Various Yoga Poses For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a disorder that affects the wrists. In this disorder a nerve of the wrist is compressed that leads to tingling sensations of the skin, numbness and muscle weakness. There are various poses of yoga for getting relief from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). Studies have proved that yoga is beneficial for people who suffer from CTS.

However, the poses that put heavy pressure on the wrists should be avoided or modified to save the wrists. The most common modification is to use fists rather than a flat palm. This often spreads the pressure to the arms, thus, protecting the wrists. The poses that rely mostly on the wrists include arm balances, the Downward Facing Dog and Plank. The Downward Facing Dog, however, can be practiced with flat forearms on the floor.

The first step towards getting relief from CTS should be to improve one's posture. This can be done with the Mountain Pose or Tadasana. It is a simple asana that creates the awareness of the natural position of the spine. After mastering this pose, it can be used for day-to-day activities, such as sitting at the desk and walking. It is very effective in providing relief from CTS too.

The Anjali Mudrika or the prayer position is also a very good pose for the wrists. The prayer position behind the back is especially useful for CTS. This pose releases tension and soothes wrist pain. CTS can be avoided if this pose is practiced regularly.

The Gomukhasana (Cow face pose) and the Garudasana (Eagle pose) are also very beneficial for the wrists. It also relieves physical stress created due to working on a computer for long time. Both these poses are extremely useful for treating CTS. Moreover, since these poses stretch the shoulders, additional benefits for the spine and shoulder are obtained by performing these two asanas.

Backbends are also very helpful for people with a tendency of leaning forward while working on a desk. The supported bridge pose is a gentle and useful beckbending position for getting relief from CTS. A more advanced pose for CTS patients is the Bow pose (Dhanurasana). The Bow pose is also very useful from the point of view of CTS patients because it doesn't put pressure on the wrists. Dhanurasana has similarities with the full wheel pose but the latter puts pressure on the wrists and therefore, should be avoided by the CTS patients.

People who often work on computers can also benefit from the stretches that can be performed on the desk. These yoga poses are simple and very effective. These stretches are found to have a positive impact as they relieve stress and diminish the built up tension. Moreover, these stretches do not require any special supervision while performing them. Some of the stretches related to wrists can be used by the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome patients. However, as mentioned earlier, the stretches that put too much stress on the wrists should be avoided.