The carpal tunnel rests within the underside of the wrist. It is a tunnel, or passage, through which the Median nerve travels on its way to stimulate and enliven the hand and fingers. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the most common nerve entrapment disorder. As the name indicates, the condition comes about when a nerve is impinged or restricted between other tissues of the body producing inflammation of the nerve. This can take place if the size of the tendon enlarges due to irritation or overuse, or if the tunnel, itself, shrinks due to the misalignment of the carpal bones.

Pain, numbness, pins and needles, and tingling in the fingers are the first symptoms of CTS. People with CTS often awaken from sleep with these symptoms and shakeout and/or rub their hands to try to ease the unpleasant feeling. Furthermore, the hands can feel clumsy or weak, and fatigue easily with activity. Over time, grasping small objects with the thumb and fingers can be extremely affected and, without treatment, can result in an entire disability of the hand.

Obviously, correct diagnosis and suitable treatment are crucial to confining the disabling symptoms associated with the advancement of CTS.  It would be smart for you to try the most natural approach first if you are suffering from the pain and disability associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. If you’ve been searching for a drug-free, non-surgical, and highly effective approach, chiropractic treatment may be your answer. You can learn more about safe and natural chiropractic care, and what it can do for you, by calling your Costa Mesa Chiropractor today.

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What exactly produces the problem? Holding a cell phone to the ear causes the elbow to bend, thereby stretching the nerve between muscles and tendons. When the arm is bent for long periods of time, the nerve gets inflamed. “Repetitive, sustained stretching of the nerve is like stepping on a garden hose,” said Dr. Peter J. Evans, director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Hand and Upper Extremity Center. “With the hose, you’re blocking the flow of water. With the elbow, you’re blocking the blood flow to the nerve, which causes it to misfire and short circuit.” The first symptom of cell phone elbow is usually pain just below the elbow in the forearm. This is usually followed by the sensation of pins and needles in the pinkie and ring finger. In the most severe case those fingers can curl up and become difficult to use.

The good news is that the condition is easily preventable and treatable. Users are simply encouraged to avoid holding their phone in one position for too long in order to reduce the amount of strain on the affected muscles. For those who are already feeling strain, it is advisable to do simple stretches in order to help prevent some of the damage.

And, of course, a quiet walk in the park or along the beach with your cell phone turned off or, better yet, left behind, would not only go along way in reducing cell phone elbow, but it might do a lot to improve the health of your psyche as well!

This study was published in the May issue of the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine.

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