Michael Dam, D.C.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common condition that affects around 6-12% of the population and can result in significant pain and disability. The financial costs associated with CTS can be staggering – ranging from $45,000 to $89,000 per patient over a six-year period when productivity loses are taken into account. Historically, doctors and researchers [..]

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) results from the compression of the median nerve as it travels through the wrist. Classic symptoms associated with CTS include numbness, tingling, and weakness in the thumb, index, middle, and ring finger. In non-emergency situations, treatment guidelines recommend patients undergo conservative care before considering more invasive procedures, like surgery. This month’s [..]

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a condition that arises when the median nerve becomes compressed as it travels through the bony tunnel made up of the eight small carpal bones of the wrist. Its symptoms include pain, numbness, and tingling in the thumb, index, middle, and thumb-side half of the ring finger. If the pressure [..]

Is there a relationship between carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and body mass index (BMI)? A 1994 study focused on 949 patients who presented with right arm numbness and tingling. In the study, the patients underwent electromyography and nerve conduction velocity (EMG/NCV)—the “gold standard” of tests to diagnose nerve injuries in conditions such as CTS. Researchers [..]

Wrist splints are often a beneficial form of CTS self-care, as they can assist in relieving the pressure within the carpal tunnel by restricting wrist flexion and extension. Because we cannot control the position of our wrist during sleep and the pressure on the nerve worsens the more it bends forwards or backwards, splints are [..]

There are nine tendons that pass through the carpal tunnel at the wrist that connect the forearm muscles to the palm-side of the fingers. These tendons are encased in sheaths, and friction and heat can build-up inside these sheaths, leading to swelling, pressure, and pain (especially during fast, repetitive tasks). As the swelling increases and [..]

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) occurs as the result of the median nerve being trapped or squeezed as it passes through the carpal tunnel, which is located in the wrist. Nine flexor tendons with their covering or sheathes, blood vessels, and connective tissue also pass through the carpal tunnel, creating a tight passageway between the forearm [..]

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) belongs to a group of disorders called “entrapment neuropathies” and as the name implies, it is caused by the trapping of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel of the wrist. There are MANY ways to treat CTS, with some of the most effective focused on reducing inflammation. Inflammation (from the [..]

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a very common condition. According to a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), CTS ranks SECOND among the major disabling diseases and illnesses in ALL private industries. The BLS states that workers with CTS may eventually have to give up their livelihood. They cite one study in which [..]

Here it is: carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in a nutshell! WHAT: CTS is caused by an injury to the median nerve (MN) as it travels through the wrist. WHERE: The eight small carpal bones and a ligament form a tunnel in which tendons and nerves pass through to reach the hand. HOW: The MN gets [..]