In this episode of The Spinal Truth Show, Dr. Caleb Slater breaks down why many people diagnosed with carpal tunnel may not actually have a wrist problem at all. While true carpal tunnel involves compression of the median nerve at the wrist, many common "carpal tunnel" symptoms may actually be coming from the neck, especially when symptoms are bilateral, come and go, show up at rest, involve the pinky, or travel into the forearm, elbow, shoulder, or neck.

Dr. Slater explains how the median nerve starts in the neck, why imaging and nerve tests can be misleading, and why treatments like wrist splints, injections, nerve glides, ultrasound, laser, paraffin, stretching, and even carpal tunnel surgery often fail when the real problem is higher up the chain.

If you've been told you have carpal tunnel, or you're dealing with hand numbness, wrist pain, tingling, weakness, forearm pain, or symptoms into both hands, this episode may help you understand what's being missed, and why checking the neck first could save you from unnecessary treatment or surgery.