Overpowering Pain By Mrs Vera West

I picked up Overpower Pain, (2008), by Mitchell Yass from a second-hand book shop, and it is a John Steele kind of book. The interesting theme, is that much pain in the human body, re joints and soft tissue, arises from lack of strength, and/or strength imbalance, and lack of stretching/flexibility, producing a rigid body, prone to injury. Yass is a keen weight lifter, and he tackles various issues with weight training programs. How is all of this of relevance to an old lady like me?

For example, I suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, pain due to the median nerve, which passes through the carpel tunnel in the wrist being squashed by inflammation. Surgery is usually recommended, and it is usually successful, but not always. Yass argues that carpel tunnel arises from overuse of the wrist and finger flexors, so that the tendons become inflamed. The median nerve gets pressure put on it, and has nowhere to go. Carpel tunnel surgery aims to increase the dimensions of the tunnel by cutting a lazy s slit in the retinaculum, the connective wrist band. But, this band may become scarred after surgery, and the pain may recur. Yass says that the muscles need conditioning, and carpel tunnel syndrome arise from a muscle imbalance between the wrist or finger flexors and extensors. The exercise then is reverse wrist curls, palms down, and gripping a weight, moving up, then down. I have found this helpful even with no weight, and I found an internet site recommending this exercise for carpel tunnel relief.

https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=ad1506

Overall, I have not fully digested the Yass book, and may not, since weight training is I think beyond me, as I prepare for the grave. But I need pain relief, and I found the carpel tunnel exercise quite useful.