A woman in her 30s working in Kannai visited the clinic with numbness in her left hand.

The numbness gradually worsened over the past month, and she now experiences a constant sensation of numbness.

She works at a company in Kannai and commutes via the Tokyu Toyoko Line. Since my clinic is nearby, she decided to visit.

Her symptoms include numbness from the thumb to the middle finger of her left hand, which intensifies when working on a computer.

Two weeks after the numbness started, she visited a hospital and was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. She was prescribed Methycobal (a medication used for peripheral nerve disorders) but saw no signs of improvement. After several follow-up visits, the doctor suggested, “Let’s proceed with endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery. It’s a simple day surgery.” However, she was reluctant to undergo surgery and decided to wait, responding, “I’ll consider it for now.”

Wanting to explore non-surgical treatment options, she searched online for alternatives in the Kannai and Bashamichi areas. She found my clinic through the search results and, upon seeing that carpal tunnel syndrome was listed as one of my treatable conditions, decided to give it a try.

[Initial Symptoms]

  • Interview: A month has passed since the onset of symptoms, and her anxiety about whether it will ever heal has been increasing. The numbness is felt in the palm, from the thumb to the middle finger. The sensation worsens during work and becomes particularly intense at night. Additionally, soaking in hot water exacerbates the numbness, so she has been avoiding taking baths.
  • Visual Inspection: No abnormalities observed on visual inspection.
  • Static Palpation: Increased tension in both the palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis of the left forearm.
  • Motion Palpation: Restricted wrist flexion (bending towards the palm) and worsening numbness with wrist extension (bending towards the back of the hand).
  • Orthopedic Tests: Positive Tinel’s sign at the wrist – tapping the wrist elicited numbness on the thumb side.
  • Muscle Strength Examination: Wrist flexion strength: 4/5. The patient described it as feeling “on the verge of cramping.

[Initial Treatment Plan]

Based on the above examination results, the most likely diagnosis was determined to be carpal tunnel syndrome.

To be thorough, bilateral pulse checks assessments at the wrist were performed, but no pulse discrepancies were found, ruling out vascular causes.

The treatment was carried out with the primary goal of decompressing the median nerve, which passes through the carpal tunnel (as shown below 👇).

  • Muscular approach: Considering the anatomical course of the muscles, treatment focused on releasing tension in the pronator teres (which runs from the elbow to the forearm), as well as the distal biceps tendon, palmaris longus, and flexor carpi radialis. Additionally, I explained to the patient that temporary symptom exacerbation might occur due to increased blood flow and stimulation during treatment. With this understanding, palmar fascial release was performed.
  • Joint approach: Treatment was applied to realign the scaphoid, lunate, and capitate bones at the wrist joint.After the treatment, the patient’s numbness temporarily worsened, leading to some concern. However, since I had explained this possibility beforehand, the patient responded, “I’ll monitor the symptoms for now.” I then advised them to follow up within a week to report their condition. The patient left without booking the next appointment.

[Prognosis]

  • Second Visit:
    The patient scheduled her second appointment two weeks after the initial treatment. her symptoms remained similar to the first visit. However, the patient shared that for about three days after the treatment, the numbness was nearly gone, and for about a week, the symptoms had reduced to about half of what they were before the first session. She expressed surprise at the improvement but mentioned, “I wanted to come in after a week as you suggested, but due to work, I couldn’t make it.” Since the symptoms had returned mainly due to the gap between treatments rather than an issue with the treatment plan itself, I proceeded with the same approach. This time, the patient booked an appointment for the following week.

  • Third Visit:
    Upon returning one week later, the patient reported that the symptoms were still present but had again reduced to about half of the initial intensity. Given the need for repeated sessions, I applied the same treatment and encouraged her to continue coming in weekly.

  • Fourth Visit:
    By this session, the patient experienced almost no numbness for the entire week and was very pleased with the progress. The same treatment was performed, but this time, I recommended extending the interval to two weeks between visits.

  • Fifth Visit:
    After a two-week gap, the patient noted that symptoms had returned, partly due to a busy work schedule involving long hours of PC typing. Although the symptoms were less severe than before, I could sense some disappointment in their expression.

  • I explained, “When work gets busy, prolonged typing makes symptoms more likely to recur. In addition to my usual treatment, let’s apply kinesiology taping this time.”
    After the session, I applied kinesiology tape and advised the patient to purchase similar tape from a pharmacy and apply it the same way at home. Additionally, I demonstrated forearm massage techniques and wrist exercises to perform during bathing and encouraged them to incorporate these into their routine.

  • Sixth Visit:
    Two weeks later, the patient returned and excitedly reported, “My symptoms are completely gone!”
    She had also been consistently doing the exercises, and with no symptom recurrence over the two-week period, I determined that the treatment phase could be concluded.

  • After the Seventh Visit and Beyond:
    The patient has since remained almost completely recovered, no longer requiring kinesiology taping. She have now transitioned to a monthly maintenance phase, addressing chronic lower back pain and shoulder tension, and have continued this regimen for over three years.

[Practitioner’s Opinion]

This patient continues to receive monthly maintenance care, even though she is originally a patient before Spine Chiropractic (seitai clinic) opened in Bashamichi. Despite the distance, she still choose to visit my clinic, which is why I wanted to share her case.

At the time of her initial visit, she is deeply troubled by persistent hand numbness for about a month and was contemplating, “Do I have to undergo surgery to get better?” This made a lasting impression on me.

Carpal tunnel syndrome has no significant gender difference in occurrence. However, when considering postpartum mothers caring for their babies, wrist-related conditions tend to be more common in women. Additionally, in today’s society, individuals who engage in prolonged computer work or frequent wrist-intensive tasks like cooking and handling frying pans are also at risk of developing this condition.

Since the wrist is frequently used, it is prone to developing symptoms. If you experience any discomfort, seeking care at a medical facility or, as in this case, chiropractic treatment can be an effective approach. If you’re struggling with similar symptoms, please feel free to visit our clinic.

At Spine Chiropractic, I address a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions directly impacting daily life, not merely as a form of relaxation therapy. Conveniently located within a one-minute walk from Bashamichi Station, an eight-minute walk from Nihon-Odori Station, a seven-minute walk from JR Kannai Station, and a 12-minute walk from JR Sakuragicho Station, my clinic is well-suited for residents and workers in the Yokohama area.

If you are experiencing similar symptoms, please feel free to visit Spine Chiropractic. I am committed to providing care with sincerity and professionalism.