Wrist Pain & Chiropractic Care
The wrist is made up of 8 small bones called “carpal bones” which are held together by all the soft tissue including the ligaments, muscles, nerves, blood vessels and tendons. The nerves from your hand run through the arm and to the neck. Strain on the muscle or ligaments can cause compression on the nerve which causes the wrist pain or numbness. This can be caused by a sudden improper movement , direct trauma or a repetitive movement for prolonged periods of time. Conditions like tennis elbow and golfers elbow are common and generally treatable though chiropractic care.
At Lowery Chiropractic we have also seen an increase in new patients in the El Dorado Hills and Folsom area with injuries in the shoulder, neck and wrist because of this. Today many people sit for prolonged periods of time working on the computer which has been a major cause in the rise of wrist pain and carpal tunnel. Special ergonomic equipment has been developed to provide a better working condition to prevent these types of injuries, but unfortunately proper ergonomic equipment is only part of the solution.
Tips to treat wrist pain
The first thing you can do is REST. Apply ice to the source of pain to reduce the inflammation.
If you can reduce your computer use, do it. Take breaks every 20-30 minutes of computer use and stretch. If the pain is in your right wrist try using the mouse with your left wrist. Again, ergonomics is very important, be sure to check to see if your computer set up is ergonomically tailored for you. Stretching is importtant. We recommend you perform a series of wrist stretches, forearm stretches and shoulder stretches a . It’s all interconnected, stretching your shoulder and forearm will help reduce the tension in the wrist as well. Youtube is a great resource for videos on these stretches.
Chiropractic Treatment for Intense or Prolonged Wrist Pain
If you are experiencing intense wrist pain or have been experiencing wrist pain for a prolonged period of time we would highly recommend you to see a health care professional. At Lowery Chiropractic we first evaluate the patients wrist injury and the seriousness of the condition. Next we understand the history of the patients pain and then determine the required chiropractic and soft tissue treatment.
- ART (Active Release Technique) is considered the “gold standard” in soft tissue treatment and extremely effective in treating overuse conditions
- Ultrasound and muscle stimulation is used to relax the muscle, reduce muscle spasms and improve blood flow.
- Relieving painful trigger points throughout the body to help ease muscle tension.
- Biomechanics and modify movements
As part of the treatment plan it is important for us to pinpoint the root cause of the pain so we can work with the patient to take the necessary steps to course correct to avoid further injury. We try to understand all the possible movements the patient uses on a daily basis that may cause the pain, evaluate the patients body mechanics and then modify or eliminate certain movements all together. Proper mechanics, stretching and exercise are all key components to healing and maintenance.
