Carpal Tunnel can be very frustrating from someone anxious to KEEP UP with their yoga practice! The good news is that in Kundalini Yoga there are many many Kriyas that involve none of the poses that would aggravate this condition and, medical research, as well as our own experience, has shown that the gentle stretching and strengthening of yoga can be beneficial in relieving the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, as well as preventing its recurrance.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrom occurs when tissues in the carpal tunnel get swollen or inflamed and press against the meridial nerve. This pressure can be quite painful! Doing the same hand movements over and over is the usual suspect though this condition can be caused from a variety of
causes such as late stage pregnancy, rheumatoid arthritis, , thyroid dieease, injurry to the wrist etc. It also can be hereditary. So, if you are a teacher of yoga it is important to understand your students diagnosis before suggesting the correct Kundalini yoga practice.

Most Carpal Tunnel cases we have seen is caused by too much computer use, though we have seen it in sports players as well.

The first most obvious thing to advise the student whose carpal tunnel is due to overuse is to not continue to aggravate the condition, and to prevent reocurrance, by finding a new way to support there wrist and hand while using the computer (or whatever device caused the problem).
they can try to use the unafected hand more often. They should also avoid holding their wrists in a downward bent position for long periods. A doctor can also devise a temporary splint which will alow them to do the activity but keep the wrist in better alignment.

This is the bodies protest of too much of the same thing over and over and the lesson learned is that activity always needs to be balanced with rejuvenation and this is the bodies way of rebelling when it doesn\'t have this balance. Kundalini Kriyas are always a balance of activity and rest and this is an important lesson for someone with a
repetitive use injury to understand and assimilate. Any of the Kriyas that do not place weight on the wrists are recommended to help speed up the bodies healing. Any of the meditations will help speed healing as well. The student should avoid any poses that bear weight on the hands,
wrists and shoulders. So, for now, no Down Dog, Bridge pose, or Shoulder Stand. Any gentles Stretching is recommended. The neck and shoulder exercises on our Beginners & Beyond Stretch Strenghten & Be Stress Free.

In terms of supplements, we recommend: circumin, msm, and ginger. We also recommend the anti-inflammation segment on our Yoga House Call DVD as well as the Sitali Pranayam Breath under "S" on this A-Z Health Archive on www.raviana.com