A couple months ago it hurt to practice side plank, never would I imagine accomplishing this pose without having wrist pain. I've learned that "The more I push myself, the easier it becomes next time." Push yourself, but know your limits, listen to your body, build your confidence and know that you can do anything you set your mind to. I look at this picture and it amazes me that I can lift my leg in this pose.  This has been a long term goal of mine, so happy to share my experience with you, now go do something you always wanted to try! Take your time, enjoy your experience, be apart of your own journey. 

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? 
When someone uses a muscle over and over again, the muscle begins to tighten and decreases circulation.  The muscle becomes weak, not being able to go back to complete resting length.  As a result this leads to inflammation (redness, heat, swelling)  and nerve entrapment. As the inflammation increases the symptoms begin to intensify as well.
Symptoms:
-Frequent numbness, burning, throbbing, aching, and tingling on the palm side of the fingers.
-Pain may shoot up the arm when you stretch your wrists.
-Some people say their fingers feel useless and swollen, even though little or no swelling is present.
-Pain may wake you up at night or be worse in the morning.
-You may have trouble making a fist, or lose coordination in your fingers.
-Some people are unaware to tell the difference between hot and cold. 
Treatment:
Treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome should begin as soon as possible, under a doctor’s guidance.  If there are any underlying conditions such as arthritis or diabetes should be treated first. Initial treatment generally includes resting the affected hand and wrist for at least two weeks, avoiding activities that may irritate or worsen symptoms, and immobilizing the wrist in a splint to avoid further damage from bending or twisting.  Is there is inflammation applying ice or a cool pack can help reduce swelling.


Drugs:
 Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonprescription pain relievers may ease symptoms that have been present for a short time or have been caused by strenuous activities. Water pills can decrease swelling  Many people have turned to steroid (cortisone) injections to help treat carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis, which instead of healing the problem, have only masked the pain.  Some individuals may return back to their “normal” engaging activities that they shouldn’t be doing. They may no longer feel the pain, leading to a relapse.  Cortisone injections maybe a temporary fix, but overtime it can worsen the effects.
Steroid (Cortisone) Injection Statistic:  Failure rate (Including “partial success” as failure) is 72.6% after 1-year follow up. Source: Irwin, et al. J Hand Surgery.

 Surgery:
Others may turn to surgery to help relieve pain in carpal tunnel syndrome.  During open carpal tunnel release surgery, the transverse carpal ligament is cut, which releases the pressure on the median nerve. This may or may not help, due to the facts that the source of the pain can be from anywhere to the wrist, arm, all the way up to the shoulder/and or neck area.
“Carpal tunnel surgery has about a 57% failure rate following patients from 1-day to 6-years. At least one of the following symptoms re-occurred during this time: Pain, Numbness, Tingling sensations.” Source: Nancollas, et al, 1995. J. Hand Surgery. 
How can massage and yoga help? As I stated above mainly the problem is not only in the wrist, but in the shoulder, elbow, forearm, upper arm  all the way up the neck.  It's important to have work done to these areas to help release pain and tension in the wrist and numbness and tingling to the fingers.  In The Whartons' Stretch Book, by Jim and Phil Wharton (1996), the authors write: "There is a big difference between a strong muscle and a tight one. A tight muscle can be very weak. Tightness doesn't help, in fact it hurts....To avoid carpal tunnel syndrome, concentrate your flexibility work on arms, elbows, wrists and hands."
Some studies have shown that yoga and massage has similar effect to antidepressants and psychotherapy, by boosting serotonin and influencing neurotransmitters.  Yoga and massage has also been found to decrease levels of inflammation, oxidation stress, and improve grip stretch among patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.

                                     Yoga stretches: 

                              Extend arms out to side, palm and fingers facing up-then down
                                       - Gently stretches the wrist, arm and shoulders 
  

    Finger pull back in sukhasana (easy pose)
   - Individually stretches the fingers and palm of the hand

    Pyramid shoulder stretch in virasana (hero pose)
          - Opens up the rotator cuff muscles  

        Parsva Balasana (threading the needle)- Opens the upper and outer muscles of your shoulder, and gently compresses the muscles of your upper chest 

Hand stretch on the floor- gently stretches the wrist and arm