Acupuncture for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome occurs when an irritation or swelling of the tendons or nerves in the wrist and hand put undue pressure on your median nerve. This nerve is responsible for controlling sensations down to the finger and thumb on the palm side. It also assists in sending impulses to some smaller hand muscles that allow your thumb and fingers to move properly.

Symptoms
Carpal Tunnel symptoms usually begin only gradually, and include tingling, burning or a numbness in your fingers and your palm, particularly in the middle and index fingers and the thumb. These symptoms are generally worse during the night. As they worsen, you may feel weakness, pain or numbness in your wrist and hand, and it may radiate up your arm. You may lose some strength in your grip, which makes it harder to grasp smaller objects. It can cause permanent nerve damage if it is left untreated.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from the perspective of Oriental medicine is a disruption of Blood and Qi in the sinewy area of your wrist. Your acupuncturist may recommend nutritional supplements, herbal remedies and stretching exercises, and they will work on the appropriate acupuncture points.

Acupuncture can reduce swelling and pain in your wrist, and it also can help with pain in the shoulder and neck, or headaches. If you have any other conditions that worsen your CTS, your acupuncturist may also treat you for them, as well. These can include hormonal changes, diabetes, thyroid problems and rheumatoid arthritis.

Treatment for CTS with acupuncture may require a different number of visits for each individual, depending on how severe and advanced your CTS is, how your overall health is, and how often you must perform repetitive work with your hands. The cost per treatment generally varies between $25 and $80 for each session.

A small *study of 36 patients with CTS underwent acupuncture for their pain, and 14 had CTS surgery. After a year, the people with surgeries had not shown much improvement, while those who had been having acupuncture sessions each week had their pain gone, or at least somewhat diminished. The National Institutes of Health calls acupuncture a supplemental treatment for CTS, but not a cure.
*(Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine 1999; 5 (1):: 5 - 26)

To determine whether your insurance policy covers alternative treatments such as acupuncture for carpal tunnel syndrome simply call your insurer's benefits or consumer assistance line. This number is usually on your membership card.

If you do have acupuncture benefits, find out how many sessions they will cover. Of course, you hope they will cover unlimited visits, which means you can use acupuncture for many maladies. Your acupuncturist may also need to write a letter that shows you do indeed need the treatments.

Policies may cover 10 to 15 acupuncture treatments in a year. This will often be adequate to solve your issues. Acute conditions will respond more quickly than will chronic problems. If you do not have insurance, you can look into getting an enhanced health insurance plan which is beneficial because it offers a greater percentage of coverage rather than just basic health care.