Tawnya developed pain in her right shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand with numbness in her hand and arm. Having tried many treatments, including acupuncture, wearing braces, a chiropractor, and steroid shots, the carpal tunnel syndrome was beginning to look hopeless. This condition had been bothering her for two years when she came to see me. Tawnya had her own house cleaning business with many happy clients and loved the independence of having her own business. After many years of cleaning houses, her doctor diagnosed carpal tunnel syndrome and said she would need to have carpal tunnel surgery at some point and would need to change careers.
Medical schools do a great job training doctors to diagnose pathology and make critical life and death decisions. Yet, their curriculum gives very little exposure to the benefits of advanced bodywork in treating complex musculoskeletal conditions, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. There are times when surgery is unnecessary, and orthopedic massage can effectively relieve the pain and dysfunction.
When Tawnya came in for the first session, we took a detailed case history of her condition and assessed her arm and hand. Tawnya’s median nerve was not only compressed at the wrist but her elbow and shoulder as well. This condition is called “double crush syndrome,” a distinct compression at two or more locations along the course of a nerve. In Tawnya’s case, that meant she not only had nerve compression in her wrist causing numbness in her hand, she also had nerve compression in her elbow and the brachial plexus of her shoulder, causing numbness in her arm. All three areas needed to be released, not just the wrist, which is the only area a carpal tunnel surgery would have addressed. She had swelling in her arm and wrist with nerve compression caused by a repetitive strain injury from years of repetitive movement and overuse from cleaning houses.
I started Tawnya’s treatments with a gentle massage from her shoulder to her hand. As the muscles in her arm began to relax, I gradually included deeper myofascial release to eliminate the compression of her nerves. I taught Tawnya a unique routine of self-care stretches to do at home and during the day to keep her muscles from tightening up.
Instead of going full force scrubbing with her right arm, I suggested that she back off to 80% with the right arm and practice being ambidextrous using the left arm.
After a series of weekly sessions to release the tight muscles in her shoulder, arm, and wrist, combined with the self-care stretches Tawnya did at home, the carpal tunnel syndrome went away entirely and did not return. Tawnya continued doing her house cleaning business which she loved without surgery or quitting her job.
It gives me great joy to empower people to recover from chronic pain and continue their active lifestyles. If you are suffering from chronic pain, it would be my pleasure to help you recover.
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