Carpal tunnel syndrome and acupuncture
Many people come to see me as they suffer from forearm pain including wrist and hand pain. Some of these people have been diagnosed with having carpal tunnel syndrome and not only does the pain cause numbness of the fingers but also a burning sensation. The pain is most often throughout the day as well as when sleeping. Due to the numbness and the pain, it affects their arm, hand, shoulder and wrist movement. Usually western medicine prescribes tablets to combat the pain, but if this is unsuccessful an operation is usually suggested.
How can acupuncture help arm pain? Acupuncture has been shown to be very successful with treating arm pain and pain associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. Acupuncture channel theory considers six major channels which cover the entire arm from the neck and shoulder all the way to the fingers. Each channel radiates to different fingers, and each channel internally connects to certain organs thus it brings the Qi energy and Blood from the internal organs to the neck and shoulder, to the arm, hand and fingers which helps keep the arm in optimal function.
However, sometimes if the channels and/or any of the organs have a problem, such as deficiency of the organs, blockages and stagnation in the channels, blood clots, or “Cold” blocking an area, it can affect the flowing of the Qi and the Blood within the channel. As the Qi and Blood is blocked in a certain channel this is the cause of the symptoms of the arm.
Carpal tunnel syndrome usually affect four meridians, which are the Lung, Heart, Pericardium and Large Intestine channels. To find the cause of the arm pain or carpal tunnel syndrome, traditional Chinese medicine diagnoses this through pulse and tongue examination as well as palpation of the area, and questioning. Through this method the blockage or stagnation which may be associated with the channel can be found. One of the most important principles of treating pain is, if the channel is clear and circulation is able to move through freely there will be no pain, however if there is a blockage or restriction in the circulation throughout the channel pain will be present.
Once the blockage has been located acupuncture is used to clear the blockage and bring the circulation through the channel. Channel scrubbing, Chinese herbs and Chinese massage can also be used to help, depending on the severity of the case. A few treatments will greatly help to relieve the pain as well as to get rid of the associated burning and numbness sensations.
The treatment can be seen as, when there is a traffic accident on the roads, the roads become blocked and traveling is put to a halt. Once the accident has been cleared the traffic is able to move freely without blockage.
How can you prevent arm pain and carpal tunnel syndrome?
- Keep the hands warm and avoid long periods of touching cold objects especially in winter. When washing the hands, using warm water will improve circulation especially in the limb area.
- If some pain is associated with the channels around the neck and the shoulder, make sure your neck and shoulders are comfortable, warm and relaxed, especially those who are subject to computer and desk work. Exercising the neck and shoulders during the day will help improve circulation to flow through to the arm and hands.
- Reducing stress is also a means of preventing arm pain. Because some channels on the arm and shoulder are associated with the Heart, Gall Bladder and Liver directly and indirectly, these organs are easily damaged by emotional disturbances, thus there can be an effect on the circulation flowing through these channels to the arm.
A Clinical Case of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
A 70 year old male, who had a very stressful job and is very busy, had the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome for 7 weeks. The right forearm was extremely painful, pain radiating from the palms to the fingers with associated burning and numbness sensations.He also suffered from tightness and pain in his shoulder as well as constant headaches. The pain not only affected his activities during the day but also his sleep. His pulse was very taught and his tongue was very dark and bruised. I diagnosed him with blood clots stuck in his neck and shoulder as well as in his Gall Bladder and Heart channels. After three treatments of acupuncture and scrubbing, the channels were cleared and the symptoms disappeared.
If you suffer from arm or shoulder pain that is difficult to treat, you may also see an experienced traditional Chinese acupuncturist for relief.
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