The InTENSe REBOUND® – Chronic Pain Management Series Part 1

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – It’s all in the Wrist

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is more common than you might think.  Today nearly 10 million American’s suffer from this type of chronic pain and that number is growing.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a form of chronic pain caused by compression of the median nerve at the wrist.  You have eight bones in your hand called carpal bones. Carpus is a variation of the Greek karpos meaning “wrist”.  The carpal bones form a “U” shape with a tendon that spans the top of the “U” forming a tunnel; hence, the “carpal tunnel”.   Muscles, tendons, nerves, and blood vessels pass through the carpal tunnel allowing for function of the hand and wrist. 

Any pressure within the carpal tunnel space can cause numbness and tingling in the index finger, ring finger, and thumb as well as pain ranging from light to severe.  If untreated, CTS can lead to hand weakness, loss of coordination, and overall grip loss in the affected limb.  Causes of carpal tunnel syndrome include but are not limited to: repetitive stress, arthritis, obesity, hypothyroidism, oral contraceptives, diabetes, prediabetes, tumors, and trauma. 

Treatment for chronic pain associated with CTS depends on the severity of your symptoms.  Pharmaceuticals, splints, massage, and physical therapy are often used to treat light to moderate CTS.  Extreme treatments for severe cases include administering corticosteroids and surgery.  In recent years TENS units have shown to help alleviate musculoskeletal pain associated with CTS regardless of severity.  

TENS is short for “transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation”.  TENS units use electrical impulses to interrupt pain receptors in the body and encourage production of endorphins to reduce and alleviate pain.  If you suffer from mild to chronic pain resulting from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome the REBOUND®  transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for chronic pain may be just what you are looking for as an alternative to drugs or surgery.  Call 800.457.0477 or click here to find your pain relief today!