Each year thousands of Martin County residents are involved in car accidents. Here are 3 reasons to choose chiropractic care after a car accident. Some car accidents cause minor damage while others cause major damage. The severity of the damage to vehicles and the severity of the injuries vary. Did you know that the vehicle […]
wear and tear of cervical discs and joints
You Should Know: Carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a surprisingly common condition that causes pain, numbness, and tingling in the hand and arm.
The pain, numbness and tingling is caused by pressure on the median nerve. The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway in your wrist. It is surrounded by bones and ligaments on the palm side of your hand. The median nerve passes through this narrow passageway. When the median nerve is compressed, the symptoms can include numbness, tingling and weakness in the hand and arm.
In its early stages, carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms may include your hand tingles and feels weak, or the fingers numb, or both. These symptoms can often disrupt your sleep.
Diagnosis:
Sometimes carpal tunnel syndrome can be mistaken for something else, such as pressure on nerves in the neck due to disc problems or arthritis, which can cause similar symptoms. A nerve conduction study can be used to confirm a carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis as well as measure how severe the compression of the nerve is.
Treatment:
Numbness, tingling and pain in your hands, fingers and wrist is an example of an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure. Early correct diagnosis and treatment can dramatically improve your outcome. Treatment modalities depend upon the cause of your symptoms.
If Left Untreated:
It’s important to seek treatment if you have signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome that interfere with your normal activities and sleep patterns. Permanent nerve and muscle damage can occur without treatment.
If left untreated, you may begin dropping things. Activities that require fine finger movements, such as writing or fastening buttons, will become more difficult. You may begin to feel you are losing coordinated movement of your fingers. Moving your thumb may also become difficult.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is compression of the median nerve. This compression can lead to permanent nerve and muscle damage without treatment. Dr. Danielle’s EMG/NCV certifications make her uniquely qualified to diagnose and treat this condition. She can also help you to determine if surgery is necessary.
Your first appointment will take approximately 55 minutes, giving you plenty of time to communicate your concerns. This also gives Dr. Danielle time to explain in easy to understand terms your condition and treatment goals.
Contact our office by calling 855-509-5400 to schedule your appointment.
Chiropractic Treatment of Neck pain: Cervical spondylosis
Sometimes referred to as “arthritis of the neck,” cervical spondylosis is an age related cause of neck pain.
If you answer yes to any of the following questions, then you may have cervical spondylosis.
- Are you over 65?
- Have you played a lot of sports throughout your life?
- Have you had a fair amount of physical trauma in your past such as multiple motor vehicle accidents?
What is cervical spondylosis?
Cervical spondylosis is the medical term for wear & tear of your cervical discs and joints. Cervical spondylosis occurs when trauma or age causes the discs to shrink and bone spurs to form and other signs of osteoarthritis to appear.
What are your risk factors for cervical spondylosis?
- Age
- Multiple neck injuries
- Jobs that have strenuous physical demands
- Genetics
Cervical spondylosis is very common and worsens with age. There are some suggestions that there is a genetic component to the severity of degeneration that will occur. This means that if someone in your family has serious arthritic symptoms in their neck then you may be more likely to develop more severe cervical spondylosis.
According to the Mayo Clinic,
“More than 90 percent of people older than age 65 have evidence of cervical spondylosis and osteoarthritis that can be seen on neck X-rays.”
What are the symptoms of cervical spondylosis?
Often cervical spondylosis produces very few symptoms. When symptoms do occur they are often pain in stiffness located in the area of the neck.
However symptoms can arise from the bone spurs and disc height loss associated with cervical spondylosis. Bone spurs and loss of disc height can narrow the space required by the spinal cord and nerve roots.
If this space is compromised it can cause symptoms that present as:
- Numbness or tingling
- Loss of balance
- Loss of reflexes, decreased sensation and loss of muscle strength along one part of the arm
- Loss of bladder or bowel control.
If you are experiencing sudden numbness, loss of strength or loss of bladder or bowel control seek emergency medical help as soon as possible.
What causes cervical spondylosis?
There are many causes for cervical spondylosis and all increase in severity with age. The most common causes of cervical spondylosis are:
- Dehydrated discs
- Herniated discs
- Bone spurs
- Stiff ligaments
What are the treatments for cervical spondylosis?
Treatments for cervical spondylosis are geared toward pain relief and motion preservation.
Chiropractic adjustments can help to reduce the loss of motion in cases not presenting with worsening neurological symptoms.
The treatments available for cervical spondylosis are:
- Chiropractic adjustments (in cases not presenting with worsening neurological symptoms)
- Range of motion exercises
- Cervical stretches
- Cervical traction
- Pain medication
- Steroid injections
- And in cases of severe neurological symptoms surgery
A word of caution to anyone experiencing cervical spondylosis/arthritis in the neck. Cervical traction should only be done under direct supervision of a medical professional! Even at home units leave the potential for serious harm and should only be used under a professional’s guidance. The infomercials and online ads make it look easy to use, but please check with your healthcare provider to see if this treatment is right for you.
If you live in or near Stuart, Fl and are experiencing any of the symptoms associated with cervical spondylosis symptoms, please contact Advanced Wellness Solutions to schedule an appointment. If you’re outside this area, please contact a local chiropractor.
