Benefits of Massage Therapy for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Whether you are experiencing carpal tunnel related to pregnancy or you are an office worker who has been experiencing carpal tunnel due to repetitive movements at your desk, you know how uncomfortable it can be in your hands and wrists.
(Please note: we are not medical professionals and this blog post is not intended to diagnosis carpal tunnel. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms we mention in the blog, we recommend that you speak with your medical provider to learn what treatment options are best for you.)
What Exactly is Carpal Tunnel?
Carpal tunnel syndrome is when pain, numbness, weakness and/or tingling is felt in the hands and wrist. These feelings are usually due to a compression of the medial nerve that runs through your wrist. The bones, or carpal bones, are pushing on the nerve that runs through the carpal tunnel compressing the medial nerve. Usually, this is the result of preforming repetitive movements where your hands are lower than your wrists, or during pregnancy.
Desk Work and Carpal Tunnel
One of the largest complaints we hear from our corporate massage clients is that their hands and wrist hurt, or they have been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. Working at a desk and using your hands and wrist to type, use a mouse, or any other repetitive movements that you would make predominately with your hands may cause carpal tunnel to occur.
Pregnancy and Carpal Tunnel
A common diagnosis for pregnant individuals is carpal tunnel. The pain and numbness is felt in the hands and wrists and is commonly because of a build of fluid impinging the nerves in the wrists. This fluid can block the carpal tunnel and compress the medial nerve to cause the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome to be felt for pregnant individuals.
Massage to Relieve Carpal Tunnel Symptoms
Because carpal tunnel can be such an issue with productivity in the workplace as well as a painful issue for individuals, the research about carpal tunnel is expansive. The benefits of massage can be felt in the form of immediate pain relief, increase in grip strength and increase range of motion in the wrist (Field, Diego, Cullen, Hartshorn, Gruskin, Hernandez-Reif, and Sunshine, 2004).
The frequency of massages in order to help reduce and eliminate the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are mixed. In the acute stage of any injury, the more often you receive a massage, the quicker you will begin to see results. Some research has found that after daily massage, the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome can be relieved almost completely (Field, Diego, Cullen, Hartshorn, Gruskin, Hernandez-Reif, and Sunshine, 2004). Other research shows that two massages a week for 6 weeks can also provide relief, and is a viable treatment option (Elliot and Burkett, 2012).
When you are considering receiving bodywork for a particular injury, we will work with you to formulate a treatment plan that works best for you. While it may be daily massages, it can also be that our therapist teaches you various self-massage techniques that allow you compliment the professional massage therapy sessions that you can be receiving. Contact us now or book your massage directly online to begin feeling relief.
Workplace Wellness Events to Help With Carpal Tunnel
We are excited to work with employees across the Triangle area to bring massage and wellness to the workplace. By providing on-site massages, employees are able to benefit from 15-20 minute chair massages that are both convenient for employees and increase productivity for employers. If you are interested in bringing on-site chair massages to your workplace, we would love to speak with you further and make a package that is right for your group!
Works Cited
