Brett Gallagher, D.C.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common causes of pain, loss of work, and work-related disability in the United States. It affects approximately 50 per 1,000 persons in the general population and the average lifetime cost of CTS (including medical bills and lost work time) is estimated to be about $30,000 per [..]

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a common condition that affects many people. The process by which it is diagnosed involves a careful history and examination that includes an orthopedic and neurological exam, special sensory tests (including vibrometry or neurometry), and sometimes special tests such as X-Ray, MRI, EMG/NCV. So, let’s discuss this process... HISTORY: When [..]

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a very common complaint often associated with repetitive motion-related jobs. There are nine tendons traveling down the arm from the elbow that "merge" or come together in the relatively tight carpal tunnel, kind of like when four lanes of traffic suddenly narrow into one lane. We all know what happens [..]

We have discussed the topic of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) exercises previously but because this topic is so important, it warrants another look at this subject from a different perspective. Please keep in mind there are many exercises that will help patients with CTS, including a general, aerobic exercise program. In other words, just staying [..]

The cause of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is commonly associated with repetitive motions or working long hours with fast hand movements such as on an assembly line or food packing line, serving tables, or using a computer keyboard and mouse. However, there are many other possible causes that are less commonly discussed such as pregnancy [..]

There are many different exercises that can be done for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and we’ve discussed some of these in the past.To understand "why" gliding exercises are helpful, let’s review the anatomy of the carpal tunnel. There are 9 tendons that move through the narrow carpal tunnel at the wrist. This confined space is [..]

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is one of many repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) and it’s also one of the most common present day workplace injuries, second only to low back pain! The term "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" was first used in 1939 and since the 1950s, this disabling overuse injury to the hand has been one of [..]

For those of you who have had carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), you probably know all about braces. These are devices worn on the wrist that stop you from bending the wrist up or down. They may be worn anytime of the day if they don’t interfere too much with one’s current activity but are especially [..]

So what IS carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)? According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (National Institutes of Health), CTS occurs as a result of the median nerve, which is located in the middle of the forearm and hand on the palm side, getting pinched or squeezed at the wrist. This results in [..]

There are many jobs that place people at risk for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), but we bet you wouldn’t have thought of musicians. First and most important, we don’t want to scare anyone from playing a musical instrument as many of us find music to be a very important release mechanism or an escape from [..]