Every part of the body is equally important for our body to work efficiently. Most of the people today are engaged in work from home and hence lack the professional working environment. Not everyone is privileged to have proper working desks, chairs etc. to avoid unnecessary burden on different parts of the body. Certainly, our hands and wrists play a very important role in any activity we do, hence taking proper care of it is also crucial. Carpel tunnel is a passage between your wrist that contains blood vessels, ligament, tendons and bones.
Wrong position of working or keeping your hand in awkward positions can put excessive pressure on median nerve can cause tingling effect, numbness, weakness and wrist injury. It can also lead to rheumatoid arthritis in certain cases. Hence keeping wrist in correct position and doing regular exercise of your hand can prevent this condition. Here are some hand exercises which you can do from your home to prevent and control carpel tunnel syndrome.
6 Exercise and Stretches for Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
1. Median Nerve Glide
This is a stretching exercise for improving wrist condition. Median nerve glide helps to relieve pressure from compressed nerve which is median nerve in case of carpel tunnel syndrome. This can be done by compressing your hand slightly before 15 minutes of doing this stretch. For this exercise, you need to make a fist with one hand and keep your thumb on the outside. Then slowly open your fist and stretch your fingers by pressing it on the other hand. Now try bending your hand from the wrist to stretch it. Hold the hand position for 5 seconds and then release it. Then extend the thumb out and slowly relieve your fingers. Do similar action with the other hand.
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2. Wrist Extension
This exercise is to stretch your muscles of the inner forearm. This is a very basic and easy exercise and you can do it whenever you feel your wrist has been in the same position for a long time. To do this exercise, hold one arm straight in front of your body at your shoulder level. Hand should be parallel to the floor. Make sure you are not locking your elbow when you stretch in this exercise. Now bend your wrist back slowly, do not give a jerk, and push it till it is not uncomfortable. Use your second hand to stretch your fingers little backwards and hold this position for 10-15 seconds. Then relax your hands. Do the same with other hand and repeat this exercise 5 times.
3. Tendon Glides
This exercise is done to stretch the tendons present in the carpel tunnel. This is also a basic wrist exercise that prevent carpel tunnel syndrome from occurring. If tendon glides are done along with splint then it improves the condition of carpel tunnel syndrome faster. For this exercise, you need to warm compress your hands for around 15 minutes so that your hand is warmed up. You can do this exercise with single and both hands together.
For doing this exercise you need to bend your elbow to keep your forearms straight upside. Keep your fingers straight and thumb out initially. Fingers should be pointing upwards, not bend top of your finger in curve manner to form a hook like shape. Then slowly bend the fingers totally to form a fist and close it tightly. Hold this position for 3 seconds and then open your wrist. You can put a cold pad to reduce inflammation risk after this exercise.
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4. Wrist Flexing
Wrist flexing is meant to stretch your wrist and relax your muscles of your arms and wrist. It is a very beneficial exercise for carpel tunnel syndrome. It is similar to wrist extension in an opposite way. For this exercise you need to extend your arm in front of your body at shoulder level. Not put your palm facing downwards to the ground. Now use your other hand to push your fingers and wrist downwards to stretch it. Hold in that position for 15 seconds then keep your hands straight and repeat it through other hand as well. You can do this exercise regularly to get benefitted. Wrist flexing also improves your gripping strength.
5. Hand Squeeze
This exercise is beneficial for forearm muscles as well as relaxes your palm and hands. For this you need a soft rubber ball that can be easily squeezed. If you do not have a rubber ball, you can also take wool or roll some soft cloth in your hands. It is a very easy exercise, you need to hold the ball in one hand and squeeze it for 5 seconds, and then release slowly. Do the same with the other hand and repeat this exercise 10 times with both hands. This can also help you release anxiety and help you focus better on your task.
6. Wrist Stretch with weights
Stretching your wrist with weights can improve your flexor muscles and forearm. Doing this exercise on alternative days can prevent you from having carpel tunnel syndrome and other wrist position problems. Initially start with a light weight so that you do not get jerk or pain while doing this exercise. After a while you can increase the weight as you get comfortable with it.
To do this exercise, hold the weight in one hand and extend it right in front of you. Palm should face downwards while doing this exercise. Slowly move your hands up and down towards the arm, making wrist movement. Do this exercise very slowly for maximizing the result. Wrist stretch with weights can be done in three sets with 10 reps each time.
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