Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Relief in Wake Forest, NC

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition that causes pain, numbness, and tingling in the hand and arm. The condition occurs when one of the major nerves to the hand — the median nerve — is squeezed or compressed as it travels through the wrist.

What treatments are available?

Typically, carpal tunnel syndrome is a mechanical disorders on the pressure of the median nerve. You can learn to take pressure off this nerve with exercises and stretches, but in some instances, especially if long-standing and chronic conditions, you may need more measures. Sometimes surgery or injections are indicated, but in majority of cases, conservative care with physical therapy can improve symptoms.

Procedures that we perform are manual therapies to the wrist, fingers, elbow, shoulder and neck that can includes joint and soft tissue mobilization. In some instances, we perform dry needling to this area.

What is dry needling

Dry needling is an invasive technique widely used in the physiotherapy field. Not only is dry needling used on muscles, its action on the connective-fascial tissue, the other aspect of a single, unique and indivisible functional whole: the myofascia. This can be the key to treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome and ultimately how you can get the most relief.

What does dry needling do?

In regards to carpal tunnel syndrome, the transverse carpal ligament can a major culprit. In fact, if you went in for surgery, the surgeon snips this ligament. The specialized Physios at PhysioFit of NC use Dry Needling , but instead of just the “ fast in and out technique” that most use, we rotate the needle and the fascial connective tissue winds around to the point where it is fastened and trapped.

Studies, especially the strong work by Langevin et al, show the needle grasp strength is 167% greater if manipulated unidirectionally than if it is not manipulated. However, if an alternate rotation is applied bidirectionally (winding and unwinding) the same studies quantify this grasp strength at 52% greater than if it is not manipulated.

We apply a technique for manipulation of DN needles with unidirectional rotation, which we call the “fascial winding technique”.

We apply a unidirectional rotation (winding) based on the stronger needle grasp thereby obtained, which has been quantified and included in previous studies to improve connective tissue and myofascial changes in carpal tunnel syndrome.

We also present “four-pole carpal dry needling” for the carpal tunnel directly but also trace the muscles, fascia and nerve back up to the elbow to provide benefit to blood flow and decrease inflammation to the median nerve before and after the carpal tunnel.

We believe that these procedures would lead to the grasp, and consistent traction-stretching on the TCL, being more powerful and effective. This will cause both local and remote changes in this tissue and lead to healing.

Also, this may lead to a relaxation of tension and increased flexibility of the transverse carpal ligament. This would reduce the pressure inside the carpal tunnel, also decreasing the compression on the median nerve, which is ultimately responsible for the clinical profile of sensory and motor impairment that you may have.

Why choose PhysioFit of North Carolina?

The action of dry needling in connective-fascial tissue, expanding the possible therapeutic potential of this technique beyond its action on the muscular element. Dr. Harrison Vaughan has extensive training in dry needling and only one of several Fellows in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy in the region. You can trust in his care and expertise, as well as 1:1 time with you!

After manual therapy, we then follow-up with exercises through our Feel it to Heal it Physio Approach to make sure you “feel the stretch” and “feel the strength” in your muscles where you should! You will not get this type of technique and combination anywhere else!
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