Suffering from wrist pain? Hand pain? Finger pain?
It may not be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!
See how other conditions can mimic Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: https://www.facebook.com/Drumm...
Looking for home remedies for your wrist or hand pain?
First check your work ergonomics to see if it is the cause of your writs and or hand pain:
Scroll down to the bottom of this webpage for more tips on stretches, exercises and other home remedies for wrist, hand and or finger pain relief. Before you try any new remedy, talk with your health care provider to verify it is appropriate for your specific condition. Hopefully that is one of our chiropractors here at Drummond Chiropractic. We are more than neck and pain chiropractors. We have Dr. McCoy, a sports chiropractic specialist on staff, with specialized training with wrist, hand and finger injuries, be it from sports, or from regular day activities like jamming your finger, horsing around with your kids, helping a friend move furniture, or simply typing on the computer too much. You do not have to be an elite athlete to take advantage of his skills with wrist, hand and finger injuries.
Not all chiropractors are
wrist, hand and finger specialists:
You may be surprised to find out that your wrist pain is a symptom of poor work economics, lymphatic back up, tendonosis of an arm muscle, or maybe it is caused by something wrong with your wrist. Regardless of the cause of your wrist pain, we will find it with a thorough history and exam, then determine the best treatment plan for it, even if it means referring you out. We are more affordable than orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists, so start with us, and if able, we will get you back pain free as soon as possible.
Not all chiropractors work on extremities like the hands. Dr. Michael McCoy is more than a spine specialist as a chiropractor, but also a joint (including wrist, hand and finger pain) specialist. He not only will work on your wrist, hand or finger, but any issue that may be contributing to your condition. He can train you on how to restrengthen and stretch your arm, hand and fingers so you are less vulnerable to re-occurrence.
Once we determine that we can help your wrist/hand condition, we will treat same day (unless contra-indicated), demonstrate home exercises and stretches you can do to speed your recovery.
What one way of adjusting the wrist looks like:
Dr. McCoy showing one way he can adjust the wrist and free up the carpal tunnel on TikTok
We will follow up the appointment with a Report of Findings email that details what your condition is, what our treatment plan is and lists the prescribed exercises and stretches, complete with videos that you can follow along with. To learn more, check out:
Here are some tips for
finger and hand stiffness,
swelling, pain and tingling:
Have arthritis in your fingers?
Tips on how to self massage your hands and arms:
Often times, hand pain is from either wrist impingement, upper arm muscle impingement or cervical (neck) impingement causing the nerves running through them to scream to the brain "hand pain" as that is all that those nerves know what to say. So if you have finger, wrist or hand pain, it is usually effective to massage not just where you hurt, but above, below, in front and behind where you hurt.
When massaging your extremities, like your forearms and hands, always press harder on the stroke up (toward the heart) and lighter on the stroke down (away from the heart). That way, you assist the lymphatic and vascular drainage. If you stroke firmly away from your heart, you may hinder this drainage and cause pain and swelling of the fingers and hands.
Many devices at a wide range of price points are available to help you self-massage. I prefer vibrating massage tools with a long handle to make reaching the back of the neck and upper back easier. Tight muscles of the neck and upper back are often the source of pain in the arm and hands (as they pinch the nerves supplying the arms and hands). So don't forget to massage the neck and upper back as well as your arm and hand muscles! Such vibrating massage tools run from as little as $30 to hundreds of dollars.
I also recommend tools like the Thera Cane and Body Back Buddy (Figure). They help you press on trigger points in the back of your torso and neck while keeping your arms down, which allows the upper back muscles to stay relaxed.
But no self-massage is better than a professional body work. If you suffer from arm, elbow, hand or finger pain, consider treating yourself to regular professional body work. I personally regularly receive chiropractic care because I have a physical job being a chiropractor. If you sit at a computer all day, it is important to stretch regularly and treat yourself to some form of body work at least once a month as well.
If you find the relief you get from a professional body work does not last more than a day or two, try a new chiropractor or body worker. If a chiropractor just stretches your joints, yet doesn’t release your muscle tension, your bones will become restricted with the constant pressures exerted on them. This is why I prefer practitioners that marry these techniques with massage, cupping, dry needling, Graston or Gua Sha.
If you are looking for lasting relief of your upper extremity condition, we can help!
More tips on how to self massage hand pain away:
To self massage your forearm muscles:
Poor posture can lead to wrist, hand and finger pain, tingling, numbness and weakness:
The nerves that supply your hands and fingers come from the brain out through the neck, down the arm, through the wrist to the finger tips. Any impingement in the neck, shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist and even hand can cause symptoms like carpal tunnel. Poor posture pinches nerves. If you have hand, wrist or finger pain, improving your posture should help. To learn more about how to improve your posture, check out my book, Combat Slouching.
The following is advisable for both seated and standing workstations:
1. Keep your chin tucked in and head back so your ears are over your shoulders. Jutting your head forward causes your chin to tilt up so you can see what is in front of you. This posture compresses the parts in the back of your neck, including the discs between your cervical vertebrae and the nerve rootlets that run down your arms to your fingers; it also strains your posterior neck muscles. The farther your ears are in front of your plumb line (the center point of gravity), the more compression you cause. A severe slouch will compromise your whole spinal cord. Any type of pressure on your spinal cord is not good.
2. Position your monitor properly. Your eyes are “lazy” and like to tilt down about 15 degrees. If your monitor is too high, you will end up tilting your chin up so your eyes can tilt down. This too compresses the back of your neck. To combat this compression, bring your monitor to a level such that when you tilt it back 15 degrees, your eyes naturally look at the middle of the screen at a 90-degree angle. A good computer screen should be able to tilt and swivel. The surface should be reflection free.
3. Have a window to look out of periodically to exercise your eyes. If you do not have a window in your work space, find a distant object and focus on it for a few seconds every time you leave your workstation.
4. To ensure your wrist is in a neutral position, make sure the bottom of your wrist is flat.
The top of the hand will look like it is tilting up, but if you flatten the top part of your hand, you will compress the carpal tunnel,
causing irritation of the median nerve, which can result in carpal tunnel syndrome (pain and numbness in the palmar aspect of the wrist, thumb, and index and middle fingers).
5. Place your keyboard and mouse at the proper height. Your mouse and keyboard need to be at a height that allows your lower arms to be parallel to the floor. A good chair will have an adjustable height so you can make the adjustments needed for correct arm and leg positions. A good standing desk will have an adjustable height to allow for correct arm positioning.
6. Keep your upper arm vertical with your chest open and shoulders relaxed in a back and down position.
7. If you are standing, make sure your knees are soft and your feet are hip width apart. Wear comfortable shoes, and stand on a thick rubber mat.
The following are specific to seated workstations:
1. Place your seat at a level that allows your knees to bend at 90 degrees and your feet to rest flat on the floor. For those who wear high heels, this is a good time to take them off. (No one will see your feet under your desk.) This is a good time to stretch your toes to help prevent bunions.
2. Make sure your lower back is supported by a lumbar support pad in the chair or a lumbar support pillow. A good chair will allow you to adjust the height and angle of the backrest to provide you with the proper support specific to your needs. If you keep a wallet or other items in your back pocket(s), make sure to take them out because they will cause a pelvic tilt that can throw your whole spine out of alignment over time.
3. Use a chair with a solid base (a five-star base if it is mobile with wheels).
4. Make sure the floor is level and flat. I have had patients who had chronic back pain, only to find out their treatments were not lasting because the floor at their workstation was not level. They were holding their rolling chair in place all day. This strained their back muscles and constantly pulled their back out of alignment.
5. Do not sit cross-legged because it twists the pelvis, causing additional strain to the spine. It also compresses venous blood return, which potentially increases your risk of developing varicose veins.
6. Give your thighs room. Your desktop should be thin for maximum thigh space, with the keyboard in front of you.
7. Get up—preferably once an hour—and move around to get your blood flowing. Even if you just perform a mini-exercise, such as marching in place or doing some squats, any movement is good. It keeps you mentally fresher throughout the day, allowing you to work more effectively. This newfound efficiency will easily compensate for the time it takes to perform such mini-exercises.
WRIST BRACE WHILE SLEEPING MAY HELP WITH YOUR CARPAL TUNNEL
Picture source:https://www.amazon.com/Night-W...
Do you sleep with your hands curled up in a bent position? Did you know this can cause a compressional force in your wrists, which could be the root cause of your wrist pain, even if it is not carpal tunnel? If you sleep with your wrists bent, try wearing a carpal tunnel wrist brace to hold your wrists at neutral while you sleep. You may even need to wear it throughout the day. Something to talk to your healthcare provider (hopefully one of our chiropractors here at Drummond Chiropractic).
CBD tape for wrist pain
CBD tape can help wrist pain and facilitate healing.
KT tape can help if your wrist is swollen
Learn more about KT Tape here: https://www.kttape.com/pages/h...
If you have wrist pain, we can help
If you are you in Bloomington, Indiana and looking for a "chiropractor near me" for your wrist pain, we may be the chiropractors you have been looking for. We have multiple chiropractors, all of whom are experienced with treatment wrists and hand picked by Dr. Karin Drummond, the owner of Drummond Chiropractic.
We are conveniently located downtown Bloomington, IN with a parking lot, so you don't have to worry about finding parking nearby. We accept most insurance. We are open early and often stay later than advertised, to accommodate those who can't miss work. We even come in Saturdays by appointment.
Want to see what else we would advise for you?
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Drummond Chiropractic, LLC
Wrist Pain Specialists
Bloomington Indiana Chiropractor
565 N Walnut St
Bloomington, IN 47404
(812) 336 - 2423