Yoga Can Be Used in Carpal Tunnel Treatment
Posted on July 22, 2009
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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome often abbreviated as the acronym CTS, is an illness that manifests itself in parasthesia, numbness, and weakness in the hand or hands. Parasthesia is numbness or prickling feelings, colloquially known as “pins and needles”. The primary cause is the compression of the median nerve at the wrist. The condition can be treated with carpal tunnel exercises using yoga.
While many people believe carpal tunnel means you have problems in your arms, it’s actually the wrist that contains the problem. When the area swells and builds up fluids, the median nerve becomes compressed. How exactly CTS is caused remains a mystery, but most of it is from genetics. Then of course you can find information on environmental factors being the culprit as well.
Have you heard of RSI? If you haven’t, it’s important to understand how this works as well. While carpal tunnel deals with the median nerve, RSI mainly deals with symptoms that build up to a compressed MN. Things like pain, numbness, and weakness are common, and sometimes make people feel confused about what problem they actually have. Unfortunately there isn’t any medical evidence that substantiates this at all.
No matter how hard medical professionals have tried, there is still no connection with RSI and CTS. Even so, some still be the two are related in some way, shape, or form. What it comes down to is when you overuse your hands; excess fluids help to create the carpal tunnel. So what exactly can you do to prevent this from happening to you?
Your CTS can start healing and be prevented by the simplest procedures. Things such as changing your work environment or behavior are a great place to start when combating CTS. For example, try sitting up straight at your desk. Once you’re in this position, move your keyboard, mouse, and computer monitor in the appropriate positions. Basically making sure you have the first two levels at your desk, and the monitor focusing on your eye level. These are the beginning steps because once each one is in place the domino effect will begin. Your proper posture will reduce stress on areas of the body and promote a better workday.
When you look over all the information related to carpal tunnel, there are several treatments available. Choosing the right one for you shouldn’t be too difficult, but we’ll go over them anyways. First, you can go ahead and have surgery, but the constant visits to the doctor and going through rehab can be mentally and financially draining. Then of course you can get a couple quick shots of steroids in, but this is only a short-term solution. Then of course the little things like modifications at work and taking frequent breaks are all ways to help your carpal tunnel.
Centuries upon centuries ago, yoga was integrated as a system of meditation. With a vast array of stretching exercises that help all parts of the body, yoga is quickly becoming the most popular routine in Western exercising. It builds flexibility throughout the entire body, and gives you better circulation, helps reduce stress, and makes your muscles stronger. Even if you aren’t the one that has carpal tunnel, yoga is something to think about doing just to become healthier. Just think about it before you go do something drastic.
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