How Laser Therapy Can Ease Your Carpal Tunnel Discomfort

Carpal tunnel syndrome can make you feel like your hands belong to a stranger, with weird sensations, pain symptoms, and numb, stiff fingers. Fortunately, laser therapy can help.

At Neuropathy & Pain Centers of Texas, a group medical practice located in Fort Worth, Arlington, Wichita Falls, and Waco, Texas, our medical professionals can provide advanced laser treatment for your carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome overview

The median nerve's compression causes carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). This nerve runs through your wrist into your hand and carries messages from the brain to your thumb, index finger, long finger, and part of the ring finger.

The tunnel inside of your wrist that this nerve runs through can become compressed if you have suffered an injury or have inflammation of the wrist. When the tunnel narrows, the nerve doesn’t have enough room to operate correctly, and you can experience some or all of the following symptoms.

• Sharp stabbing pain in the wrist
• Chronic, aching pain
• Wrist weakness
• Tingling or numbness in your hand and fingers

These symptoms may come and go as the inflammation in your wrist increases and decreases. 

Contributing factors to CTS

If you work a job requiring repetitive hand and wrist motions (like typing, house painting, or certain types of warehouse work), you are at higher risk for developing carpal tunnel syndrome. The same goes if you play a sport involving repetitive motion, especially wrist rotation. Common offenders include tennis and golf.

Medical conditions may also contribute to your risk of experiencing CTS. Talk to your doctor about hand or wrist symptoms potentially being CTS if you have:

• High blood pressure
• An autoimmune disease
• A thyroid condition
• Peripheral neuropathy attributed to diabetes
• A previous wrist fracture or other wrist injury 

Being female also will not be in your favor regarding carpal tunnel issues; women are known to be at greater risk of CTS than men. 

Prevention of CTS

Lifestyle and work habits can help you protect your wrist health. If you work at a computer desk, invest in an ergonomic desk, chair, keyboard, and mouse to ensure your arms, hands, and wrists are positioned correctly for minimum impact. Also take frequent breaks from typing or scrolling to give your wrists a break.

If you play a sport that strains your wrists, talk to your trainer or coach about ways to protect your wrists, and remember to include your forearms, wrists, and hands in your warmup and cooldown routines.

Diagnosis and treatment for CTS

Wrist braces, icing after a long day, heat when indicated for pain, or compression gloves can all be part of your prevention and treatment plan. You can also see a doctor experienced in hand therapy exercises if you've noticed CTS symptoms.

CTS is diagnosed with a test called a nerve conduction study that can measure the conduction speed of nerve impulses. If the pulses are slow where the nerve from the wrist is in your hand, that's a sign of compression and potential CTS.

You should ask for CTS testing if you're suffering from numbness, tingling, or pain in one or both wrists. We can apply M6 advanced laser treatment if you have carpal tunnel syndrome. This laser uses targeted light at specific wavelengths to provide anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.

We usually provide multiple laser treatments per week for several weeks to reduce the inflammation in your wrist(s) and reduce pain and feelings of tingling or numbness.

If you're struggling with hands that always seem to fall asleep or painful wrists, it's time for an evaluation. Contact your closest location or book an appointment online today.