The carpal tunnel is a passageway through the wrist. Carpal is from Greek word karpilis, which means wrist. Bounded by bones and ligaments, the carpal tunnel protects the nerves and tendon that extend to the hand. When the tissues that constitute the tunnel become swollen or inflamed, the median nerve is compressed. Because this key nerve provides a sensation to your thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers, pressure on it produces the numbness and pain that characterizes carpal tunnel syndrome.
This syndrome is common to certain occupation in which the wrist is subject to repetitive stresses and strains especially those involving pinching or gripping with the wrist held flexed. Typist or computer operators, carpenters, grocery clerk, factory workers, meat cutters, violinists, mechanics, and uncommonly, hobbyists such as golfers, also may be subject to the discomfort of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Symptoms are numbness or tingling sensation in your fingers and hands, pain from your wrist which may seem to shoot up into the forearm or down into the palm of the hand or surface of the finger, numbness or pain may be worse at night and may awaken you. Often the discomfort will occur after a day in which you have used your hand and wrist forcefully, and it may relieved by shaking the hand or getting up and walking about. Most people who suffer from this pain also have a problem in neck area and first rib along with the shoulder blade this could be from previous injury, awkward position from then repetitive work.
Treatment of carpel tunnel syndrome is injectable steroid prescribed by medical professional such as Cortisone. However the problem recurs after injection and the physician may recommend an operation. Surgery may be the last option recommended by a doctor when there is persistent pain.
An alternative is bone and connective tissue alignment in the particular area of neck, shoulder and wrist that will release the tightness or tense muscles in the meridian nerves.