Best poses for Carpal Tunnel

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hi everybody

Over the years I have acquired some horrible postural habits. I sat hunched over at my computer desk for years, playing all sorts of silly video games that did nothing but deteriorate the integrity of my body and mind. Now at the age of 21 I seem to have givin myself a moderate case of carpal tunnel. Are there any particular poses that help with CTS? I am currently working on proper sitting and standing postures, as well as general stretching of the legs, upper body, arms etc… I read that just sitting and stretching properly over a long period of time can help to alleviate the pains of CTS. Could somebody please shed some light on this subject?

Thank you,

Brandon:cool:

#2

Hey there Brandon,

Can you do a couple of things here for us?
First can you tell us the process that lead to the diagnosis and from whom you received that diagnosis? Then can you describe the symptoms you are experiencing? Lastly, please enlighten us about your nutrition and sleep habits as well as your fitness or activity level - including your work.

Thanks.

gordon

#3

Hey Gordon,

Thanks for the reply. I am self diagnosed. Throughout the day my right hand will be much colder than the left. I experience pain in the pointer finger and palm all the way through the wrist and to the elbow. If i try to open my right hand and stretch it, the hand seems to have limited range and there is a feeling of resistance while attempting to stretch the hand, this isnt the case with the left hand. I Play guitar and if i play longer than 20 minutes using the thumb and the pointer finger, the hand will usually get hot and pulse or sometimes ice cold. The fingers will turn reddish in color. I believe this condition was caused from sitting in bad posture for hours on end while typing 5+ hours a night for over a year. Possibly also not warming my hands up properly before using them for my hobbies, such playing guitar. As far as nutrition goes I am pretty good i believe. On a good day i will usually just drink water and juiced vegetables and a little fruit here and there and maybe a little chocolate, i find that i dont need a lot of food to keep me running at optimal speed. On a bad day i will over indulge and find my self eating heavy foods, pasta, breads, cupcakes, etc…(its hard to just eat raw foods and live with a family that is constantly cooking Italian food)I have more better days than bad but i really do need to start balancing my food habits towards a more sustainable and balanced regime, which is why i think yoga could be a good disciplinary tool as well as a way to realign my body and become healthier. As for fitness, i did p90x for seventy days before i got into a cycling accident and damaged a few of my ribs. I like to ride my bike alot and find walking enjoyable as well… Hope this helps & thanks again for the reply

#4

Brandon,

In the yoga in which I train, study, and teach there are four branches. One of those branches is lifestyle and nutrition. You touch on the first when you mention hunching over, a choice about ergonomics. The second you mention through the things you eat. There are also things to avoid. The first four are caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and sugar. There is enough yoga in addressing these four that some would need no other practice at all

When there is a condition in the body that may involve inflammation, and most of them do, then it’s best to avoid wheat, dairy products, and white carbohydrates - perhaps your entire family meal And while there are things to avoid there are also things to consume.

As a yoga teacher it is far more appropriate for me to deal in symptoms rather than in labels. And for wrist pain we teach a complete series and also use various props for traction in the joint. This so that the good nutrition you are consuming can get in there. Further, when there is ailment or dis-ease the student must have rest (read: stillness) as that is when the body’s immune system is at its most effective.

In the meantime the current asana practice would be amended based on your feedback about the feeling you are having in the wrist. There is not, to my way of thinking, a yoga prescription in terms of posture that will unilaterally remedy wrist problems in all people.

For now, with wrist pain, it is best to modify or avoid;
adho mukha svanasana
urdhva mukha svanasana
phalakasana (adho mukha dandasana)
vasisthasana
chaturanga dandasana
ashtanga namaskar
bakasana
adho mukha vrksasana

#5

Thanks Gordon,

So for the most part, rest and proper nutrition are a good starting point towards getting the ball rolling again? Will daily stretching of the arms, legs, back, upper body, etc help more blood flow through out my body? My apologies for my lack of knowledge on this subject, yoga and stretching is fairly new to me…Could you please name a few stretches that will help strengthen the muscles in the hands and upperbody without putting strain on the my hands and wrists?

Thanks again for your time,

Happy New year!

Brandon

#6

Hi IA, in cases of inflamation you mention the things to avoid consuming. Can you recommend what is good to eat in that case?

#7

http://www.yogaforums.com/forums/f16/is-there-syt-for-carpal-tunnel-syndrome-3396.html

This link has some more info on CTS.

#8

BUMP, IA you there?

#9

As someone who suffered from Carpal Tunnel many years ago, you need to look at your posture. Stand in Tadasana, in front of a mirror or have a yoga teacher assess you in this position, and make necessary adjustments. This should transfer to your sitting position.

Weak upper body muscles (arms, shoulder and chest) can greatly contribute to carpal tunnel. Strengthening these upper body muscles can prevent further CTS flare ups. The median nerve needs to remain open and not pinched, which causes the pain.

A few suggestions for you:

Garudasana arms. Make sure when you are in this pose you lift the arms in line with the shoulders.

I do a sequence in almost all my classes with namaste hands;
Sitting in sukhasana, bring hand into namaste. Keeping the hands in namaste, drop them down just a bit toward the floor. Bring them back to center. Point the fingers down toward the floor. Bring back up. Keeping both elbows in a straight line (this is very important and try doing this in front of a mirror to make sure they are straight) shift arms to the right. You will feel the stretch in this position! Back to center, then to the left. Back to center. Arms overhead, then bring them down behind you interlacing your fingers, lifting the arms and coming forward a bit. It is a great sequence and very helpful.

Dhanurasana is good as it is a wonderful chest opener.

Stand in Tadasana and interlace fingers behind back. Roll shoulders back and down. The hands will drop toward the bum. Bring shoulder blades in toward spine, lifting the chest and tilting the head up. Hold for several breaths.

You may also want to increase your intake of vitamin B6. Massage therapy is also wonderful.

Hope some of this helps!

#10

Hello!

I just have a question; I have recently been diagnosed with carpal tunnel of my right handm I have numbness and pain in my last two fingers and also now getting pins and needles in my palm and stiffness in the wrist as well. I wear a brace while I’m at work (I work in a doctor’s office as a receptionist) the brace isn’t helping, what yoga poses can I do to help my hands and avoid surgery?

Thank you! Namaste!
Kimberly

#11

As a sufferer of carpal tunnel as well (Doctor diagnosed), I can not express the need enough to wear the brace at night too. It holds the hand steady and prevents further injury to the wrist.
For myself it means the difference between asprin and no asprin: pain or no pain. I too work in an office (A/R) and the nights I don’t wear it, I pay for the next day. I also have found that wearing it allows me to practice longer on the mat.

One more thing my doctor recommended was to watch my sodium intake. Since for most women sodium greatly increases the way we retain water (swelling), to reduce the amount of sodium may help alievate some of the pressure on the nerves in the wrist and therefore reduce some of the pain and numbness you feel.