Equilibria Therapies Limited

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome case study The carpal tunnel is a narrow passage at the wrist, which contains the median nerve and the long flexor finger tendons, which are attached to lower arm muscles. These tendons can become compressed, then inflamed, leading to sensory changes and muscle weakness in the hand; i.e your hands and wrists are painful a lot of the time. There are several causes (use of a keyboard, detailed manual work, oral contraceptives, PMS, rheumatoid arthritis and more), but in this case I was not able to identify any specific reason. Mrs A(41)  came to me in April 2003 for corrective treatment for various muscular problems, amongst which was Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) in both wrists  She had been suffering from numbness and painful pins and needles in both hands for the past few years and had been to her GP a year ago regarding the problem. Nerve tests confirmed carpal tunnel syndrome and she was on the waiting list for operations to both wrists, with a date already set for surgery to the right wrist. I worked the muscles of the lower arms and felt them release, which allowed them to lengthen and reduced tension, inflammation and pain. Another treatment followed a few days later; Mrs A reported relief in both wrists and a reduction in symptoms.  The following day Mrs A went ahead with the first operation which involved surgical cutting of the ligament in the right wrist, which relieved pressure on the tendons; over the next few weeks, stitches were removed and the symptoms went away. During this recovery period, Mrs A had three further massage treatments, which included work on the left arm. At each treatment less work was required and pain was eliminated from the wrist and hand. Mrs A  now has very occasional and greatly reduced symptoms in her left wrist and hand - tingles once every six weeks rather than complete numbness every morning and doesn't consider it necessary to go through surgery to the left hand. "The pain and numbness were debilitating. Every morning both my hands were "dead" and then went through almost an hour of very painful pins and needles, so that I couldn't get dressed or make a cup of tea until my hands were "awake". Most mornings I took painkillers to get through the first hour. My fingers were constantly swollen and hot. Although surgery sorted out the problem in my right wrist, I couldn't use that hand for two weeks and it has taken four months to recover fully. My left hand - through massage treatments to that hand, arm, shoulder and my neck - is now as good as the right hand but without the trauma of surgery. I have avoided a second operation, the subsequent need to be incapacitated for two weeks, another scar and the prolonged recovery to full use of the hand. "If I had known the results earlier, I would have cancelled the operation to my right hand and continued with massage treatments to correct CTS in both wrists."