Experiencing carpal tunnel symptoms? Try yoga. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that yoga proved to be more effective in treating carpal tunnel syndrome than did wrist splints. (Carpal tunnel syndrome is an inflammatory disorder caused by repetitive movements such as typing on a computer. It affects the middle nerve connecting the wrist to the hand.)
Yoga Effective in Treating Carpal Tunnel
1 min read Premium comments
Secondary
The study involved 42 people from the ages of 24 to 77. One group participated in yoga exercises consisting of 11 yoga postures designed to strengthen, stretch and balance each joint of the upper body along with techniques to foster relaxation. The yoga group participated twice a week for eight weeks. The other group received wrist splints to treat their disorder.
Study results, reported by Telemanagement, showed that the yoga group had significantly more improvement in grip strength and pain reduction than did those in the wrist splint group. Though the study was a small, preliminary one it was clear in demonstrating that yoga was more effective than splints in treating carpal tunnel syndrome.
React:
Discussion
This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
Join the conversation
Orthopedic professionals are discussing this. Sign in and upgrade to read every comment and add your voice.