Learning Self-Massage Tachniques

Carpal tunnel syndrome has many bothersome symptoms. Your hand may feel numb or tingly. You might also experience pain from your hand all the way up your arm. The pain might even get worse when you sleep at night. It's also common to lose hand strength, which causes you to drop things when you try to pick them up. Treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome vary in effectiveness. Massage therapy is one treatment option to consider. Here is a look at how massage therapy might be able to help.

Massage Treatments Break Up Adhesions

Carpal tunnel syndrome causes pain because the nerve in your wrist is compressed or pinched. This happens when scar tissue or swelling is present due to repetitive use of your wrist. If you type on a keyboard all day or work as a mechanic twisting tools, then you're at a higher risk of developing carpal tunnel due to the repetitive motions you make all day with your wrists.

This leads to strain on the muscles, fascia, and tendons in your wrist that respond by swelling. The strain also causes tiny tears or injuries that form adhesions as they heal.

The adhesions put further compression on your nerve so your pain gets worse over time. When you take a massage treatment, the therapist presses along the area of the nerve seeking painful spots or triggers. The therapist applies pressure to these trigger spots that breaks up the adhesions so pain is reduced in that area.

Massage Treatments Relax Muscles Of The Arm And Shoulder

Even though carpal tunnel syndrome is felt mainly in your wrist, the problem could originate in your shoulder or arm. The repetitive motion can also cause you to hold your body in an awkward position that leads to muscle strain and soreness around your shoulders, back, and neck. A comprehensive massage works tension out of these areas so your muscles are brought back into a state of natural positioning through relaxation. This could relieve some of the pressure on the nerve in your wrist and as a result reduce the amount of pain you feel.

Massage Increases Blood Flow To Speed Healing

Another benefit of massage is the increased blood flow in areas being treated. Blood flow might be further enhanced by the application of heat during the massage. Increased blood flow helps injured tissues to heal more quickly since the blood carries nutrients to the tissues.

Massage treatments may help your carpal tunnel syndrome by themselves or you may need to wear a brace when you work or take time off so you can heal. A single treatment may provide some pain relief, but you'll probably need to undergo several sessions in order to heal the inflamed tendons that cause nerve pain. Massage treatments are an option that may work for you, but if your symptoms are severe, you may need other medical treatments too such as anti-inflammatory medication or even surgery. Check out places like MassageWorks Of Sarasota Inc for more information.