Definition: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is caused by constant stress to the carpal tunnel located on the inside of the wrist. After repetitive movement, such as excessive typing on a computer, the ligament and tendons located in the carpal tunnel become irritated, causing the tunnel to contract. This contraction in turn constricts the median nerve, which travels through the carpal tunnel and triggers movement and feeling in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and half of the ring finger (Healthgate CAM Medical Review Board 2003). When CTS occurs, it causes numbness, tingling, burning, and pain in the portions of the hands that are controlled by the median nerve, as well as a decrease in the grip strength of the affected hand (Katz and Simmons 2002). CTS may be prompted by conditions as various as pregnancy, inflammatory arthritis, certain fractures, diabetes, use of estrogen, among many others (Katz and Simmons 2002). It may also be provoked by repetitive activities that are also vigorous (Katz and Simmons 2002).

Effects of Hatha Yoga: Yoga has been shown to significantly increase the relative grip strength and significantly decrease the pain of patients affected by CTS. In a recent study conducted by Garfinkel et al, 22 patients were trained in 11 different yoga positions for eight weeks. The yoga that they practiced focused on the upper torso and emphasized proper structural body alignment, in order to alleviate stress (Garfinkel et al 1998). Though this study was successfully performed, many critics are apt to judge otherwise. Many feel that “the difference between the pretreatment and post-treatment findings was not statistically significant” (Sequeira 1999). Others believe that the patients in the control group, who only received a splint, should have been offered a more “glamorous” option, stating that, “experience from numerous studies shows that when people believe they are receiving an effective treatment, they report improvement, regardless of the nature of the treatment” (Healthgate CAM Medical Review Board 2003).

Incorporating Yoga into Your Daily Life: The specific type of yoga dealt with in the Garfinkel et al study was called Iyengar Hatha Yoga. This type of yoga focuses mainly on the proper alignment of the body in the yoga poses. A yoga instructor from the San Francisco Bay Area, Sandy Blaine, states that alleviating CTS with yoga “means stretching out the upper back, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, and wrists” (Pirisi 2000). She suggests the “desk potatoes” spend at least 30 minutes a day stretching out those areas to help ease the tension on the torso.


Bibliography

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome [Internet]. RI: Women & Infants’ Hospital of Rhode Island, HealthGate CAM Medical Review Board; [reviewed 2003 Sept; cited 2005 Sept 12]. Available from: http://www.womenandinfants.com/body.cfm?id=388&chunkiid=21490

Garfinkel M, Singhal A, Katz W, Allan D, Reshetar R, Schumacher H. Yoga-based intervention for carpal tunnel syndrome. The Journal of the American Medical Association [Internet]. 1998 [cited 2005 Sept 8]; 280(18): 1601-03. Available from: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/280/18/1601

Katz J, Simmons B. Carpal tunnel syndrome. The New England Journal of Medicine [Internet]. 2002 [cited 2005 Sept 12]; 346(23): 1807-12. Available from: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/reprint/346/23/1807.pdf

Pirisi A. Carpal tunnel cure. Yoga Journal [Internet]. 2000 [cited 2005 Sept 12]. Available from: http://www.yogajournal.com/health/128.cfm

Sequeria W. Yoga in treatment of carpal-tunnel syndrome. The Lancet [Internet]. 1999 [cited 2005 Sept 12]; 353: 689-90. Available from: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673698003936/fulltext