Shared by Dr.Kevin Ross kross777@aol.com Wrist and Carpal Tunnel Care FOREARM AND MUSCLES (insert picture of arm bones and of muscle anatomy) There are two lower arm bones and many of the muscles for wrist and hand motion attach up at the elbow. To feel this, put your thumb at the outside part of your elbow, below the joint, then wiggle your fingers and move your wrist. You will feel the muscles move and tighten up. This is the action used in typing or mousing or writing. Most of the lower arm is tendons leading to the muscles. The basic shape of the forearm shows this. So to over simplify... When the muscles of the arm are normal the two arm bones are in normal alignment. But, if those muscles get too fight or go into spasm they will squeeze at the top part of the forearm. This will change how these bones articulate (how the joints move on each other) with the wrist (Carpal) bones. To understand why this is important you have to understand a normal mechanism of the body. We had said previously that the body tries to heal itself but it ALSO protects itself from getting worse. It does this through inflammation. Inflammation is a normal process of the body reacting to damage. Often time the body will use it as a splinting mechanism to from moving more and being injured further. Pain is another mechanism the body uses to get us to stop and activity that is causing the body injury. They are both healthy reactions of the body to tell us something. Returning to the wrist If the tight muscles squeeze and cause the bones to change articulation the bodies normal, healthy response is inflammation. This will keep us from causing more injury. In this case the inflammation is not the problem but the body's response to improper articulation. In this case, the muscle work for the wrist is to help normalize the muscles of the arm so the arm bones can return to a normal articulation thus allowing the soft tissues to return to normal. Usually this can be done without any drug intervention. Is this a "Cure All"? no. But, in many people, this keeps the tissue working normally. Many symptoms of Carpal tunnel syndrome alleviated through this simple work. ________________________________________________________ Using the patient's right hand as an example for what to do to work on another person: Shake their hand with your right hand then using your left thumb reach up to the lateral aspect of the elbow where the lower arm muscles attach. This is about 1- 2 inches down the forearm from the bone on the outside or lateral part of the arm. Rub across the muscles with your thumb to perform a transverse friction massage. This usually hurts a great deal and the person will probably want to hit you because there will be so much pain. If so you are in the proper place. Do this motion for about 15 seconds. Then turn the arm so the palm is up. Place the thumb parallel to the lower arm bones about 2 inches below the crease or bend of the elbow. The motion for this massage is up and down parallel to the arm bones. This will accomplish a transverse friction massage to the muscles between the lower arm bones. This muscle group is not always involved like the lateral muscles but should always be checked. it truly is that easy... instruct the patient on wrist stretches and tell them to use a sports cream on the muscles. The patient can do this work on themselves but should also have a professional occasionally evaluate and work on the muscles as well. The Teres minor should also be evaluated on these people as it can also create direct irritation to the nerve plexus under the arm ... It works wonderfully! If doing this work on yourself lay your forearm across your stomach. With your opposite hand, place your thumb about 1-2 inches below the outside bony bump at the elbow. Use the thumb to work across the muscles as stated above. Usually a person is too easy on themselves in this work. If the thumb is too weak to do the work you can use the knuckles of the opposite hand to work the muscles or use the butt of the hand to work the muscles. Dr. Ross Dr. Kevin W. Ross Pediatric and Family Chiropractor Tempe AZ 85282 kross777@aol.com 480.820.3212