You can get carpal tunnel pain relief while you are in your bed! How is this possible? Well, certain positions can cause carpal tunnel symptoms. Side-sleeping is one of those positions.
If you can learn to sleep on your back, you just might find that your symptoms go away. Why?
Because sleeping on your back takes the pressure off the nerves, blood vessels and muscles that can cause carpal tunnel symptoms, as long as you’re not pushing your head forward with a fat pillow OR compressing the nerves and shortening the muscles around your collar bone with your arm position.
When you sleep on your side, or your stomach, it squeezes or squashes the nerves and blood vessels that pass through your neck and shoulder. Side-sleeping also causes the muscles in the front of your body to shorten. Short, tight neck and chest muscles are another cause of CTS.
If you sleep on your back, your shoulders drop back. Your chest opens up. The muscles on the front of your arms can stretch out (unless your shoulders are being pushed forward by your mattress or pillow.)
When you are on your back, point your thumbs up toward the ceiling rather than letting your palms rest on your bed as though you’re shaking hands with someone.
If you can, roll your thumbs out; point them away from your body. That will give you even a better stretch for the front of your shoulders and arms.
Even if you do these movements only for short times, they will help because you will be telling your muscles that they can be in different positions.
The more different positions we allow our bodies to be in, the happier our muscles will be.
There are many causes for carpal tunnel syndrome, but they all involve something that is going on in your body. Some people have many causes for their symptoms. As you get rid of each symptom–like peeling layers from an onion–you will start to feel better.
You can have carpal tunnel pain relief naturally.
Here’s an easy, do-it-yourself program that can help: Carpal Tunnel Tool Kit. I created it just for you!
Bodies are so amazing! If we can just figure out what might be causing our symptoms, we can get rid of our pain. It’s so logical!
Kathryn Merrow
The Pain Relief Coach
Thank you SOOOOO much! I felt better after just one night of following your advice, and after the second night almost normal!
I will let my cousin read this post! She’s currently experiencing this pain and she it’s hard for het to sleep at night because of discomfort. Maybe this time I can force her to sleep on her back.
I remember the first time I had to sleep on my back because of an injury; I hated it.
Now I find it comfortable and helpful, and you’ve given me another reason to choose that position more often.
I love your analogy to peeling an onion – it applies in so many facets of life! Thank you for sharing so much clear and helpful information about pain – and about our bodies and body mechanics. I learn so much from you!