Carpal Tunnel.

So my mom use to have a TON of health problems, but over time with diet changes and supplementation (plus getting off a lot of medications), she's been able to maintain a pretty healthy lifestyle. Over the last several years though, she's been struggling with carpal tunnel syndrome to the point where her dominant hand will render itself completely useless. For someone that works on a computer daily for her job and then comes home and cans pounds of food from the garden every night/week -- it's a HUGE inconvenience for her, not to mention very painful. When I started my juicing journey, I decided to buy my parents a juicer so that they could join in on all the benefits that I was experiencing. Though my mom has used her juicer a TON for canning and has become the 'queen of watermelon juice' amongst her friends and neighbors, she's still experiencing a lot of pain. So this post is dedicated to her and other people that might be dealing with this very real everyday pain.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is basically pain, numbness and tingling in the fingers/hands/wrist -- you might also experience weakness and a loss of sensation as well. Pain is usually felt in all fingers and joints minus the pinkie finger. Not sure why that is, but it doesn't seem like any of the studies I've researched site that as a place of pain.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is believed to be caused by a number of things and I want to try to cover a few of the biggest ones and give you information to help alleviate or even eliminate your symptoms/pain. I want to add real quick that I have no medical or naturopathic background and everything I've found is from people that are qualified to make these statements. I'll even provide links at the end of this post to help you further research some things on your own -- I believe people should be informed of alternatives before just turning to medication or surgery as the only option.

• Numerous studies have been done that show CTS symptoms being directly related to a deficiency in B6. A lot of things can be to blame for this, but one of the biggest is stress. If you're looking for a natural way to boost your B6 intake you could try: sweet potatoes & potatoes, avocados, bok choy, bananas and mangoes amongst some other non fruit/veggie things like brown rice, etc. A daily intake for the average person should be around 50-100 mg -- but for those with carpal tunnel pain, it's recommended that you load up with 100-200 mg a day and take a high dosage Vitamin C as well. NOTE: Taking an increased amount of Vitamin B(s) will more often then not cause your urine to turn fluorescent yellow. Don't be alarmed :) This is just something that happens and it's your body flushing the excess out of your system. 
• Bromelain is a nutrient that can help reduce tissue swelling significantly. So fruits that are high in this are papaya, kiwi and pineapple. The levels of Vitamin C in these will also help heal the swollen/injured tissue around the area.
• In several places, I found that you should reduce the intake of red meat as it leads to inflammation of joints in your body. My personal opinion is that red meat should be limited or eliminated from our diets all together -- for all people across the board. If you're a heavy red meat eater and you're not exhibiting signs of ailments and health issues, it's just a matter of time. (I'll post about this one sometime in the near future)
• Ginger is also a heavy hitter when it comes to reducing inflammation and it can be taken in capsules or consumed as tea as well. I like to put a small slice of ginger in my juices -- but it does add quite a kick, so use it sparingly until you are familiar with the taste. 



@eathealthyworkhard

• Surprisingly, strawberries were listed on several sources I found to help with carpal tunnel and also with arthritis in general. Apparently our bodies give off something called COX enzyme. This leads to arthritis over time. Strawberries can help naturally block this enzyme and help you fight against the pain and inflammation that comes along with arthritis and carpal tunnel. 
• Tumeric, sage and cumin helps with the inflammation and swelling.
• Willowbark is an all natural 'aspirin' alternative with very similar properties. Best to steep it in hot water and make a tea out of it. You can also try chamomile tea as well.

There are many other good things to add to your diet to help with arthritis, inflammation and carpal tunnel -- this list is not all inclusive, but it is a very good start and are some of the main heavy hitters that you should focus on. 

Additional Sources: About.com -- CTPRN -- Yahoo -- Bukisa (this is a good one)

Just remember, there are always healthy alternatives for ailments and symptoms that you might have in your day to day life. You're first instinct should always be to let the body heal itself first and foremost. That's what they were created to do. Long before medicine, doctors and surgery, there was mother nature. Sometimes you just have to find the root cause of what's causing all of your pain or discomfort and slowly whittle away the side effects. It might not happen overnight, but usually the ailment itself took days/months/years to form in the first place. 

What are some things you're currently struggling with?