Carpal Tunnel and its Diagnosis
Bay Area Chiropractor Comments: Pain in the wrist and hand can be a difficult thing to diagnose properly. The first problem that patients have is deciding what type of doctor to see. A chiropractor, internist, orthopedist, rheumatologist, or neurologist, will all agree to schedule you for an appointment, but who is best?
At your visit it’s important to have a thorough examination and to ask a lot of questions. I’d be skeptical if the doctor only examines the wrist and hand, and leaves out the elbow, shoulder and neck. The reason this is the case is that problems of the neck and other joints distal to the pain, can refer pain into the wrist and hand. Not all wrist pains are a problem with constriction at the carpal tunnel. Pain into the hand can come from compression of nerves in the neck. Your carpal tunnel pain needs to be separated from a problem in the neck, such as a radiculopathy or thoracic outlet syndrome.
Your doctor should ask are how long the problem has lasted, and if there has been any trauma. Trauma to the neck is especially important, and could be a sign that your wrist problem is really a neck injury.
For some patients, losing weight and doing specific exercises are enough to cure these types of pains. Some patients simply need to have their computer monitor adjusted, or are given stretching exercises to do between long periods at the computer keyboard. The stretching may be for the wrist, but should also address the entire arm and neck to be comprehensive. How we sit and whether there is forward head posture are also important considerations. The forward head posture can stretch your spinal cord and nerve roots making the nerves more susceptible to pressure when they eventually pass through the carpal tunnel.
In others, the problem of joint alignment needs to be properly addressed. Through specific chiropractic adjustments, the motion of the joints and their alignment can be restored. The misalignments may occur at the wrist or even the neck.
In my Clear Lake City office I treat many patients with carpal tunnel symptoms. Sometimes the problem is local to the wrist but most patients will require a more comprehensive approach. If you’d like care that emphasizes proper posture and alignment and avoids the problems of long- term medication use, then schedule an appointment today.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
“Ice vs Heat”. Which one is right?
Ice vs Heat Which One Is Right?
Houston Chiropractor Comments: A common question I get in my clinic is “When do I use heat and when do I use ice?” Unfortunately this question is usually asked after they have already done the wrong one. The patient has usually relied on old information that has been passed down from grandma or what they remember their coach saying 20 years ago.
To understand which one to use, you need to understand the basic physiology of what you are trying to do. Cold therapy with ice is the best immediate treatment for acute injuries because it reduces swelling and pain. Ice is a vasoconstrictor (it causes the blood vessels to narrow) and it limits internal bleeding and swelling at the injury site. Apply ice (wrapped in a thin towel for comfort) to the affected area for 20 minutes at a time. Allow the skin temperature to return to normal before icing a second or third time (about 40 minutes). You can ice an acute injury every hour. It does not matter if the injury was 24 or 48 or 72 hours before, if there is swelling and pain, use ice.
Cold therapy is also helpful in treating some overuse injuries or chronic pain in athletes. An athlete who has chronic back pain or neck pain that increases after exercising may want to ice the injured area after exercise to reduce or prevent inflammation. It’s not helpful to ice a chronic injury before exercise.
The best way to ice an injury is with a high quality ice pack that conforms to the body part being iced. You can also get good results from a bag of frozen peas, an ice massage with water frozen in a paper cup (peel the cup down as the ice melts) or a bag of ice.
Heat is a vasodilator (it causes the blood vessels to get larger) which increases circulation to the area. Heat is generally used for chronic injuries or injuries that have no inflammation or swelling. Sore, stiff, achy muscle or joint pain is ideal for the use of heat therapy. Athletes with chronic pain or injuries may use heat therapy before exercise to increase the elasticity of joint connective tissues and to stimulate blood flow. Heat can also help relax tight muscles or muscle spasms. Don’t apply heat after exercise. Ice vs Heat, after a workout ice is the better choice on a chronic injury.
Because heat increases circulation and raises skin temperature, you should not apply heat to acute injuries or injuries that show signs of inflammation or redness. Safely apply heat to an injury 20 minutes at a time and use enough layers between your skin and the heating source to prevent burns. Leave the heat off for at least 40 minutes before using it again.
Moist heat is best, so you could try using a hot wet towel. You can also use heat producing lotions. I recommend Biofreeze to my patients. Never leave heating pads on for more than 20 minutes at a time or while sleeping to prevent burning.
Because some injuries can be serious, you should see your chiropractor of Houton TX if your injury does not improve (or gets worse) within 48 hours. If no improvement is made you should seek out Houston rehabilitation.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at his Houston Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Joints Cracking?…What is that noise?
Houston Chiropractor Comments: Ever since I became a chiropractor in the late 1980’s, one of the most common questions I hear about spinal adjustments is “What is that cracking noise?” Patients have the perception that the sound is coming from the bones, but it is in fact coming from the joints. The audible sound is due to release of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide from the synovial fluid which is a joint lubricant. The joint cavitations or pressure change occurs when the connective tissue is stretched. This increases the volume and subsequently decreases the joint pressure. The gases that were originally dissolved in the synovial fluid become less soluble and are allowed to form bubbles which can ultimately “pop”, thus making the noise you hear. The change is rapid and the pressure ultimately rises again as the gas is again dissolved in the synovial fluid.
After the adjustment there is typically an increase in joint mobility due to the stimulation of the Golgi tendon organs. The increase motion of the joint along with proper follow-up exercises and stretches help allow you to reach your body’s maximum potential. Another important thing to know is that the joint cavitations do NOT cause any arthritis or damage to the spine. That is just an old wives tale.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
