Can Neck Problems Cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Neck problems are a common cause of pain and numbness in the hands. The nerve involved in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is called the Median Nerve and it runs from your first three fingers, thru the carpal tunnel, up your arm, to your neck. CTS happens when the tendons of the wrist swell and compress the median nerve as it passes thru the carpal tunnel. However, if the nerve is pinched at the neck, you can get the same pain and numbness in the hands as when you have CTS. The symptoms are the same, but the nerve is compressed in the neck, not the wrist. You can also have a condition called “double crush” where the nerve is compressed at both sites. Chiropractors have known for decades that the reason CTS surgery has such a high failure rate, is because undiagnosed neck problems are not addressed. A growing body of research is supporting treatment of the wrist and the neck for CTS. An article appearing in the March 2009 issue of the Journal Of Orthopedic Sports and Physical Therapy showed
