Food and Life Style Suggestions for Carpal Tunnel

Hello again, old friends.  I've truly missed being in this space.  I think it's time for me to come back.  After a long month or so of limited computer time and other life style changes, I'm happy to report that my wrists have been pain-free for the past week, for the most part.  They let me know when I'm approaching over-doing it, and then I know I need to stop typing/washing spoons/etc.  At 28, I feel like this is one of the first times when I've felt my body start to sort of say, "hey, I'm not infinitely resilient anymore."  Listening to my body and it's needs has been something I've been working with lately.

I thought the perfect introduction back into blogging would be to share with you what I've done to help my wrists to heal.  I'm sure I'm not the only one over using the scroll knob on my mouse or typing improperly!

• Acupuncture

Although Alicia Silverstone just recently knocked acupuncture on her vegan blog, I honestly can only say good things about my experience with acupuncturists.  They've helped me to change my diet for the better, but have always respected the fact that I am a vegetarian, and have helped me work around that for health.  In addition to helping with a whole myriad of health issues, acupuncture is known specifically for relieving carpal tunnel pain.  This study done in 2009 demonstrated that acupuncture worked just as well as steroid drugs and prevented patients from having to get surgery.  If you're like me and don't have health insurance, avoiding drugs and surgery is pretty important.  To find an acupuncturist on a budget, check out The Community Acupuncture Network  to locate a practitioner who will provide acupuncture on a sliding scale rate.

• Yoga

I admit that when I first started to feel carpal tunnel pain, I sort of halted my yoga practice.  It wasn't until I started to integrate certain poses, exercises, and strategies into my yoga routine that I started to notice it was actually preventing further pain in my wrists.  When practicing, I have begun to focus on my hands when they are on my mat.  I make sure that my fingers are spread as far apart as possible, with my palms firmly pressed into the mat, especially my index finger and thumb.  This is especially important when in low push-up pose and downward dog.  During the day and between computer work, I take breaks and do the exercises in the video by Tara Stiles above.  

• Food

In an effort to heal from within, I made small changes to my diet at every meal based on some research that I did on foods that aggravated carpal tunnel.  I was reminded that some vegetables, such as tomatoes and eggplants are inflammatory and thus would worsen my condition.  I also eliminated salt, paprika, and cayenne from my diet for the same reasons.  Instead, I increased the amount of turmeric and ginger (which doesn't seem possible to most people since I usually consume so much of those spices!), and started drinking licorice holy basil tea -- both licorice and holy basil are anti-inflammatory.  I also added a couple of garlic cloves to every meal, towards the end of the cooking process.  For further information on an anti-inflammatory diet, check out this short article. 

An anti-inflammatory recipe that I turned to a lot was a warming and nourishing fennel and kale soup.  I honestly can not get enough of pureed soups during the winter months.  I am so thankful for my blender!  This soup is quick and easy to make, and can be forgotten about on the stove for a while without any serious consequences.  If you've been suffering from carpal tunnel, swap out your cream of tomato soup (inflammatory!) with this alternative.

Creamy Fennel and Kale Soup

• 6 cups of water
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 bub of fennel, chopped (fronds included!)
• 1 bunch of kale, chopped (this is a great way to use kale stems!)
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, trimmed to florets
• 2 tablespoons ginger
• 2 tablespoons turmeric
• 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast (optional, for topping)

In a large stock pot or saucier pan, heat the water while you prepare the veggies.  Once the water is boiling, add in the onion, fennel, kale and cauliflower.  Cover and let cook for about 15 minutes, or until all vegetables become fork-tender.  I like to conserve energy and turn the heat down during this process.  Add in your spices and garlic, and transfer (carefully!) to a blender.  Puree in batches if necessary.  Top with nutritional yeast instead of cheese -- it provides necessary B vitamins that help prevent carpal tunnel woes!  Serves 2 for a main course, 4 for a side.

I'm glad to be back, dear readers, and am looking forward to sharing my food experiences with you again!