Diagnosed with bilateral CTS

by Tlulah
(Cumberland, BC, Canada)

Diagnosed with bilateral CTS.


Hi there. I have been diagnosed with moderate CTS (right hand) to severe CTS (left hand); I'm right-handed. Have been recommended for surgery, reluctant to do so. Numbness and pain in hands and arms and shoulder blades for 1 yr plus- decreased recently when I slept in a propped up position during a viral cold. 2 weeks of relief during the cold.

Since then pain in between shoulder blades has increased, right side predominant, pain right at rib 1 - front chest right through to back, same spot. Pain seems more focused in between shoulder blades, numbness still somewhat present in fingers, hands, arms. 47 yr old very active, holistic nutritionist healthy female. recent x-rays reveal mod. disc degeneration C5-T1 including prominent anterolateral osteophyte C5/C6. Any ideas?

Hello Tlulah,
You have an interesting name; where are you from? It sounds African, as I am.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is almost always points to another underlying condition; unless you deal with that it won't get better.

Obviously in your case a high suspicion that your neck is the root of the problem. You've had an old whiplash injury by the sounds of things.

Is the hand pain very specifically in the fingers 1-4, and missing the pinkie? That's vital.

You'll find some carpal tunnel exercises at our CTS page. They might help.

I love to treat CTS, but one has to examine very carefully to find out where the impingement is; there are often multiple sites. In the inter scalene triangle, the pronator teres muscles as well as the neck and wrist. Unless they are all address treatment won't succeed, be that medical or chiropractic.

I think you can sense this is not just in your wrist; hence your letter. You are right.

When your hands are painful and tingling, does raising them above your head increase the tingling, or relieve it? A first rib fixation may be the spoke in the wheel.

Start hunting down a chiropractor who will address your whole neck, arm issue.

Good luck, I hope this contributes.

Dr B


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