Carpal Tunnel Pain--do Your Muscles Cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." The words of Naturalist John Muir apply to your whole body as well as to both of your carpal tunnels.

Your hands, wrists and arms are attached to the rest of your body. You are not a bunch of separate parts. Your whole body acts together. You are one unit.

If any part of your body becomes unhappy, or out of balance, it can certainly affect the rest of your body. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is most often caused by muscle imbalances. That is good news!

Why is that good news? Muscles can be treated. Muscles can get better! Your body wants to be well. Sometimes it just needs a little help from you, or perhaps from your massage therapist.

It takes some detective work to discover what's happening in your body to cause your carpal tunnel issues. Once you figure that out, you are on the road to pain-freedom.

The following symptoms are part of the detective work. If you have any of them, you may be at risk for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. (A "syndrome" is a collection of symptoms.)

Or, possibly, you already have been diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, but remember: It's a syndrome, not a disease. It's usually caused by muscles, and muscles are able to get healthy and happy again.

Here are seven warning signs that you may be at risk for Carpal Tunnel or other pain syndromes. See if you'recognize them as being muscle-related.

1. Do you have uncomfortable sensations in your thumb, palm, hand, wrist or your upper arm? These sensations may feel like burning, tingling, numbness or pain.

2. Do you feel that you are lacking strength you used to have in your hands? Do you drop things a lot? Do you feel your back is not as strong as it once was? Do you have trouble keeping your posture straight?

3. Do you have pain in the back of your neck or at the base of your skull? Do you get frequent headaches?

4. Do you have pain in your back between your shoulder blade and spine? Often people notice this most on the side of their dominant hand. If you're right-handed, it is probably on the right side of your back.

5. Are the tops of your shoulders (your upper shoulders) tight? Do you feel you cannot lower them and keep them down comfortably? Do your shoulders continually "ride up?"

6. Is your head forward or in front of your body, rather than directly over your body? Do you sit with your jaw jutting out, or your head tilted back? When you walk, do you lead with your head? Does your neckline fit funny or choke you?

7. Are your shoulders rolled forward? Does your chest feel tight? Do you feel limited in the movements you can do with your arms?

Those symptoms are telling you that something is making your body unhappy. Now, it's time for you to change that.