800-450-6118
carpalrx header

What is Myofascial Release for Carpal Tunnel?

From Dr. Z - Carpal tunnel syndrome specialist

What is Myofascial Release for Carpal Tunnel?

This article describes what myofascial release for carpal tunnel syndrome is. It does not describe how to perform it. For that, see this article: How to Perform a Carpal Tunnel Massage.


It may sound like a new health fad. But it's not. Myofascial release has been practiced for hundreds of years. But today, we understand the underlying mechanisms of this massage -- right down to the cellular level.


If you've seen a physical therapist or chiropractor for your carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms, they probably performed this technique on you. That's because myofascial release has been used as a recognized medical therapy for at least 30 years. 



Why is myofascial release important?

Myofascial release of the wrist and forearm is a therapist's "first line" of defense to eliminate carpal tunnel symptoms. The reason it's so effective is because it attacks the source of the disorder. 


Specifically, myofascial release breaks-up restrictions or tissue adhesions in and around the tendons inside your wrist joint. These adhesions cause tendon inflammation and swelling. Such swelling is the underlying reason you get carpal tunnel symptoms.

fibrous adhesions in tissues

That inflammation and swelling occurs because of tissue adhesion formation between tendons. The adhesions can occur from trauma, disease, overuse, and repetitive stress. The latter is the most common cause.


Naturally, your body tries to eliminate the adhesions. But in doing so without eliminating the cause of the problem (like repetitive stress) the result is constant damage-and-repair of the tendons. This irritates tendons. And the more harmful activities your hands do, the more adhesions will occur.


The irritation results is a phenomenon similar to scar formation. And the final result is that tendons develop hard, fibrous connections between them. They become less supple and their movement is restricted. This leads to even more inflammation and swelling.


When the swelling occurs in side wrist joint, it pushes (compresses) the adjacent median nerve. This compression is what produces the characteristic signs of carpal tunnel syndrome.

hand writing

Myofascial release massage is an "adhesion buster"

The cornerstone of all carpal tunnel syndrome treatments is to relieve pain by “releasing” the adhesions and restrictions caused by stiffened tissues. This reduces swelling, which then releases pressure on the median nerve. That's how symptoms dissolve.


The technique is so effective in treating carpal tunnel syndrome that the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) recommends it as effective medicine for carpal tunnel syndrome. And pain medicine practitioners call it “the medicine of the 21st century.”


That’s a lot of authoritative praise for a technique few pain sufferers know anything about. With this massage technique, carpal tunnel symptoms are relieved in about 4 weeks of daily massage treatment. Those symptoms include:

therapist performs myofascial release massage on the forearm

And it’s not just for carpal tunnel

How else can you use myofascial release? For carpal tunnel, it works great. But that's not its only application. Here’s a short list of other debilitating conditions myofascial release massage is effective in resolving:

 

Conclusion

Myofascial release for carpal tunnel syndrome is the "first line" treatment of therapists. Why? Because this remedy goes to the source of the problem: it breaks up adhesions and loosens restrictions around the flexor tendons. This, in turn, permanently reduces tendon inflammation and swelling. As a result, pressure is relieved from the median nerve. And as the nerve decompresses, it no longer gives you the unpleasant symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Essentially, all symptoms are eliminated with this remedy. And no surgery is ever required.

Share by: