery.

Personally I look upon surgery as a last resort only to be used when all non-invasive forms of treatment have been exhausted.

Gary A Clark

Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Other Repetitive Strain Injuries: A Self-Care Program Author: Sharon J. Butler Description Sharon Butler was working as a massage therapist and Hellerwork practitioner when she developed carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. Unable to sleep through the night because of the pain and concerned about her livelihood, she built upon her knowledge of connective tissue and developed a series of stretching exercises to gently relieve the tension in her body...

It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!: RSI Theory and Therapy for Computer Professionals Author: Suparna Damany MSPT Description This guide offers computer users who suffer from repetitive strain injury (RSI) an effective program for self-care. It explains the symptoms, prevention, and treatment of RSIs and also addresses the often-overlooked root causes of RSIs...

The Carpal Tunnel Helpbook: Self-Healing Alternatives for Carpal Tunnel and Other Repetitive Strain Injuries Author: Scott Fried Description There are more than 500,000 carpal tunnel surgeries done annually in the United States but approximately 30 percent of these patients will be no better as a result. The truth is, most physicians are too quick to consider surgery as the first line of defense against carpal tunnel and other repetitive-strain injuries...

End Your Carpal Tunnel Pain Without Surgery: A Daily 15-Minute Program to Prevent & Treat Repetitive Strain Injury of the Arm, Wrist, and Hand Author: Kate Montgomery Description This helpful guide tells how to prevent and treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in just fifteen minutes a day. This proven twelve-step routine of adjustments, stretches, and exercises can eliminate CTS pain without surgery...

The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief, Second Edition Author: Clair Davies Description The first edition of this workbook is regarded as a classic in its field, and was the first book to introduce trigger point therapy to the general public as a self-care tool for alleviating chronic pain caused by a variety of conditions, including arthritis, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, headache, muscle ache, and repetitive strain injuries...

Incoming search terms:

carpal tunnel compression;median nerve problems;median nerve compression;can carpal tunnel be made worse by tight neck?;carpal tunnel compressions;carpel tunnel causing median nerve pain;scalene muscles and carpal tunnel syndrome;tight median nerve;

Related posts:

1. Median Nerve