Yoga and Meditation

Carpal tunnel syndrome is becoming more common and causes intense pain and throbbing as well as weakness or numbness in the wrists, fingers and hands. People that suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome often have trouble holding even lightweight objects when they lose the ability to grip objects. It is common for a person that has been diagnosed with CTS to wear a wrist brace the will correct the hands posture. A wrist brace will help relieve some of the pain and will prevent any further nerve damage. Sometimes surgery is required to correct the condition, but is normally used only as a last resort. Many people can effectively relieve the pain and even reverse the condition with the use of carpal tunnel massage.

While carpal tunnel massage isn’t widely prescribed yet, studies that have been conducted show an Improvement in the level of pain as well as increased mobility. It is helpful to do self massage techniques in combination with massage done by a professional massage therapist. The best time to do the self massage is right before bedtime since the effects of carpal tunnel syndrome are usually more intense during the night. A recent study used two groups of people. One group received professional massage and incorporated self massage techniques. The second group did not do any type of massage therapy. After one month, the group that participated in the massage therapy showed a noticeable improvement in the intensity of the pain. They also reported increased grip and mobility of the affect areas. The medical community wants to see more research done before they offer massage therapy to their patients, but the early studies look promising.

It is really very simple to self administer carpal tunnel massage. The person should apply short strokes with pressure to the forearm, with each stroke lasting 2 -3 seconds. Apply the same strokes to the palms of the hands and lighten the pressure when massaging the wrists. Carpal tunnel massage should be done at least once a day, more often if necessary, for several weeks. After two or three weeks a noticeable difference should be seen. If the therapy is continued for several months it is possible to entirely reverse the condition.

Carpal tunnel can also originate from stress to the neck, back and shoulder areas, so receiving a weekly massage to those areas is also helpful in treating carpal tunnel syndrome. In fact, even if a person has not yet developed carpal tunnel syndrome, but is part of a high risk group, weekly massages are advised to make certain that these areas are not over stressed.

Exercises that require stretching, resistance and squeezing of the hands, wrists, fingers, and arms, can be very helpful. By regularly using a stress ball to help with squeezing and resistance, or using range of motion exercise that slowly rotate wrists and stretch fingers, blood can begin to properly circulate in the damaged region and give relief to swelling and pressure on the median nerve located in the wrist’s carpal tunnel.

Those who have been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome and who are already wearing a brace to try to correct the disorder are advised to continue with this method. However, daily carpal tunnel massages and helpful exercises can increase chances of recovery and decrease the necessity of surgery, as well as decrease the chances of further damage to the carpal tunnel.

Don’t let yourself sit by helplessly as your carpal tunnel syndrome more and more painful. Did you know that simply changing several of your daily habits can help get rid of some of the pain caused by CTS? Or that there are easy to learn simple massage that can take away the numbness in your fingers? Follow this link to learn carpal tunnel exercises that can help you learn healthy habits for life.