If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and had surgery, but the pain never went away, then there is a fair chance that it was not CTS in the first place. CTS is a condition in the wrist where a nerve is pinched and the surgeon releases the nerve.
However, a big problem that many of these people have is a great deal of shoulder and core weakness. Core weakness is becoming a bigger problem in the recent years due to computers and the way computers add to your risk of CTS.
How does core weakness create CTS symptoms or numbness and tingling or pain in the hands? If your core (abdominals, back or hip muscles) are weak then your arms, wrist and hand muscles have to work harder to achieve the task or activity. This can cause tendonitis or numbness and tingling in the wrist and hands. Imagine your core is like a trunk of a tree. If the trunk is thin and weak, then the branches will hang lower as the trunk bends. In my 14 years of experience, I have had many patients that have had a diagnosis of CTS, but only required core exercises.
Questions? Comments? Let me hear from you!
~ Peter St.Germain, PT