hand and wrist pain

What Causes Pain and Numbness In Your Hands and Feet?

If you have pain or numbness in your hands and in your feet, it’s a good idea to see your doctor to rule out any serious medical condition like diabetes.

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 Continue reading “What Causes Pain and Numbness In Your Hands and Feet?”

November 2November 6

Roll Your Shoulders to Relax Your Back and Arms

Muscles get “stuck” in the positions that we use the most. Doesn’t matter whether the position makes you feel good or not-so-good. Muscles become “comfortable” in the positions they’re used to. Doesn’t matter to them whether YOU are happy or not!

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.

September 9November 7

Carpal Tunnel Pain Relief

If you are suffering with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, I have some excellent options for natural help for you.

What is “natural” help? It means working WITH your body to relieve your symptoms.

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.

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 naturally.

July 24November 7

Why do Musicians and Band Members Get Back & Neck Pain?

Playing musical instruments can be a pain in the neck.

I was 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? Stretching, strengthening and massage.

The muscles in the front of the body support the instrument. The are the ones that are Continue reading “Why do Musicians and Band Members Get Back & Neck Pain?”

April 8November 7

The Muscle That Causes Carpal Tunnel & Knots in Your Back

There is a set of muscles on each side of your neck that can cause pain in your upper back, arm, wrist and hand. Those muscles are called the scalenes.

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 Continue reading “The Muscle That Causes Carpal Tunnel & Knots in Your Back”

September 11November 8

How Many Causes Does Pain Have?

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 personal 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 and 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!

September 9November 8

Does Walking cause Carpal Tunnel Pain?

Are you worried that walking might cause carpal tunnel pain?

I watched 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 or some other nervy 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. It’s not the walking, it’s the posture.

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 and the muscles in the fronts of his arms.

* 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, strained 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. Thumbs up!

July 22November 8

Causes for Carpal Tunnel Pain

Hey!

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. And it could also be caused by some other things like diabetes, weight gain, inflammatory foods or nutritional deficiencies.

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 carpal tunnel pain.

July 18November 8

Do You Have Carpal Tunnel Pain?

Something in your hand, wrist or lower arm hurts, and you suspect carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Maybe you even have a doctor’s diagnosis of CTS.

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 have symptoms.

So, 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.

December 3November 8

10 Simple Pain Relief Secrets

I recently read an excellent book about natural pain relief.

It has a great disclaimer. It said, basically, if you think you need the protection of a disclaimer, then close the book now. 🙂

The author believes that the most important consultation is the one each person has with himself or herself. He believes in taking personal responsibility for one’s own health. I think he is very wise, and you will be very wise if you take responsibility for your own health and well-being.

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.

These ten simple pain relief secrets are a good start. I am looking forward to sharing more with you.

“Because You Deserve To Feel Better!”

Kathryn Merrow – The Pain Relief Coach