Carpal tunnel is where there is a compression on the medial nerve at the inner wrist which then leads to feelings of numbness and tingling in the hand and fingers, typically the thumb, index, middle and sometimes the ring finger as well. As it progresses, it can lead to pain in the forearm and in some cases the shoulder, as well as weakness in the grip and difficulties using the hand for certain tasks.
Typically, conventional treatment is aimed at reducing pain and swelling through the use of wrist braces and cortisone (steroid) injections. If you’ve already gone that route, you may be aware that although cortisone has an anti-inflammatory effect, these are hormones. Adding hormones can upset the natural hormone balance in the body, specifically the adrenal gland which governs the production of our own internal production of cortisol. Now because hormones operate on feed-back loops, when there is an external source introduced such as an injection, the body responds to this by shutting down its own internal production of cortisol. This means we can end up with low cortisol and become dependent on the drug to maintain our necessary cortisol levels. The side-effects of cortisone shots include mood disorders, insomnia, and bone loss. Another option is surgery. Since most people want to try the least invasive treatment before going that route, I’m going to explain how acupuncture offers an excellent alternative to cortisone and surgery.
The best results I’ve seen in my years as an acupuncturist is using mirroring points on the ankle. If the Pericardium channel is the main problem with carpal tunnel. I use the Stomach channel on the ankle at Stomach 41 and above to treat it. In Balance Method acupuncture, the Stomach channel balances the Pericardium channel so that’s the first reason. The second reason is that the structures at the front ankle at Stomach 41 are a close match or a mirror of the structures at the wrist at Pericardium 7. Acupuncture on an area that structurally mirrors the problem area brings best results.
Here you can see the carpal tunnel area is between two long bones, the radius and the ulna, between two tendons, the flexor carpi radialis and the flexor carpi ulnaris and it’s held together by a band of connective tissue called the transverse carpal ligament.
Similarly, the front ankle at Stomach 41 is between two bones, the tibia and the fibula. It is also between two tendons, the and the tendon of extensor hallucis longus and the tendon of exensor digitorum longus, and it is
covered by a band of connective tissues called the Inferior Extensor Reticulum.
So, let’s look at the carpal tunnel. This is a structure that is on the medial wrist. From an Eastern medicine perspective, our meridian map shows us that the acupuncture channels flowing
through the inner wrist are the Pericardium, the Lung and the Heart channels. Now typically the Pericardium tends to be the most affected channel but it can be all three channels. You will be asked to point to where you are feeling the numbness or pain.
So there you have it, a fantastic treatment for carpal tunnel with no side effects. Effective. Again and again.
Tired of the carpal tunnel pain? Call us at Kingsville Acupuncture at 519-800-4903 and let’s get you on a path to healing.