“I have had sich a great experience seeing Dr. Bergin. When other offices have told me I just had muscle damage or the only thing they could do for me was give shots, he said he had others ways to manage my pain and numbness, along with improving mobility. And he was right! I feel so much better! With such friendly staff and welcoming office environment, it makes for an amazing experience. I'll definitely continue seeing him!”
Condition
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
in Lakeland and The Villages, FL
A numb hand at three in the morning is the classic sign. We examine the wrist and the neck, because in a surprising number of cases the nerve is being squeezed in both places.
- Wrist and neck both examined
- 22 years in practice
- $47 new-patient exam
Medically reviewed by Dr. Justin Bergin, DC Updated September 18, 2026
Quick summary
Carpal tunnel syndrome is pressure on the median nerve where it passes through the wrist. It causes numbness, tingling and weakness in the thumb side of the hand. ChiroMed treats it without surgery or injections. We examine the neck as well as the wrist, since the same nerve can be squeezed at both ends. The first visit, including examination and report of findings, is $47.
Understanding carpal tunnel syndrome
The carpal tunnel is a narrow passage on the palm side of the wrist. The median nerve and nine tendons share it, and there is no spare room. Anything that swells the tendons or reduces the space compresses the nerve, and the hand it serves begins to complain.
The median nerve supplies the thumb, index and middle fingers and half the ring finger. It also supplies the muscles at the base of the thumb.
The pattern is progressive, from intermittent tingling to night waking, then daytime numbness, then weakness at the thumb base.
How it works
A passage that cannot widen
The tunnel is bounded by wrist bones on three sides and a tough ligament across the front, so it cannot expand when its contents do.
Contents with no spare room
The median nerve shares that space with nine tendons. Anything that swells the tendons takes room the nerve needs.
Pressure with the wrist bent
Pressure inside the tunnel rises when the wrist is held bent for long periods, which is why symptoms cluster at night.
How does it usually start?
It usually announces itself at night. You wake with a hand that feels dead, shake it out over the side of the bed, and it comes back.
Then it starts happening during the day, holding a phone or a steering wheel. Eventually you drop a coffee cup and admit something is wrong.
What does the standard path look like?
The standard path from there runs splint, then injection, then surgery, and for some people that is genuinely right.
What often gets skipped is a proper look at where the nerve is actually being squeezed.
Why is the neck examined at a hand appointment?
The median nerve starts in the neck, and it can be squeezed at more than one point along the way.
Dr. Justin Bergin, DC examines both ends at the first visit, in Lakeland or in Lady Lake for The Villages.
Independent background: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
Symptoms
Most people recognize their own version somewhere in this list. Each one maps to a specific finding the examination checks for.
- Numbness in the thumb, index and middle fingers
- Waking at night with a dead hand
- Shaking the hand to bring it back
- Tingling while driving or holding a phone
- A grip that has quietly weakened
- Dropping small objects without warning
- Burning across the palm
- Clumsiness with buttons, keys or jar lids
- Loss of bulk in the muscle at the thumb base
Common causes
Sustained and repetitive wrist load
Assembly work, long hours at a keyboard, trade work with vibrating tools, or a hobby that grips for hours. The tissue swells and the nerve pays for it.
The size of the tunnel you were born with
Some people simply have a narrower carpal tunnel. That is why it runs in families, and why two people doing identical work end up differently.
Fluid retention and hormonal change
Pregnancy and thyroid conditions increase fluid volume in the tissues, reducing the space in the tunnel. Pregnancy-related cases frequently settle after delivery.
Diabetes and metabolic factors
Diabetes makes peripheral nerves more vulnerable to compression and can cause numbness in its own right. Telling the two apart changes the plan entirely.
A contributing cervical nerve root
The median nerve originates from nerve roots in the lower neck. Where one of those is also irritated, the nerve tolerates far less pressure at the wrist.
How we treat carpal tunnel syndrome in Lakeland and The Villages
Care addresses the tissue crowding the nerve and the pressure it is under. Where the examination shows both the wrist and the neck are involved, both get treated. Nothing is injected and nothing is cut. The plan is reassessed against real testing rather than impressions.
Neuromed electroanalgesia for the nerve pain
Neuromed applies targeted electrical stimulation to the abnormal signalling that produces the burning and the night waking. It is most useful where the nerve has become sensitized, and for patients who would rather not take a daily medication for a local problem.
Cold laser therapy over the tunnel
Low-level light applied over the carpal tunnel and forearm, aimed at the inflamed tendon sheath taking up the space. It is painless and requires nothing afterwards.
Soft tissue therapy through the forearm and wrist
Manual work through the forearm flexors, the wrist retinaculum and the fascial planes the nerve travels through, including nerve gliding. Where a cervical contribution exists, the same approach runs through the neck and shoulder.
Available at our 2 locations
Treatment at our Lakeland office, and also at:
What recovery usually looks like
Examination of wrist and neck Your first two visits
Sensory mapping across the hand, grip and pinch strength, provocative wrist testing and a cervical examination. The findings tell you where the nerve is compressed.
The first block of care The opening weeks
Visits sit closer together while the tissue around the nerve is worked on. Night waking is usually the first thing to change, and the easiest for you to track.
Retesting grip and sensation At a set checkpoint in the plan
Grip strength and the sensory map are retested against the baseline. If numbness is unchanged or the thumb muscle is losing bulk, the recommendation becomes a surgical opinion.
Keeping it settled After the first block of care
Focus moves to the loads that caused it: wrist position, grip duration, tool choice and sleeping posture. Some patients keep the night splint indefinitely.
When to seek care sooner
Several things genuinely help before you book anything, and the first is a night splint. A simple over-the-counter brace holding the wrist straight overnight is the highest-value thing you can do here, because it stops hours of sustained bending.
Get the keyboard and mouse to a height where the wrists rest neutral. Break up any task that grips continuously for more than half an hour, and look at whether a vibrating tool is part of your week.
Give it a few weeks of consistent effort.
Some symptoms mean a surgical opinion rather than a course of care.
See a hand surgeon if the muscle at the base of your thumb is losing bulk, or if your grip keeps failing.
Numbness that is constant, rather than coming and going, is the other one.
Cost, insurance and financing
Cost depends on whether the examination finds a wrist problem alone or a wrist and neck problem together, since the second takes more work. Your first visit is $47 and includes the consultation, examination, X-rays where they change the plan and the report of findings.
The one published price
Consultation, Exam, X-Rays (If Needed) & Report of Findings: Only $47
What affects the cost
- Whether a cervical contribution is present alongside the wrist compression
- How far the process has progressed, which shapes what is realistic
- Whether laser and Neuromed are indicated or whether manual care alone is enough
What a course includes
- Sensory mapping, grip testing, wrist and cervical examination, and the report of findings
- Retesting of grip and sensation against your own baseline at the reassessment
Payment:
Cold laser and Neuromed are self-pay. Chiropractic and manual care bill insurance, and your benefits are verified before the first visit. Medicare coverage varies by plan and by service, so the front desk will confirm what applies to your policy.
Who you would be seeing
Why is the neck examined on every hand case?
Dr. Justin Bergin, DC has 22 years in practice and examines the neck on every hand case.
Few clinics do that, and it is why some patients who had given up get a different answer here.
Where does he say a course of care is the wrong answer?
He is equally direct about the limit. A hand with constant numbness and a wasting thumb muscle needs a surgeon rather than a course of care.
He says so at the reassessment rather than letting a plan drift.
Dr. Justin Bergin, DC, 22 years in practice, performs the examination personally and explains the findings before any program starts. Lakeland: 6595 Florida Ave S, Suite 13, Lakeland. The Villages market office: 929 US-441 #404, Lady Lake. Both offices run the same program.
Getting to us
Whose hands does the Lakeland office see?
Lakeland is a working city, and most of the hands we see belong to people who use them. Warehouse staff along the Polk Parkway, tradespeople across Highland City and Mulberry, office workers in Grasslands and Dixieland.
The South Florida Avenue office keeps an early block for patients who need to be at work by eight.
What brings hands into the Lady Lake office?
In Lady Lake the load is more often a hobby than a job: pickleball, woodworking, quilting and long hours in the garden.
That office sits on North US-441 above CR 466, within reach of Spanish Springs, Summerfield, Oxford and Wildwood.
Browse every condition on the conditions we treat index.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in recent research
These sources are independent of this practice and none of them endorses it. They are listed so the reasoning behind the care can be checked rather than taken on trust.
- Surgical versus non-surgical treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome
The evidence behind the point at which surgery outperforms conservative care, which is the line the examination here is built to find.
- Splinting for carpal tunnel syndrome
Reviews night splinting and finds short-term symptom benefit on low certainty evidence, which is why we use it as one part of a plan.
Options compared, honestly
This is treated very differently depending on who you walk in to see. Here is the full set, including the options this practice does not provide.
| Option | What it is | Typically considered when | Invasive? | Offered at ChiroMed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soft tissue therapy with cold laser and Neuromed Our approach | Manual and nerve gliding work, laser over the tunnel, neuromodulation for the pain signal | Symptoms are intermittent to moderate, without muscle wasting, and you want to avoid injections or surgery | No. Hands-on and drug free | Yes, at both offices |
| Night wrist splinting | A brace holding the wrist neutral overnight to keep tunnel pressure down | Symptoms are worst at night, at any stage. Useful alongside almost everything else | No | Not fitted here, and we will tell you exactly what to buy and how to wear it |
| Workstation and activity change | Changing the postures and repetitions that keep loading the tunnel | An identifiable occupational or hobby load is clearly driving it | No | Yes, built into the plan as advice at the first visit |
| Corticosteroid injection | Steroid placed into the carpal tunnel to reduce swelling around the nerve | Symptoms are marked, and a physician wants to reduce swelling or test the diagnosis | Yes. Needle-based procedure with a limited number of repeats | Not performed here. Appropriate when a physician judges swelling is the driver or wants a diagnostic response |
| Carpal tunnel release surgery | Division of the ligament across the front of the tunnel to release the nerve | Numbness is constant, the thumb muscle is wasting, or conservative care has failed | Yes. Surgery, though often a short recovery | Not performed here. Appropriate for constant numbness, thumb muscle wasting, or failure of conservative care, and that decision belongs with a hand surgeon |
Surgical release is a good operation with a strong track record. Delaying it while the thumb muscle wastes is a poor trade. If the examination shows constant numbness or visible muscle loss, you are pointed toward a hand surgeon instead of started on a plan.
What to expect
From evaluation to a plan for your carpal tunnel syndrome
A course, not a single visit. The examination decides the length and the cost, and both are written down first.
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01Evaluation
Orthopedic and neurological testing, with imaging on site where it changes the plan.
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02Findings, in plain language
What the examination actually found, and honestly whether this is a case conservative care can help at all.
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03A written program
Which disciplines, how many visits, over what period, and what it costs. Decided before anything begins.
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04Reassessment as it runs
Function is re-measured through the course. If the response says the plan should change, it changes.
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Find out what is actually driving it before choosing a program.
“Dr. Bergin was instrumental in relieving my back pain which I had for many years. The techniques he used on relieving my back pain were impressive. I been going to chiropractors for years and Dr. Bergin is the best. Thank You Dr. Bergin :)”
“Took a good amount of time going over my preliminary results and going over potential care plan. Great adjustment and doesn’t sugarcoat when discussing. Would recommend”
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“Amazing, Super friendly and talented Staff and Doctors! My back was a hot mess after a semi hit my car on my first day moving to Florida. But after going through the treatment program I was able to get my neck, my back and my life in alignment. It was a total transformation. Thank You New City Chiropractic!”
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“HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend coming here if you have any pains in your back or neck!! These guys are AMAZING at what they do!! Just a few months into coming here, I feel a change in the way I walk, the way my head sits on my shoulders, and I just feel GREAT; ALL THE TIME!! Crazy what some little adjustments did for me!!”
“This is an awesome chiropractic!! They are all nice and kind! Ever Since I have been adjusting my back, I don't need to take medicine before I go to bed. Also, I have been sleeping without waking up in the middle of the night because of the pain!! I really recommend the chiropractic 😊”
“Dr. Bergin at Chiromed Wellness Centers is the best chiropractor in town. I no longer have to take pain meds. If you still have pain, you’re not seeing to best chiropractor.”
“Love this place!! Cynthia and Angie are amazing! So nice and helpful!! The chiropractor’s are also amazing!! Just a great place overall! I highly recommended it!!”
“Look them up I waited so long to see a chiropractor and I found this place and am so happy that I did . Love the Drs they are so helpful and make feel like family.”
“The staff is super friendly and they walked me through the whole process. I’ve been going for a few weeks now and I’m already feeling results! The treatment the offer is very hands on and informative. I’ve never had manual adjustments until coming to this office and the staff makes you feel comfortable and takes care of your needs. Highly recommend !”
“The best Chiropractic center in South lakeland! love it here the Doctors are very urged to help with any of your needs, the beautiful assistants are nice and helpful they really make you feel welcomed. Most highly recommended Chiropractic Center. :)”
“Muy profesional la atención es formidable todos los empleados son muy amigables.Y muy efectiva sus terapias..Los recomiendo 100x100%”
“My pain has decreased dramatically, I’m no longer stretching and moving my neck in every angle trying to find relief. Every part of my body I can feel is finally getting closer to symmetry! All I can say is you should give new city a try!”
“I love this place!! They're very caring for their patients and strive to help you feel better. I strongly recommend giving them a try. I promise you won't regret it”
“The staff is very knowledgeable and organized, they get to know you and are flexible about fitting your treatment in to your life. They use proven methods to treat the root of your issues and the results are incredible. I was in a lot of pain after a car crash and within a few weeks I was able to go back to my normal routine with no discomfort.”
“I have seen and feel the change in my body since I started, I use to have major pain in my knees and neck ache. I'm an athlete and constantly need more adjustments, and every time I come I always without a doubt feel welcomed and important.”
Get in touch
Schedule your carpal tunnel syndrome evaluation
Tell us what you are feeling and which office is closer. The front desk answers during office hours; leave a message after hours and they call back the next open day.
- 1
Send the form
Two minutes. Tell us what hurts and which office is closer.
- 2
We call you back
A real person, during office hours, to find a time that works.
- 3
Exam and answers
History, orthopedic and neurological testing, imaging on site when it changes the plan.
- $47 consultation, exam, X-rays if needed and report of findings
- Payment plans available on the self-pay programs
- 4.8 out of 5 from 225 Google reviews
- Choose Lakeland or The Villages on the form
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome questions
Tap a message for the honest answer. Call Lakeland (863) 940-3444
Can carpal tunnel be treated without surgery?
Often, yes, particularly when symptoms are still intermittent and there is no muscle wasting at the thumb base. Night splinting, load change, manual and nerve gliding work and laser all have a role. Once numbness is constant and the thumb muscle is shrinking, the evidence favors surgical release, and that is what you will be told.
What is commonly mistaken for carpal tunnel syndrome?
A cervical nerve root problem heads the list, then ulnar nerve compression at the elbow, thoracic outlet syndrome and peripheral neuropathy from diabetes. The clue is distribution. Genuine carpal tunnel spares the little finger, so numbness that includes it is telling you to look elsewhere.
How do I know if my neck is part of my hand problem?
Signs that point that way: neck or shoulder blade pain alongside the hand symptoms, and numbness that reaches above the wrist. Symptoms that change with neck position count too, as does a hand that has never fully responded to wrist-only treatment. A cervical examination settles it in a few minutes.
Does carpal tunnel go away on its own?
Pregnancy-related cases frequently settle after delivery. Cases driven by an occupational load usually do not resolve while the load continues. Intermittent night symptoms can improve considerably with splinting and changed habits alone, which is why those are worth trying before anything else.
Can a chiropractor help carpal tunnel?
For the mechanical and soft-tissue side of the problem, yes, and the cervical examination is a genuine advantage of seeing a spine-focused clinician. A tunnel narrowed by an old fracture or a nerve already showing muscle wasting will not respond, and the examination is what distinguishes those.
Will insurance pay for carpal tunnel treatment here?
Chiropractic and manual care bill insurance and your benefits are verified before your first visit. Laser and Neuromed are self-pay and are quoted to you in advance. Medicare coverage varies by plan and by service, so ask the front desk to check your specific policy before anything is scheduled.
Same-week appointments
Start with an examination, not a package.
Find out what is actually driving it before choosing a program.
- 4.8 out of 5 on Google
Consultation, Exam, X-Rays (If Needed) & Report of Findings: Only $47