Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

Repetitive Strain Injuries: What's Best?

We have been providing treatment for Repetitive Strain Injuries in San Francisco for 20 years now. Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is also known as repetitive stress injury, repetitive motion injuries, repetitive motion disorder (RMD), and cumulative trauma disorder (CT). 

Basically, RSI is an injury to the musculoskeletal and nervous systems that results from performing repetitive tasks over and over again...like operating a computer all day while sitting at a desk. Or cutting hair, or operating equipment.

At Executive Express Chiropractic, since we are located in the SF Financial District, we focus primarily on the repetitive motion injuries that develop in people who sit all day in front of a computer...but the examination and treatment is the same no matter what the cause. The difference would be in the prevention as far as ergonomics and proper use of equipment.

The most common type of RSI we see at our clinic involves either the neck, shoulder, arm, and hand (or various combinations)...and less frequently the low back. Now there may not be symptoms at all these joints...but they are all connected in a kinetic chain and must be considered.

For instance...a patient may present with arm and hand pain on the right (their mouse hand), but may actually have RSI in the neck and shoulders on the right, and possibly on the left...even though there is no pain...YET!

A doctor that spends the majority of their day treating patients that develop repetitive motion disorders will know to check the full spine and neck to fingertips on both sides. After-all...the nerves that control the upper extrmities exit from the neck and travel down the arm and through a tunnel in the wrist (carpal tunnel) into the fingers. If you have pressure on these nerves in the neck (which may or may not be causing you pain) it can cause all sorts ot problems in the shoulder, elbow, arm, and hand.

The treatment we provide RSI patients is chiropractic adjustments to the neck, back, shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers...on both sides, massage/trigger point therapy/neuromuscular work to the same areas, special exercises, deep tissue laser if needed, cervical and wrist traction if needed, and targeted stretches.

We also are especially concerned with proper ergonomics and microbreaks, which are breif resting periods (2-10 min) throughout the day to give the body time to rest and recover from work (see proper ergonomic set-up here).

We also recommend getting up and moving around and even standing while you work. Switching your mouse back and forth from right hand to left is a good habit to get into as well.

There are specific general guidelines for sitting at your desk in front of your computer. We recommend following them.

Your mattress and pillow can also contribute to your vulnerability to RSI. A cervical pillow will help to restore and maintain your neck curve, while a soft pillow can result in loss of neck curve and nerve pressure. We like (and sell) Tempur-pedic pillows.

We recommend drinking half your body-weight in ounces per day of water, and avoiding salty and processed foods as best you can...plant foods are best. High animal food intake (meat, chicken poultry, dairy) can cause chronic inflammation in the joints and in the body, predisposing you to RSI.

Lots of stuff here huh?

Oh yeah...but this is what we do. We are Black Belts in the prevention and treatment of conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome and other forms of RSI.

What I recommend if you feel you may have RSI of the neck, back, shoulder, arms or hands...is to find yourself a chiropractor that specializes in treating these conditions.

I know it sounds like a lot...but our typical office visit is 30 minutes or less...but that's because we have "no-waiting". Treatment starts almost immediately after you arrive.

Anyway...there is a ton of info on this blog as far as self-help stuff...but you can't adjust the joints back into alignment yourself (or most of the other things we do)...you need a chiropractor. One that knows RSI.

If you need help finding one, please email me at eben davis@yahoo.com. I have several hundred doctors around the country I have trained. I will check to see if there is an RSI expert near you.

Dr. Eben Davis is founder and clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco. To schedule an appointment with one of his San Francisco Chiropractors call 415-392-2225.

Related articles by Dr. Eben Davis:

Can wrist pain be connected to the neck?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

 

 

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Prevention

People who spend a lot of time performing activities that require a high level of force, repetition, or use vibrating tools are at risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Other activities such as driving, playing musical instruments, knitting, using a sander, screw drivers, air wrenches, waitress work, or assembling small parts are also associated with increased CTS risk. The good news: there are ways we can reduce the risk of developing CTS. Some of these include the following:

1. Stay Healthy: There are many conditions that contribute to the onset and/or make CTS worse. Exercise, maintain a healthy weight (Body Mass Index – BMI – of 25 or less), stop smoking (or better yet, never start), take your thyroid medication (if indicated), keep your blood sugar normal (obesity leads to diabetes which often worsens CTS), and do your carpal tunnel exercises multiple times a day.
2. Ergonomics: Use “ergonomic” principles when arranging your workstation such as sitting properly at your home and work computers. The placement of your desk, the computer monitor, the keyboard (consider a convex keyboard rather than the flat type), the mouse (and type of mouse – the track ball mouse requires no arm movement, only the thumb), paperwork space and location. The type of chair and its height are also very important. Avoid desks that have sharp edges as they can compress the forearms and pinch the CTS nerve.
3. Posture: The position in which you sit is important! Sit in an upright position, head/chin tucked in, feet on the floor or on a box, elbows resting on adjustable arms of the chair bent about 90 degrees, and keep your wrists fairly straight/neutral. Avoid slouching, reaching out with the elbows less than 90 degrees, head shifted forwards and shoulders rounded and feet not positioned under you. When you talk on the phone, STRONGLY consider a headset! Pinching the phone between your shoulder and ear with your head bent sideways for any length of time is a ticket to disaster for developing CTS and/or other types of cumulative trauma disorders (pinched nerves in the neck, shoulder tendonitis/bursitis, elbow tendonitis and more).
4. Plan your activities: Pay careful attention to your daily routine for activities that may increase your risk of developing or perpetuating CTS. For example, these activities can increase your chance of developing or worsening CTS: playing a musical instrument, knitting, carpentry, playing video or computer games for hours, working on cars, operating vibrating tools, using forceful gripping such as spray bottles, using a crutch, cane, wheelchair, engaging in certain sports such as long-distance cycling that load the arm and hand, skiing – waterskiing requires a firm grip on the handle and snow skiing requires firm gripping on the ski pole.
5. Sleep: It is impossible to control the position we put our hands/wrists in at night. Therefore, it is essential to wear wrist splints so we avoid bending the wrists in our sleep. Many of us curl up in a ball and tuck or bend the wrists and hands under our chin. In a “normal” wrist, the pressure inside the carpal tunnel DOUBLES when we bend our wrists! If we have CTS, the pressure goes up exponentially or, 6-8 times because of the increased pressure that’s there already because of the CTS. Use a pillow that is designed for you, we’ll help you with that!
6. Take a break! It’s important to pace yourself if your work or play includes fast, repetitive activities. It’s easy to get lost into what you’re doing so a timer to remind you that an hour has gone by and to take a break is a wise purchase.  There are computer programs that flash on your screen, “Time to stretch!” Some of these may include the actual exercise so you don’t forget what to do. If not, talk to us about what exercises are good to do either at the workstation and/or at home for CTS.

            We realize you have a choice in who you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs.  If you, a friend or family member require care for CTS, we would be honored to render our services.

To schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our San Francisco Carpal Tunnel Doctors call 415-392-2225. Mention this blog post.

 

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Night Pain

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and noticed your hand sleeping to the point where you had to get out of bed and shake or flick your fingers to alleviate the numbness? If the numbness was primarily on the thumb-side half of your hand, it may have been carpal tunnel syndrome that woke you up. So, the question is, why is it such an issue at night?

To properly answer this question, let’s get familiar with the anatomy of the wrist.  There are 2 bones that make up the forearm – the ulna (on the pinky side) and the radius (on the thumb side). Just beyond that, there are two rows of four bones each called the carpal bones for a total of 8 small bones that make up the wrist joint. These carpal bones are arranged in a horseshoe or tunnel shape. When you look down at your wrist and wiggle your fingers quickly, you can see all the movement that occurs on the palm side of the wrist.  That’s a lot of movement!  You can also see the muscles on the upper half of the forearm moving rapidly as the fingers wiggle. 

            There are 9 muscle tendons that travel through the carpal tunnel, as well as some blood vessels and most important, the median nerve sits on top of all those moving tendons. Just beneath the floor of the tunnel is a ligament called the transverse carpal ligament. The tendons inside the tunnel are surrounded by lubricating sheaths that make it easier for the tendons to slide back and forth as we wiggle our fingers, grip to open a jar, type on a computer, play a musical instrument, or so on. Without the tendon sheaths, the friction between the rubbing tendons would quickly build up heat, resulting in swelling, pain and numbness.  However, in spite of the lubricating function of the sheaths, when we work our fingers and hands too much, swelling and inflammation does occur.

            So, why do we have numbness at night when we aren’t working, gripping and moving our fingers repetitively? The answer lies in how we sleep. Since we are asleep, we cannot control where we position our hands and wrists. Most of us curl up in a ball and tuck our hands under our chin or someplace cozy.  Normally, when we bend our wrists, the pressure inside the carpal tunnel doubles. However, a carpal tunnel patient already has a higher level of pressure in their wrist. So, when a carpal tunnel patient bends their wrist in the exact same way, the pressure goes up even more – that is, 3, 4, 5, or more times than a normal person without their wrist bent. That is why a wrist “cock-up” splint works so well at night!  It keeps the wrist straight so we can’t bend it.  Often, this allows the CTS patient to sleep through the night instead of waking up 2, 3, or more times with numbness, tingling, and/or pain on the thumb half of the hand. 

            We realize you have a choice in who you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs.  If you, a friend or family member require care for CTS, we would be honored to render our services.

To schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our carpal tunnel doctors in San Francisco, call 415-392-2225 and mention this blog post.

 

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: What is it?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a condition that results from pressure applied to the median nerve on the palm side of the wrist that causes numbness, tingling, weakness, and/or muscle damage affecting the thumb side of the hand and fingers, including the thumb, index, 3rd and thumb side of the 4th finger. There is literally a tunnel through which 9 tendons and their sheaths, some blood vessels, and most importantly, the median nerve travel through to get to the thumb and fingers. As these tendons slide back and forth in their sheaths, friction can build up, leading to swelling when fast, repetitive finger related work is performed, such as working on a computer, especially for prolonged time frames without proper ergonomics and rest periods.  The “syndrome” starts when the swelling occurs and the numbness/tingling/weakness complaints begin.

            There are many causes of CTS.  Most commonly, CTS occurs in people whom perform fast, repetitive motions including (but not limited to):  typing on a computer keyboard, using a computer mouse, sewing, driving, assembly line work, painting, writing, use of hand tools, sports such as racquetball or handball, and playing musical instruments. Many of these tasks involve bending or twisting of the wrists (think of a violin or flute player and you get the picture). CTS most often occurs in people 30-60 years old, affects women more than men and, can be either caused or contributed by other conditions such as fracture/trauma to the wrist or hand, arthritis of the wrist, diabetes, alcoholism, hypothyroid, kidney failure and dialysis, menopause, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and pregnancy, infections, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, and others.

            Symptoms most commonly include numbness or tingling in the thumb-side palm, thumb, 2nd, 3rd, and thumb half of the 4th fingers. The symptoms can extend to the elbow or higher to the neck or shoulder, can affect both hands (but one is usually worse than the other), and can interfere with daily activities such as buttoning shirts, opening jars, holding onto the steering wheel, riding a bike, working with the hands, etc.

            During an initial examination, our San Francisco Carpal Tunnel Doctors will often check your sensation with a sharp pointed object, percuss (tap) over the palm-side wrist, ask you to hold your hands back to back and palm to palm while counting the seconds to numbness, test grip strength, and also check the neck, shoulder and elbow as these areas refer pain back and forth. Sometimes, he or she will order an EMG to test the nerve’s damage. Conservative chiropractic treatment is highly effective and DEFINITELY should be done FIRST, before injections, medications, or surgery!

It's also important to know that the median nerve, which is the nerve involved with CTS, originates in the neck. Pressure on the median nerve (roots) in the neck can cause the same symptoms as true carpal tunnel syndrome. This is why a true carpal tunnel expert will always examine you from the neck to the finger tips on both sides. The reality is...true CTS is rare...the primary cause of most carpal tunnel symptoms are pinched nerves in the neck (read: carpal tunnel and pinched nerves in the neck).

            We realize you have a choice in who you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs.  If you, a friend or family member require care for CTS, we would be honored to render our services.

To schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our carpal tunnel doctors in San Francisco, call 415-392-2225. Mention this blog post for a complimentary consultation.

Related Articles:

Can a chiropractor help hand pain?

How does a chiropractor treat carpal tunnel syndrome?

 

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Ergonomics

The word, “Ergonomics” is thrown around a lot when it comes to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). The term ergonomics comes from the Greek ergon, meaning “work”, and nomos, meaning “natural laws.” By definition, ergonomics means, “…the study of efficiency in working environments.” Wikipedia describes it as, “…the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body, and its cognitive abilities.” The International Ergonomics Association offers this definition: “Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.”

            The study of ergonomics is not new as it dates back to Ancient Greece with substantial evidence that, in the 5th century BC, ergonomic principles were applied to tool design, jobs and workplaces. Examples include Hippocrates giving surgeons recommendations on how to arrange their table and tools during surgery.

            Some ergonomic concepts we can employ on a daily basis include:

1. Take frequent breaks, every half-hour if possible, but at least every 60 to 90 minutes. Get up, stretch and walk around. If nothing else, perform stretches while sitting in your work chair.
2. Maintain “good posture” (tuck in the chin and hold the retracted position).      
3. Evaluate your workstation: proper sitting position, how you hold the phone, keyboard/monitor positions, type & position of the mouse, reaching requirements, avoid twist/bending the wrists.
4. When grasping/gripping, use the whole hand – not just the fingers or thumb tips alone.
5. Keep cutting instruments sharp (scissors, knives, etc.) and maintain locks on hinged knives.
6. Consider modifications if tools are too heavy, buttons too high, too much required force, etc.
7. Stay in shape as obesity is a risk factor for carpal tunnel syndrome.
8. Rotate job tasks rather than continuing with one task until finished (less repetition)!
9. Communicate with your supervisor and HRO person about improving the workplace.

            We realize you have a choice in who you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs.  If you, a friend or family member require care for CTS, we would be honored to render our services.

We also conduct ergonomic trainings, carpal tunnel seminars, health fairs, and wellness programs in San Francisco.

To schedule a complimentary evaluation with a carpal tunnel doctor in San Francisco call 415-392-2225.

 

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - What Can You Do For It?

We have been helping patients with carpal tunnel syndrome in San Francisco for almost 20 years now. In the real world, carpal tunnel syndrome is rare. Carpal tunnel symptoms are common, and are usually the result of pinched nerves in the neck.

Carpal tunnel syndrome or CTS, is a common condition that drives many patients to chiropractic clinics asking, “…what can chiropractic do for CTS?” 

                As an overview, the following is a list of what you might expect when you visit a Doctor of Chiropractic for a condition like CTS:

1. A thorough history is VITALLY important as your doctor can ask about job related stressors, hobby related causes (such as carpentry or playing musical instruments), telephone work, or factory work – especially if it’s fast and repetitive.  Your doctor will also need to learn about your “co-morbidities” or, other conditions that can directly or indirectly cause CTS such as diabetes, thyroid disease, certain types of arthritis, certain medication side effects, and others.
2. A Physical Exam to determine the area(s) of nerve compression degree of severity. This may include ordering special tests such as EMG/NCV, if necessary.
3. Treatment can include chiropractic adjustments to the neck, arm, and hands, soft tissue release with ART, or Graston, PT modalities (eg., electric stim., ultrasound, deep tissue laser).
4. Home Therapies are the main topic for this Health Update. What can YOU do for CTS?

Here are some of the things that you, the CTS sufferer can self-manage:

• A Carpal tunnel splint  is primarily worn at night, keeping your wrist in a neutral or straight position. This position places the least amount of stretch on the nerves and muscle tendons that travel through the carpal tunnel at the wrist.
• Exercises (Dose: 5-10 second holds, 5-10 repetitions, multiple times / day) such as: A. The “Bear claw” (keep the big knuckles of the hand straight but bend the 2 smaller joints of the fingers and thumb and alternate with opening wide the hand) B. Tight Fist / open hand (fully open – spread and extend the fingers and then make a fist, with the hand). C. The upside down palm on wall wrist and forearm stretch (stand facing a wall; with the elbow straight, place the palm of your hand on the wall, fingers pointing down towards the floor. Try to bend the wrist to 90 degrees keeping the palm flat on the wall. Feel the stretch in the forearm – hold for 5-10 seconds. Reach across with the other hand and gently pull back on the thumb for an added stretch! D. Wrist range of motion (dorsiflexion/palmar flexion) – Place forearm on a table with wrist off the edge, palm down. Bend hand downward as far as possible, then upward. Repeat 5 or 10 times. E. Wrist range of motion (pronation/supination) – Place forearm and whole hand on table-- elbow bent 90°, palm flat on tabletop. Rotate the wrist and forearm so the back of hand is now flat on tabletop. Repeat 5 or 10 times. F. Neck Stretch. Sit or stand with head facing forward. Side bend as far to the right as possible (approximate the right ear to right shoulder) and hold for 5 seconds. Reach over with the right hand to the left side of the head and gently pull further to the right to increase the stretch. Reverse instructions for the other side. Repeat 3 to 5 times. Consider other neck exercises if needed. G. Shoulder shrug and rotation. Stand with arms at the sides. Shrug the shoulders up toward the ears, then squeeze the shoulder blades back, then downwards and then roll them forward. Do the whole rotation slowly and reverse the direction. Repeat 3 to 5 times. If you cannot comfortably do the whole rotation, just shrug the shoulders up and down. H. Pectoral stretch. Stand in a doorway (or a corner of a room). Rest your forearms, including your elbows, on the door-frame, keeping your shoulders at a 90-degree angle. Lean forward until a stretch is felt in the chest muscles. Do not arch your back. Hold 20 seconds; repeat 5 times.
• Job modifications are also VERY important but unfortunately, a topic for another time! In short, rotate job tasks (if possible), take mini-breaks, and use tools with handles that fit easily into the hands. Have a job station analysis completed if the above are not enough.
• Ice to the neck and wrists can reduce inflammation, pain, and muscle spasms.

                We realize you have a choice in who you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs.  If you, a friend or family member require care for CTS, we would be honored to render our services.

To schedule an appointment with one of our San Francisco Carpal Tunnel Doctors call 415-392-2225. Mention this blog post and receive a complimentary consultation and home CTS exercises.

San Francisco Carpal Tunnel Treatment

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or, CTS, is a common condition that affects many people. The process by which it is diagnosed includes a careful history and examination that includes an orthopedic and neurological exam, sometimes special tests such as X-Ray, MRI, EMG/NCV, and special sensory tests (including vibrometry or neurometry). So, let’s discuss this process.

HISTORY: When you first arrive at our San Francisco Carpal Tunnel Center, you will be asked to complete some routine paper work that includes history-based information such as the mechanism of injury (how did your carpal tunnel symptoms start), the onset (when the symptoms started), pain related issues (factors that increase or decrease the pain/symptoms), quality of symptoms (numb, tingling, achy, pins/needles), radiation of symptoms and location, severity (right now, on average past week, at best and at worst), timing of the symptoms (worse at night, in the morning, after certain work or home activities), and past history information.  You will also be asked about your current health status such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, thyroid disease, arthritis, and any other health related conditions that may be present. We will also do an inventory of your systems (cardiovascular-heart, pulmonary-lungs, genito-urinary or, bladder, kidney, sex organs), skin, musculoskeletal (muscles, bones, and joints), and neurological systems. This is all important as they can contribute to CTS.

EXAMINATION: The routine exam for CTS patients includes a careful evaluation of not only the hand and wrist, but also all structure from the neck down the arm, including the shoulder and elbow.  That’s because a pinch of the nerve at any location from the neck down can contribute to CTS symptoms and treatment at these locations is often needed for a satisfying result.  Categories of examination include:

• Observation: This includes posture, skin color/texture, and quality of movement such as being slow or careful with or without pain behavior like grimacing or verbal expressions of pain.
• Palpation: Touching areas including the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand. We are looking for pain responses, numbness/tingling, temperature & moisture of the skin, muscle tone, joint grinding, and others.
• Orthopedic tests:  This will include testing for nerve pinching in the neck, shoulder, elbow, or wrist; attempts to reproduce symptoms in the hands by bending and holding the bent wrist positions for 10-30 seconds, tapping the wrists with a reflex hammer checking for numbness into digits thumb through the 4th finger; stretching the fingers backwards to see how “stiff” they are comparing the two hands, and others.
• Neurological tests: Using various instruments that may include a sharp object like a pin, a dull object, light touch, vibration produced by a tuning or neurometer or vibrometer, a reflex hammer to test the reflexes in the arm (several locations), and possibly a 2-point discriminator which measures whether one can feel 2 points the same on the two sides or down to at least 6mm (1/4 inch).  Testing muscle strength in the arms as well as grip strength is also commonly done.
• Special tests: These are less commonly performed but can include: blood tests (diabetes-sugar, thyroid, arthritis tests, Lymes Disease, others), EMG (electromyography), NCV (Nerve Conductance Velocity - these tests measure the speed at which a nerve transfers an impulse from point 1 to 2 such as neck to hand, elbow to wrist, across the wrist to the 2nd finger), X-Ray and/or MRI (Magnetic Resonant Imaging).

The bottom line, make sure your health care provider is thorough and checks everything from the neck to the hand as often, many other conditions above the wrist frequently contributes to CTS symptoms.

We realize you have a choice in who you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs.  If you, a friend or family member require care for CTS, we would be honored to render our services.

To schedule an appointment for a complimentary consultation at our Carpal Tunnel Treatment Center in San Francisco, call 415-392-2225 and mention this blog post.

Checkout our 5 star Reviews

Pregnancy Related Back and Wrist Pain

San Francisco Back and Wrist Pain Doctor Comments:

Pregnancy can be hard on the back. Especially if there were already weak spinal muscles or a pre-existing spinal condition that was known or unknown. One thing for sure...the extra load from the growing fetus can cause all sorts of aches and pains in the back...especially the low back.

Pregnancy also causes quite a bit of water retention...which can cause tissues to swell in the wrist resulting in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Wrist pain is very common in pregnant women.

Here's the deal...In my opinion, the last thing a pregnant woman should do is take any drugs for her back pain or wrist pain. And she shouldn't have to. What she should do is visit a chiropractor.

That's right...chiropractic is safe, gentle, and very effective for pregnancy related back and wrist pain. I have adjusted hundreds of pregnant women over the past 20 years...including my wife. Sometimes all the way up until the day before they gave birth.

It also makes sense for new mothers to see a chiropractor soon after delivery and on a regular basis to make sure the spine returns to a more normal alignment...and stays there. Especially if there is a history of previous back pain. Same with pregnancy related wrist pain.

It was not uncommon to see 10 pregnant moms in my San Francisco Chiropractic Clinic in a single day...the word got out. We also would get quite a few referrals from medical doctors and other health care providers.

Some would be concerned that the low back adjustments could somehow harm the baby. I know my wife expressed concern. But the baby is well protected...and just like it's OK to workout and do aerobics...gentle chiropractic is OK too.

Also, when the spine is in a more normal position during pregnancy...the nervous system will function better, increasing the odds of a healthy baby and normal delivery.

In my (biased) opinion...nothing makes more sense than chiropractic adjustments for pregnant women and mothers to be. Chiropractic is 100% natural, safe, and effective.

Same goes after delivery. Nursing and caring for the new baby is also very hard on the back, neck, shoulders and wrists. Visits to the chiropractor should happen sooner than later.

Anyway...Happy Mothers Day to all you moms out there and mothers to be :-) 

 Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of the Executive Express Chiropractic Back and Wrist Pain Treatment Center in San Francisco

Directions to our San Francisco Back and Wrist Pain Treatment Center

San Francisco Chiropractor Reviews

San Francisco Chiropractor Review: Wrist Pain

Every week Executive Express Chiropractic San Francisco profiles a patient that has achieved outstanding results with our unique brand of chiropractic, massage, exercise, and TLC. Our Patient of the Week is Callen Carter. Callen had been suffering with chronic wrist and elbow pain for over 6 months when she decided to seek care from our wrist pain doctors in San Francisco. Callen reports she is now 95% hand pain free and things are returning to normal. Listen to what Callin has to say about us:

SF Wrist Pain Treatment Review

Wrist Pain Treatment San Francisco

 

Is it OK to wear wrist splints every day?

San Francisco Carpal Tunnel Doctor Comments:

Some people that have chronic wrist pain get in the habit of wearing wrist supports every day. The wrist splints make it so they can still work on the computer even though the hand or wrist is inflamed...usually from repetitive use.

Hey...I have no problem with wrist supports under certain conditions. But if the wrist splints are the actual treatment...along with pain pills...well I think you can do better.

First of all...all of our body parts stay healthy with motion. If you restrict motion you will begin (quickly) to lose muscle mass and develop scar tissue. Look what happens to a persons arm when they break it and goes into a cast. The arm muscles atrophy. Neck braces, wrist splints, knee supports, or any other device that is going to restrict normal motion in a joint, should just be used on a temporary basis....not every day for extended periods of time.

The other problem I have with wrist splints and Motrin...the typical treatment from a family doctor or emergency room doctor for carpal tunnel and cumulative trauma disorders is that it really does nothing for the actual cause of the hand pain. It just treats the symptom, and can cause a new set of health concerns by restricting motion of the wrist and hands.

So what is the right kind of treatment for carpal tunnel symptoms?

At our Carpal Tunnel Treatment Center in San Francisco we check the neck to the finger tips on both sides when a patient presents with CTS symptoms.

We check for nerve pressure, muscle spasms, inflammation, swollen tendons, abnormal joint motion in the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and finger joints...and we also check the rest of the spine...it's all connected.

The treatment is a combination of chiropractic adjustments to the neck, elbow, wrist, and fingers. Deep tissue laser therapy to reduce inflammation and pain. Graston technique to check for and treat scar tissue in the neck, arms, and hands. Active Release Technique (ART) to check for and treat muscle spasms and adhesion's. Special exercises to restore normal joint and muscle function. We also use ice therapy for pain and inflammation...and yes, wrist splints for a day or two if indicated...never ongoing.

We may even use Kinesio Tape which can give your wrists a lot of support with almost normal motion.

A lot of stuff huh?  Sure it is...but we do it in stages, and you do some of it at home. Repetitive Stress Injuries like CTS and related disorders are hard to treat...especially if you need to keep working. 

This is the beauty of chiropractic treatment for upper extremity disorders. You can usually keep working while you are actually getting better...not worse, from long term wrist splint use and Motrin to mask the pain.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

If you live or work near downtown San Francisco and are suffering with chronic hand pain or other carpal tunnel symptoms...you should probably be checked by a carpal tunnel doctor. If you are using wrist splints on a daily basis you should get checked sooner than later.

To schedule an appointment with one of our San Francisco Carpal Tunnel Doctors, call 415-392-2225 and mention this blog post. Ask for a Complimentary CTS Evaluation.

Check us out on: