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Beginner Aches & Pains

I'm about two months into my first-time working as a massage therapist out of massage school. I am having pain in my right ulnar forearm, at the carpals, and have started seeing a chiropractor. She did the Phalen's test on me, and I have pain when I fold the backs of my hands together. She said that is a sign of carpal tunnel syndrome.

This is discouraging and scary to me, and I'd love some guidance on how to change my body mechanics to save my wrist. I've talked to a number of people who said they wrecked their body starting out, also, and had to totally change how they gave massages. They stopped using their hands as much and started using their forearms and elbows more.

Does anyone have any suggestions on some good resources I can use to learn how to change my massage style to be predominantly elbow and forearm use? Good body mechanics resources?

Thanks a bunch, and any encouragement is also appreciated. This is a tough time for me right now, because it's causing me to wonder if I'll really be able to continue massaging.

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Permalink Reply by Ryan A. Rooyakkers D.C. on November 30, 2012 at 3:05pm

Phalen's Test is indicative of Carpal tunnel, but only if you got numbness into your 1st and second digits and the lateral half of your middle finger. If it's carpal tunnel you should be getting numbness into those fingers but not the middle of your hand. Pain in the forearm is not a sign of carpal tunnel. Ulnar or radial nerve entrapment at the elbow would cause similar symptoms. It could also be a muscle entrapment of one of these two nerves (in my humble opinion this is also more likely). Moreover, the biomechanics of the phalen's maneuver could also put a stretch on either the radial nerve as it goes through the supinator (causing burning or shooting pain in you dorsal forearm) or the deep branch of the ulnar nerve (causing similar pain in the medial/ulnar forearm). I'd try some moist heat and massaging the supinator and/or flexor carpi ulnaris, see if that helps.

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