If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, you might have already considered seeing a massage therapist. You might be wondering whether massage can help relieve carpal tunnel pain.
The answer is yes, absolutely! If, that is, the massage professional you see has a good working knowledge of what exactly can cause pain in the carpal tunnel area.
CTS is often misdiagnosed by doctors. It is possible that you have muscle strain or some other problem, rather than true carpal tunnel syndrome. Most likely, massage will help you relieve that, too.
CTS is frequently mistreated by massage therapists. Many don’t have the background or training to understand why you have pain in your carpal tunnel area. They will work on the painful area, but you may notice that does not give you any relief.
That is because they are working on the symptom and not on the cause of your pain.
Here’s how to interview a massage therapist you are considering working with to relieve your carpal tunnel pain. Most therapists will be happy to give you a free consultation.
(By the way, do not ask, “Do you work with people with carpal tunnel pain?” or “Do you treat carpal tunnel syndrome?” There are massage therapists who will say they do, even though they have no positive experience or specific training.)
Instead, ask him or her the following seven questions, and listen closely. See if the answers are logical and make sense to you.
- What are the most common causes of carpal tunnel syndrome?
- Will you be able to determine why I have pain?
- What is your pain treatment strategy?
- What type of massage training did you have?
- What muscles are most likely involved in my specific situation?
- How long do you think it will take for me to feel better?
- Will there be pain or discomfort from the massage treatment?
I will warn you in advance: there may be some discomfort caused by the massage. The reason is simple. If your muscles were strained, they became tight. When we press into tight muscles, it will usually cause discomfort. It may be only a little, or feel like “good pain,” or it may be quite intense.
Discomfort during or after a massage session is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes it is unavoidable.
Always talk with your massage therapist and give him or her feedback. He or she wants to know how you are feeling, and they want you to feel better after their treatment.
“Because You Deserve to Feel Better!”
