Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is well-treated using naturopathic medicine.
Carpal tunnel syndrome refers to a number of symptoms associated with pressure on a nerve called the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel, a passageway between the bones of your wrist.
There is no single cause of carpal tunnel syndrome: any factor that causes narrowing of the carpal tunnel (e.g., inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis) can compress the median nerve.
Untreated, carpal tunnel syndrome may result in nerve and muscle damage.
Seek professional healthcare if you suspect you have carpal tunnel syndrome.
Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Possible symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include:
- Tingling and numbness in your hand or fingers, particularly your thumb, index, middle and ring fingers
- Pain radiating from the wrist up the palmer side of your arm, or down into your hands or fingers
- Weakness in your hands or fingers
- Aggravation by repetitive use of your hands or fingers
Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome at Toronto Centre for Naturopathic Medicine
At Toronto Centre for Naturopathic Medicine the goal of carpal tunnel syndrome treatment is complete pain reduction and prevention of recurrence.
Conventional treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome may include wrist splinting or surgery, and a variety of medications including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids. These treatments may have short- or long-term side effects.
For this reason, you may choose to try natural treatment to possibly avoid use of conventional medications, or together with conventional medications in order to decrease dosages of conventional medications required to manage your back pain.
Naturopathic treatment of any chronic health concern must be recognized as a process that involves:
- Identifying specific treatment goals
- Development by your naturopathic doctor, of a thorough understanding of all factors affecting your health, including physical, psychological, emotional and lifestyle factors
- Development of a comprehensive treatment plan
- Implementation and maintenance of that plan through periodic monitoring and adjustment
At Toronto Centre for Naturopathic Medicine, a typical approach to treating carpal tunnel syndrome may be to:
- Identify and address underlying factors in your lifestyle (e.g., occupation) or general health (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, menopause) that may be contributing to development carpal tunnel syndrome
- Reduce inflammation and pain using Bowen Therapy, Suikodo™, acupuncture or botanical (herbal) medicines
Where appropriate, a number of therapeutic options are available, to be used alone, or more often in a complementary fashion, including:
- Nutritional counseling
- Nutritional supplements
- Metabolic detoxification protocols
- Botanical (herbal) medicines
- Acupuncture
- Homeopathy
- Bowen Therapy
- Suikodo™
- Hydrotherapy
- Exercise prescription
- Relaxation (meditation) training
- Lifestyle medicine and counseling
Treatments provided by naturopathic doctors are covered by most extended healthcare plans.
References
Carpal tunnel syndrome [Internet]. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; [cited 2009 Feb 18]. Available from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/carpal-tunnel-syndrome/DS00326.
