That tingling in your fingers. The embarrassing moment you drop your coffee mug, again. If this sounds like your mornings, you may be dealing with carpal tunnel syndrome.
At My Chiropractic Place, our Melbourne carpal tunnel syndrome chiropractors use the Gonstead method to assess the full picture — not just your wrist. We look for what’s actually driving the nerve compression, so care is targeted where it’s needed most.
We have two clinics in Richmond and Caroline Springs. Between our two chiropractors, Dr Nam Nguyen and Dr David Addie, we bring 49 years of combined clinical experience to your assessment.
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) describes the symptoms that occur when the median nerve — the nerve responsible for sensation in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and part of the ring finger — becomes compressed at the wrist.
The carpal tunnel itself is a narrow passageway formed by the wrist bones and a strong ligament called the flexor retinaculum. Several tendons and the median nerve pass through this confined space.
Because the tunnel is enclosed, there is very little room for swelling or inflammation. When pressure increases inside the tunnel — whether from repetitive movements, injury, fluid retention, or certain medical conditions — the median nerve can become irritated or compressed. This pressure is what commonly leads to symptoms such as pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in the hand and fingers.
CTS symptoms tend to come on gradually. Most people notice them in one hand first, though both hands can be affected. Common signs include:
The earlier you get an accurate assessment, the more options you have.
Carpal tunnel syndrome doesn’t have a single cause. Anything that increases pressure inside the carpal tunnel or reduces the space available can trigger it. Common contributing factors include:
Understanding the underlying cause matters — because the same symptoms can have different drivers. That’s why a thorough assessment always comes before any care recommendation.
Not every case of hand numbness or wrist pain is carpal tunnel syndrome. Because the nerves serving your hand originate in your neck, problems further up the nerve pathway can produce symptoms that look and feel almost identical to CTS.
Two conditions worth knowing about:
Double Crush Syndrome is where nerve irritation occurs at two separate points along the same pathway — for example, at both the wrist and the cervical spine. If only one site is addressed, symptoms often persist. Both points of compression need to be identified and managed for lasting relief.
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome involves entrapment of the brachial plexus — the nerve bundle near the neck and shoulder — which can produce tingling, numbness, and weakness in the hand and arm that closely mirrors CTS.
This is why a full examination of the full nerve pathway, not just the wrist, is essential before starting any care.
The standard medical approach to CTS typically involves splinting the wrist in a neutral position to reduce pressure on the median nerve, combined with anti-inflammatory medication or corticosteroid injections to settle symptoms.
When conservative measures aren’t enough, surgical carpal tunnel release may be recommended — cutting the flexor retinaculum to open up space in the tunnel.
Complications from surgery are uncommon, but they do occur, and recovery can take time.
For most people, it makes sense to exhaust conservative methods of care — including chiropractic — before moving toward surgical procedures.
A Gonstead chiropractor doesn’t just assess the wrist. The entire nerve pathway — from the cervical spine through the thoracic outlet down to the wrist — is examined, because dysfunction anywhere along that chain can contribute to or worsen median nerve compression.
Depending on what the assessment finds, chiropractic care for CTS may include targeted spinal adjustments, extremity adjustments to the carpal bones and wrist joint, soft tissue work around the wrist and forearm, and practical ergonomic advice to reduce the load on your wrist day to day.
There are no prepaid treatment packages here. After your assessment, you’ll have a clear picture of what’s contributing to your symptoms and what options are available, and you decide what care, if any, you’d like to proceed with.
It’s a fair question — and an honest answer matters more than a confident sales pitch.
Published research supports chiropractic care as an effective conservative option for carpal tunnel syndrome. Studies have shown improvements in wrist strength, grip, range of motion, and nerve symptoms following manual therapy and chiropractic care. Several of these studies are referenced below.
Chiropractic tends to work best for mild-to-moderate CTS — particularly when the symptoms are recent, when spinal dysfunction is contributing to the nerve compression, or when both wrist and cervical spine involvement are present (double crush syndrome).
For severe or longstanding CTS with significant nerve damage, co-management with your GP or a specialist may be the more appropriate path. Dr Nguyen and Dr Addie will tell you clearly if that’s the case. With over 20 years each as members of the Australian Gonstead Chiropractic Society, they’re not in the business of taking on cases chiropractic isn’t suited to manage.
Chiropractic care, particularly using the Gonstead method, can be an effective conservative option for managing CTS, especially when identified early or when spinal dysfunction is contributing to nerve compression. Published studies show improvements in wrist strength, range of motion, and nerve symptoms following chiropractic care.
It depends on how long symptoms have been present and their severity. Many patients notice meaningful improvement within 4–8 sessions. After your initial assessment, you'll receive a clear, honest care recommendation — with no pressure to commit to anything upfront.
Yes, we do accept Medicare Care Plans for chiropractic care from your GP. For first-time patients with a Care Plan, there is a $50 gap payable upon the initial consultation, and a $20 gap payable on subsequent Care Plan consultations.
No referral is needed. You can contact us directly and book at either our Richmond or Caroline Springs clinic. Waiting times are kept short by design — we deliberately avoid overbooking.
Both conditions can produce very similar symptoms in the hand and fingers, which is exactly why an accurate assessment matters. A full Gonstead examination helps identify whether compression is at the wrist, the cervical spine, or at both points (double crush syndrome), so care is directed where it's actually needed.
You’ve been managing — shaking your hand awake at night, adjusting your grip, hoping it settles on its own. Sometimes it does. Often, it doesn’t.
Dr Nam Nguyen and Dr David Addie have been helping Melbourne patients with nerve-related conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome for a combined 49 years. They’ll give you an honest assessment, a clear explanation, and a care recommendation that suits your situation — without locking you into anything.
Atroshi, I., Gummesson, C., Johnsson, R., Ornstein, E., Ranstam, J., & Rosén, I. (1999). Prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome in a general population.JAMA: the journal of the American Medical Association, 282(2), 153-158.
Bonebrake, A. R., Fernandez, J. E., Marley, R. J., Dahalan, J. B., & Kilmer, K. J. (1990). A treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome: evaluation of objective and subjective measures. Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics,13(9), 507.
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