Although some people are more prone to get diabetes than others, it is largely a disorder caused by lifestyle and what we eat.  Some doctors will have you exercise and change your diet to control it.  Some doctors don’t have faith in their patients, so they will offer medications to you.

But sometimes it is NOT a whole-body issue.  Sometimes the cause of pain or numbness in your hands and feet is caused by separate things.

If the muscles in your butt–your  gluteal muscles–are tight, they can cause sensations in the soles of your feet.  So can the nerves in your back if anything is pressing on them, even barely brushing them.  Sometimes it’s pressure from a bone but much more often it’s muscle pressure.

And muscles move bones and disks.  That means your muscles are almost always causing symptoms in your feet, one way or another.  And your foot muscles can also be complaining.

If the muscles in your neck and arms are tight, they can cause sensations in your hands, wrists and lower arms.

But, if you have any reason to believe that you should see your doctor,  follow your instincts and do it.  You must be your own “medical adviser” and sometimes that means conferring with another medical practitioner–your doctor.

But if your doctor doesn’t find anything wrong that’s good news!

Why?  That almost always means your symptoms are caused by muscles (doctors don’t know much about muscles as a cause of pain or symptoms.)  And muscles can be treated!

So whether your foot and hand pain or numbness is caused by a whole-body issue or two separate issues, if you do what your muscles need to be happy you will have a good chance of getting rid of both your foot and hand pain.

Rolling your shoulders is one way to get your shoulder muscles back into balance. It help them get “un-stuck.” What do I mean by “rolling”? Just watch the little video below.

I demonstrate how easily you can start making circles with your arms–2 different moves–that will help the muscles all around your shoulder. This gets the circulation going. It gets your muscles cooperating again. It will help relax your back and “massage” your arms.

Pay attention to the feelings in your shoulders, upper body and arms as you do these movements. Don’t worry if you hear a little “clunking.” That just means there is some imbalance. You may notice that it becomes less over time as your muscles get used to working together again.

If it’s very difficult to do these movements, then only do them to the best of your ability and comfort level until your shoulder muscles and joints become used to moving again. And remember: It’s your body and you always have to make the decision about what’s best for you.

Here’s the video.

What are symptoms?  Your pain, tingling, numbness, headaches, sleeplessness, knots in your back and more; all of those are symptoms.

Your doctor may say, “Oh, a nerve is being pinched.  That what’s causing your pain.”  Yes, but WHY?  There is always a reason for our symptoms.  There is always a “why.”  Let’s get rid of the “why’s.”

Here’s how you can find WHAT natural steps you can take to get rid of your pain:

1.  You can listen to Carpal Tunnel Radio.  I pack each episode with as much information as I can to help you become pain-free naturally.  You can click on that link or go to the link on the right hand side of this page that says “Listen to Carpal Tunnel Radio blogtalkradio.”

2.  Another option is Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief.  It’s loaded with articles that cover lots of the causes of your symptoms.  You can discover WHY you hurt and the natural steps you can take to get rid of your pain.

You have a smart body.   It wants to be well.  It needs your help.  You must take action.

You can have carpal tunnel pain relief.

I was recently at a high school symphony band concert and was struck by the extremely poor posture and “forward head posture” of many of the musicians.  Even though a lot of young people have “forward heads,” it was much more so with the musicians than with the general student population.

Why would this be?

Most of us hold our arms and heads in front of us most of the day, but musicians–musical athletes–hold their instruments for extended periods without the opportunity to stretch or relax the muscles that support their instruments.

What could help?

The muscles in the front of the body support the instrument.  The are the ones that are contracted and shortened simply due to the work they do.

Strengthening your back will help and so will stretching the muscles in the front of your body.  Massage therapy would also help but which muscles should be massaged?

The muscles that would need the most pre- and post-event treatment would mostly be the ones that SHORTEN during practice and performance.  This does NOT mean the areas of complaint.  The complaining areas of muscle  are most often SYMPTOMS and not the cause of the pain.  The shortened, front-of-body muscles would need the most massage to help them get back to normal resting length.

Before a performance, a general full body “warm up” should work well.  But, many massage therapists do a “full body” warming massage while avoiding working on the front of the neck, chest, abdomen, front of thighs and inside of thighs.  Those areas need warming too–those are the shortened muscles–and shouldn’t be avoided.

After a performance, I would suggest again that the muscles that were shortened (usually the muscles in the front of the body) get the most massage even though the back muscles may be the ones complaining.

Rather than just work where the pain (symptom) is, a massage therapist or musician should ask:

• Okay, what’s attached to the wrist?
• What’s attached to the neck?
• Which part of the leg gets the most worked when performing?  Front, back, gluteal muscles (butt)?  Upper, lower?
• Which muscles pull the head forward?

A massage therapist who is really good will thoughtfully assess the client and their activities  and work on the CAUSES of pain and not just SYMPTOMS.  That’s when you will have the most pain relief in your neck and back.

And now I’d like to invite you to visit http://SimpleBackPainRelief.com (<–click here.)  While you are there you can request a copy of a free report about getting rid of the knots in your back.

If the “knot” between your spine and shoulder blade “won’t” go away, blame the scalene muscles.  It can’t go away until the scalene muscles are released (relaxed.)  The knot is a symptom; the scalenes are the cause.

If your carpal tunnel symptoms “won’t” go away with conventional treatment, blame the scalenes.  The symptoms can go away when the cause (the scalenes) are released.

Nerves run from your neck bones to your upper body and arms.  If those nerves get compressed, or pressed on, by the scalene muscles they can cause uncomfortable sensations in the areas that the nerves serve (enervate.)

If your doctor thinks your pain is “all in your head,” boy, is he or she ever wrong!  It’s all in your neck!

Most doctors are not muscle therapists or specialists.  That’s why the scalenes are rarely suspected as a cause of knots in backs, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and carpal tunnel symptoms.

If you go to Carpal Tunnel Radio you can find an episode called “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Is It All In Your Head? Or In Your Neck?”  It’s only 15 minutes and you will discover what you can do about your scalenes.

Pain happens for reasons.  When you understand WHY you hurt and discover WHAT to do about it, you are on your way to becoming pain-free and getting rid of your knots and carpal tunnel syndrome forever!

And if you go to http://SimpleBackPainRelief.com you will find more information (and a free report) about how to get rid of the muscle knots in your back.

I love helping people feel better, to reduce their pain. Sometimes I even help them see things differently, so they can function better. I help them move better and hurt less. I help them understand why they hurt.

And I have my own story about pain.

I have had scoliosis, a curvature of the spine. With it came not only neck pain but also migraine headaches that would take me out of commission for three days at a time. Three days of barely being able to think that if I died right then it would really, really be okay.

I have had various types of pain in my hands, fingers and arms. Understandable, after all the years of using them extensively treating people as a neuromuscular therapist.

You will notice that I said I have had those problems. I do not have them now.

But today, I began reading a book about pain which is very well written. And that author also helps people. She had much more pain than I ever did. Much more formal education than I ever did. And much more training than I have had. And, she basically healed herself with education and by taking action. (And, so can we, by the way.)

So, I am feeling insignificant. She has a lot on me.

But, I know she doesn’t have any more heart about helping you than I do. My sincerity is as much as hers. My desire to help you is just as strong as hers. And, I, too, have a lot of education! (But not the beautiful resume’ that she does.)

So, here is my plan.

I will continue to share with you information about the many causes of pain. The reasons why you hurt, and the actions you can take to reduce or eliminate your pain.

I will share with you the physical reasons. Sometimes we will talk about the psychological or emotional reasons for pain. We will talk about diet and nutrition. We will discuss the role of medicine for pain relief. We’ll talk about massage and bodywork.

We will talk about getting stuck and losing the abilities we had as children. We’ll discuss posture, car seats and couches. Walking and breathing correctly. I will give you good sources of additional information, and I will offer programs to help you. And much, much more.

And, definitely, we will talk about the ability of your body to feel better, get better and be better.

Because you can!

I recently saw a man walking on the sidewalk. He was obviously walking for exercise. And he looked so uncomfortable!

Someone else might not have noticed. Or, maybe they would have, because it was so obvious.

The poor guy looked like he was having electric shocks going into his hands. His hands were jumping and he was shaking them. Man, he looked miserable.

There is no doubt in my mind that he was having carpal tunnel pain. And a lot of it!

So, do you think that walking was part of his problem? Was the walking causing his painful, shocking experience?

Here’s the rest of the story…

Even as I approached in my car from the rear, I could tell that the man’s head was really far forward. His shoulders were rolled really far forward, too. When I got next to him, I thought I had probably never seen anyone’s shoulders as far forward as his were. His chest muscles were really tightened, really short.

Here’s how it works.

When our head and shoulders are not in neutral, when they are too far in front of where they should be, they cause problems. The problems range from discomfort in our backs, necks and heads to carpal tunnel pain.

The nerves and blood vessels which go through the shoulder and arm get squeezed. Then they get unhappy. They cause pain and nervy sensations. They cause carpal tunnel pain.

So the answer is no, walking doesn’t cause carpal tunnel pain. That man will have pain no matter what he is doing.

This is what is necessary for the walking man to feel better.

* He would have to take steps to open or stretch his chest muscles.

* He would need to strengthen his back muscles so his chest would stay open.

* His head would have to be repositioned over his shoulders and hips, instead of in front of his body.

If the man had help from a muscular therapist, or a skilled massage therapist, his recovery would happen much more quickly. The therapist could warm and loosen the chest and front neck muscles which are holding the man in dysfunction, and which are causing his pain.

By releasing the muscles which have become shortened in front from the years of incorrect posture, and regaining strength in the muscles of his back which have become overstretched and weak, the man would find a great deal of relief.

A skilled therapist would also warm the muscles in his arms and wrists, and that would help, too.

There are simple steps anyone can take to relieve their carpal tunnel pain, but when someone has as much pain as he obviously was, the help of a well-educated muscle therapist would hurry the process along.

Oh! I almost forgot. There are correct and incorrect ways to swing your arms when you walk. Walking incorrectly, with the backs of your hands facing out, will shorten your chest, or pectoral, muscles. That will cause your shoulders to roll forward.

Walking correctly, with your thumbs pointing forward, as though you are going to shake someone’s hand, is much healthier. Your arms should swing freely from your shoulders at the sides of your body.

If you watch, you will see people who let their arms cross in front of their bodies when they walk. Don’t be one of them.

Be the one who walks healthy, and pain-free.

I was reviewing some carpal tunnel information from Wikipedia and it said that carpal tunnel syndrome is idiopathic.

“Idiopathic” basically means: no known cause.

Well, then, why did we just recently develop carpal tunnel pain as adults? We used our hands and arms even more when we were children. We did more things, used more different positions, challenged our bodies more, climbed ropes and trees and…

Wait a minute! Maybe we are onto something here.

We did a lot of things. We used all of our muscles. We were in balance. Our posture was great because we weren’t stuck in just one position for long periods of time (at least, not until we started school.)

Then we grow up and somehow get into pain.

Hmmm.

So I propose that carpal tunnel pain is not “idiopathic.” Rather, it is caused by imbalances in our muscles.

Sure, it is possible that some of us have a smaller than average carpal tunnel. Yes, it is possible that the contents of the tunnel swell and cause pressure on the median nerve.

But, why? For no reason? Or, is it because….

We managed to get the muscles in our necks, shoulders, arms and hands out of balance? Is it because the contents of our carpal tunnel became inflammed and swelled due to something we are doing…or not doing?

And getting back to using ALL of our muscles and correcting our posture and developing a strong back side from knees to head could just be the answer.

Serious cases of carpal tunnel syndrome may possibly require surgery to reduce the possibility of permanent nerve damage, but early stage CT syndrome can benefit from self-treatment and/or physical therapy. True carpal tunnel syndrome sufferers have more numbness or nerve sensations than pain.

If you haven’t been to your doctor yet for diagnosis, it is possible that your pain in the vicinity of your carpal tunnel may not be CT syndrome. Relatively few people have true CT syndrome. More people have pain caused by overuse, underuse or abuse of their muscles. Poor posture and a forward head position can contribute to pain in your hand and wrist, too.

In conclusion today, whether you have carpal tunnel syndrome or plain old pain in your arm, wrist and hand, you can get better. You can benefit from following a program to get your body back in balance.

And get out of pain.

But, do you really have CTS? Or, do you have other pain which is in the vicinity of the carpal tunnel?

CTS is often misdiagnosed. There are many reasons why your carpal tunnel area may hurt.

So, why do you hurt? What is the cause? What perpetuates your pain? What can you do to overcome CT pain and to prevent recurrence?

You have to be a detective. Follow the clues, solve the puzzle and win the prize: no more pain.

You must be your own physician. Pay attention to your symptoms (where you hurt) and learn to treat them yourself. Or, refer treatment out to the best professionals available. I’ll help you know how to self-treat and how to find the best practitioners, if you need one.

Remember, no two people are alike, and no two bodies are the same. There are natural laws which indicate where we should look to find the cause of the pain. The cause of your pain may not be the same as someone else’, but if you can describe your symptoms well enough, you will be able to find the source, or cause, of your CT pain. And knock it out.

A big surprise is that where it hurts is often only a symptom, and not the cause. For instance, if you have a headache, your head hurts. Head pain is a symptom. So what is the cause?

The cause of the head pain is almost always tight muscles or soft tissue (not boney tissue) somewhere else. These tight muscles have areas which trigger, or cause pain elsewhere. These areas are called trigger points.

The trigger points (TPs) which cause your head pain may be in your upper back, the front or back of your neck, under the bottom of your skull, or in your face and temple area.

By the way, if you have serious, sudden new pain, especially in your head, see a doctor as soon as possible. Or, sooner!

And, did you know, we are not supposed to experience the “common everyday headache”? We are supposed to be head-pain free.

Headaches or tight neck and shoulder muscles very often go hand in hand with CTS, so I’ll be discussing them, too, and give you some tips for them, also. But, those are topics for another day.

You will probably be very surprised when you find out the causes for your pain. This is not something we learn in school. Too bad. It would save us lots of discomfort and fear and surgeries. Very few doctors know the true cause of pain, including pain in the hand, wrist and arm. They didn’t learn it in med school, either.

We will talk very soon about carpal tunnel pain and how to reduce and eliminate it.

In the meantime, love your arms, massage them and feel the circulation increase.

Your body wants to be well and pain-free.

There are simple techniques we can follow to get out of pain. There are easy movements and simple “tools” which will help us get back to where we want to be. There are logical ways to eat, move and live which will enable us to feel well.

So, what are the “10 Simple Pain Relief Secrets?”

1.  Be responsible for your own wellness.
2.  Take good care of your body:  feed it wholesome foods and avoid fake foods and additives.
3.  Reduce your stress.
4.  Improve your posture.
5.  Stretch in the correct directions.
6.  Breathe deeply.  Move your ribs.
7.  Get enough sleep.
8.  Drink sufficient water.
9.  Become knowledgeable about your body and the causes of your pain.
10.Do what you need to do to become pain-free, naturally.

I am looking forward to sharing with you.

“Because You Deserve To Feel Better!”

Kathryn Merrow – The Pain Relief Coach