Many conditions affect the hand and wrist such as tendonitis (strains), ligament injuries (sprains), as well as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Factors to these conditions are inflammation caused by overuse and repetitive motions. Chiropractors recommend taking mini-breaks throughout the workday to give the wrist a chance to rest. The exercises below are also helpful for self-managing wrist pain:
Wrist Exercises
- SHAKE: As if to dry off your wet hands, shake your arms and hands vigorously.
- WRIST BENDS #1: Sit or stand, elbow straight, palms up, and bend the hand toward you (fingers pointing up). Bend your wrist back so your fingers point down. Hold each position for about five seconds and repeat five to ten times. Repeat with opposite hand to add pressure to the end-range stretch.
- WRIST BENDS #2: Repeat WB #1, but with the palms down.
- TENDON TETHER: Hold your arm out in front and bend the elbow 90° with the palm facing you. Bend the wrist back so your palm faces upward. With the other hand, pull down on each finger while slowly straightening the elbow. You want the elbow to be fully extended so that the arm is straight. Hold for five seconds. REPEAT on each finger and thumb (both hands).
- WRIST RESISTANCE: Rest the forearm on the arm of a chair palm down, with the wrist and hand extended off the end of the arm. Place the other hand across the knuckles (to form a “+” sign). Raise the bottom hand against the resisting/top hand slowly through the full range of motion (ROM). Then reverse it by slowly lowering the hand still resisting as you move back down toward the floor (full ROM). Repeat five to ten times slowly and repeat on the opposite side. Perform the same exercise with the palm up and repeat on both sides.
- HAND SQUEEZE: Hold a soft rubber ball or a pair of balled-up socks and slowly squeeze to a maximum tolerance and SLOWLY release it. One repetition should take at least five seconds. Repeat five to ten times with each hand.
When exercising, visualize the movement in your head to enhance the neuromotor response for the best results. Chiropractors can train you on many other exercises to facilitate CTS/wrist injury recovery.
