The National Institutes of Health Carpal Tunnel Fact Sheet says this about yoga:
“Alternative therapies – Acupuncture and chiropractic care have benefited some patients but their effectiveness remains unproved. An exception is yoga, which has been shown to reduce pain and improve grip strength among patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.” (The highlighting is mine.)
So, I invited a yoga expert to talk about why, how, where, when, who, what and the benefits of yoga for carpal tunnel issues.
Carpal Tunnel Radio’s guest Rebekah Powers has been a yoga instructor and practitioner, group fitness instructor and personal trainer for 35 years, and she knows a lot! The replay is at www.CarpalTunnelRadio.com
Rebekah shared a lot of helpful information with my listeners. I’ll share some of the highlights here.
What are some of the benefits of yoga?
Yoga offers strength and balance to your muscles. This is accomplished through various movements and breathing. Learning how to exhale completely makes space for your body to expand and become more open.
This relaxes the muscles around your ribs and your upper body. Those are the same muscles that get tight and cause carpal tunnel symptoms.
What should you look for in an instructor?
Rebekah said: “Your body is your instructor.” She told us how to find a good instructor (look for certification, word-or-mouth and interview) but she also advised us that we must listen to our own body when moving into poses (movements.) If something seems inappropriate for us, we can move into a different pose or just relax, instead.
If you are considering yoga for natural carpal tunnel relief, you’ll want to listen to this particular episode of Carpal Tunnel Radio while it’s still available.