Sat 27 Jun 2009
Carpal tunnel exercises using yoga are quite effective at helping alleviate the symptoms. The physical and mental aspect of yoga helps relax the mind and strengthen the body - a combination that can prove to be a healing mix. There is a problem, however, because yoga can damage the body and exacerbate the symptoms if done improperly. And these problems are very real and very problematic if left unchecked.
There are good and bad ways to do yoga, so try to use good practices to make sure that your carpal tunnel exercises are helping to treat your symptoms rather than making them worse.
Bad Yoga Practices
Simply put, these practices will usually result in doing more harm than good. Keep them in mind if you do not want to worsen your condition.
Overdoing your yoga exercises is a common mistake. A lot of people learn that yoga can be helpful in treating carpal tunnel syndrome and cause themselves new symptoms. While yoga generally improves the body, overdoing it can cause problems if you’re trying to heal.
Excessive weight on joints - the joints (specifically the wrists) are the source of the problem when a person is suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. While a little stretching is good for the wrists, putting too much load on them will stress the damaged nerves even further, causing more pain and damage than healing.
Unsupervised yoga - yoga may sound simple enough when written on paper, especially when you read about how effective do-it-yourself yoga is at healing, but the specific muscle stretches and pulls can damage the muscles if done improperly. You may even make more permanent mistakes if you lack the guidance of a professional.
Good Yoga Practices Bad yoga practices aside, good yoga practices will help a person suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome alleviate their symptoms while avoiding any problems in the long run.
Subsided symptoms - carpal tunnel exercises using yoga are most effective when the initial pain and paralysis has passed. Once this happens, the yoga exercises will help strengthen the muscles and reduce the stress on the damaged nerves. The activity will also promote blood flow into the affected areas, making recovery faster and more complete.
Stretching as opposed to carrying - placing the weight on the wrists will damage them, making the problem worse. But stretching them around will help ease the stress on the wrists and promote faster recovery. As previously mentioned, the increased blood flow will speed up recovery without subjecting your wrists to strenuous and potentially destructive weight.
Doing your carpal tunnel exercises with the guidance of a professional yoga instructor is the safest and most effective means of treating your carpal tunnel syndrome through exercise. He or she can show you the best carpal tunnel yoga exercises and help you avoid the mistakes which can worsen your injuries.
And there you have it. Keep these good and bad yoga practices in mind, and you will be able to do carpal tunnel exercises using yoga without fear of worsening the problem.
