Caring Medical
& Rehabilitation Services
715 Lake Street, Suite 600
Oak Park, Illinois 60301
708.848.7789 Phone
708.848.7763 Fax

CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

We all know where Carpal Tunnel Syndrome comes from: Pressure, damage, or repeated injury to the median nerve at the wrist. We all also know that wrist surgery has limited and widely varying degrees of success in treating it. Women are more likely to have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome because it has been linked to pregnancy, PMS, and menopause. Where typing at a keyboard is also a major factor, this one time realm of women office workers is now nearly equally shared by men as the number of computer related jobs increase among the male population.

Other factors for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome include rheumatoid arthritis, renal failure, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.

Unfortunately, many patients with elbow and hand pain have been misdiagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. A typical Carpal Tunnel Syndrome patient will experience pain and numbness in the hand. Because most physicians do not know the referral pain patterns of ligaments, they do not realize that cervical vertebrae 4 and 5 and the annular ligament can refer pain to the thumb, index, and middle fingers. Ligament laxity can also cause numbness. Cervical and annular ligament laxity should always be evaluated prior to making a diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome should not be done until an evaluation is performed by a physician who understands the referral problems of ligaments and is experienced in Prolotherapy.

Seldom do patients find relief from "Carpal Tunnel" complaints of pain in the hand and elbow with physical therapy and surgery because the diagnosis is wrong. The most common reason for pain in the elbow referring pain to the hand is weakness in the annular ligament, not from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Several sessions of Prolotherapy will easily strengthen the annular ligament and relieve chronic elbow pain.