In my Durango practice I’ve seen a wide range of carpal tunnel and tendonitis sufferers, from rock climbers to mountain bikers, surgeons, tennis players, florists, pregnant women, ASL translators to dental hygienists. Basically anyone who uses their hands or arms in a highly focused and repetitive way is at risk for inflammation and arthritis of the tendons and ligaments, resulting in one or both of these issues. Most of these patients find relief and even resolution with the help of Acupuncture, guasha and traumeel injections.
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Numbness, tingling, weakness or muscle damage in the hand and fingers are the calling card of this incredibly common syndrome. Whether you’re swollen from pregnancy or have been hitting the golf balls or climbing walls like it’s your job; your wrist may be paying the price of excessive pressure on the median nerve. This is the nerve in the wrist that allows feeling and movement to parts of the hand.
Epicondilitis, it’s not just for Tennis Players anymore
Epicondylitis, otherwise known as Tennis Elbow is an inflammation of the tendon or cord of fibrous tissue that attaches muscle to bone. This pesky issue is often accompanied by tenosynovitis, which is an inflammation of the lining of the tendon sheath. Because tendons tend to have the blood flow of a paper cup, healing can be slow, often resulting in months or even years of down-time as they heal. But don’t go hucking your golf club in a sand trap yet, because Acupuncture can help you get your swing back faster.
Why Acupuncture is the bomb at treating these issues
A recent study at Massachusetts General Hospital found that Acupuncture not only reduces pain in CTS but also makes a quantifiable difference in how the brain processes nerve signals compromised by repetitive motion disorders. This study found that Acupuncture not only reduced pain and numbness but (through functional magnetic resonance imaging taken before and after treatment) researchers were able to find improved nerve impulses in the wrist as well as brain remapping linked to long-term improvement in CTS symptoms. Check out this study for details: https://academic.oup.com/brain/article/140/4/914/3058778
Acupuncture has a similar effect on Epicondylitis as it’s basically the Alex Honald of tendonitis treatments, which is to say that when it comes to increasing blood flow and reducing inflammation, Acupuncture excels and looks damn sexy while doing it. wink
Traumeel injections and Guasha to the rescue
Beyond Acupuncture, I’ve had a lot of success with treating both of these issues with Traumeel injections. Traumeel is a homeopathic (all natural) alternative to steroid injections, renowned for its incredibly anti-inflammatory and pain relieving effects. Check out this post on the 14 reasons why I Love trammel.
Guasha; the gentle scraping of the myofascial train of the forearm with the smooth edge of a flat stone or soup spoon is another ancient Chinese technique that can yield profound results when it comes to relieving nerve pressure and inflammation. This is a go-to for me in the office and can be used as self-care at home as well. I even know a few climbers who take their guasha tool to the craig as well.