Patients are stunned when, after telling us about their wrist pain, we begin by questioning them about neck pain they may be having. Often they admit that their neck has been a bit sore… but how is wrist pain and neck pain connected?
Surprisingly, wrist pain is frequently the result of a pinched nerve in the neck. The nerves that manage your arm and wrist originate in the neck, so damage or injury to the neck can often generate pain in your extremities. Often, strained muscles, trigger points, auto accidents, or congenital conditions stress the neck’s soft tissue, and inflamed tissue can inadvertently pinch nerves. Muscle and nerve groups are all connected, and this often causes pain in one area of the body to create discomfort and painful symptoms in a seemingly unrelated part of the body.
Pinched nerves in the neck often trigger or mimic the pain associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. Research shows that carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common culprit for wrist pain. The wrist’s carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway—“tunnel”—through which the nerves and muscle extend to the hand, and when the carpal tunnel is injured and the median nerve of the wrist is compressed, patients experience a number of painful symptoms: tingling, numbness, weakness, burning, and itching. Carpal tunnel syndrome prohibits movement and diminishes feeling to the wrist and hand. And pinched nerves in the neck can, in fact, affect the wrist’s median nerve, causing a patient acute pain.
At our clinic, we have the expertise to assess your wrist pain and determine if it is truly carpal tunnel syndrome, or the result of pinched nerves in the neck. Our physical medicine professionals are able to pinpoint the difference and provide the best treatment for your symptoms.
Depending on the diagnosis, we successfully treat neck and wrist pain through proven physical medicine techniques. We have found that chiropractic adjustments relieve pressure in the neck’s soft tissues, and increase flexibility. By ensuring the neck is in alignment and that soft tissues are relaxed and supple, we alleviate patients’ pinched nerves. In addition to chiropractic adjustments, routine physical therapy sessions and regular massage therapy also assist in relieving a patient’s pain.
Our holistic, natural approach to pain relief is a welcome alternative to heavy narcotics or invasive surgeries.
If you’re experiencing wrist pain, call today to schedule a FREE consultation with a member of our team—we may just be able to get rid of that pain in your neck, too!