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Physical Therapy For Carpal Tunnel

The best treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome is usually physical therapy. Your physical therapist at PT Central in Oklahoma City and Edmond is highly trained in strategies to solve the problem that created your carpal tunnel issue in the first place.

Your PT will offer exercises, ways to modify your daily activities, and long-term solutions to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome from returning! You will complete a program that improves the mobility and strength of muscles and joints surrounding the neck, shoulders, and wrist.

Carpal Tunnel Causes

Carpal tunnel syndrome is quite common, impacting around five percent of the United States population at any given time. The primary cause of carpal tunnel syndrome is overuse of the wrist, forearms, and upper extremities. This typically happens with jobs or hobbies that involve repetitive lifting, wrist or hand motion, or typing. The median nerve travels from your neck, through your wrist, and to your thumb, index, and middle finger. With carpal tunnel syndrome, the median nerve becomes compressed due to inadequate space for the nerve to glide (from things like inflammation and large muscle size). These three fingers will become numb, the forearm muscles will become weak, and the whole area will be painful as carpal tunnel syndrome progresses.

Stretches for Carpal Tunnel

Carpal tunnel treatment strategies involve stretches and mobility exercises to create more room for the median nerve. Common stretches will focus on the forearm muscles that connect from the elbow down to the hand and on the neck to create more flexibility and reduce tension. While you are working on creating flexibility, your physical therapist will also help to strengthen the muscles around the wrist, neck, and arm to allow you to return to your normal activities. Your therapy program will be customized to you, be adjusted with your progress, and aim to solve the cause of your symptoms.

Physical Therapy for Carpal Tunnel Pain

The main options when someone has carpal tunnel pain are surgery, physical therapy, and pain medications. Physical therapy is necessary whether someone has surgery or not, to strengthen and return to activities. It is important to seek physical therapy treatment as soon as you have symptoms for the best long-term results. Your physical therapist will be able to help you manage symptoms better so you can modify your activities rather than stop using the hand and wrist completely while you heal.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • A physical therapy visit lasts about 40-60 minutes. The actual contents of the visit vary based on your diagnosis/need, but typically what happens is:

    1. You check in with the receptionist, make any appointments necessary, and we discuss your health insurance benefits with you.
    2. You go into the gym. You can change clothes if you need to, then begin therapy.
    3. You perform 6-8 various exercises and stretches. These can include therapeutic band exercises, light body weight exercises, or minimal weights. The stretches will promote strength, stability, improved range of motion, and pain relief.
    4. We can initiate other techniques to include manual work, taping, cupping, and dry needling as needed.
    5. The therapist makes recommendations based on your progress. These can include altering the frequency of visits, making additions/alterations to your home exercise plan, or things to do before your next visit.
  • We recommend budgeting 40-60 minutes for a typical therapy session. The only exception to this will be your first visit, which can take about 20 minutes longer due to the physical therapy evaluation your therapist will provide. We also recommend showing up about 10-15 minutes early to your first visit. This way, you can complete the paperwork before your visit time and streamline the process.

  • If we are asking you to do something that is hurting too much, let us know! Physical therapy should not be severely painful. It is not common to be so sore that patients are in pain or it affects their daily life. If this ever happens during or after an appointment, let us know and we will adapt your program.

  • During your initial evaluation, your therapist may ask you a number of questions to determine what the cause of your pain is. This can include questions about your sleep habits, activity level, and work environment. They will also ask for a medical history, and then typically ask direct questions about where and when you experience pain.

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