After a strenuous home workout or hours typing on your laptop, you may experience a familiar pain in your wrist. Wrist pain can cause significant discomfort and is a common occurrence among adults who engage in repetitive motions such as typing for prolonged periods each day. The presence of wrist pain may be a sign of underlying conditions.
Common conditions that list wrist pain as a symptom include carpal tunnel syndrome, wherein a nerve is pinched within the wrist. Tendonitis, or inflamed tendons, is common as well. Frequent or chronic wrist pain can also be associated with injuries, so it’s vital to seek medical help if you frequently have issues with wrist pain.
Discomfort around the wrist area can be caused by repetitive motions, such as working in an assembly line, lifting dumbbells, or even typing away at a keyboard for an extended time. Fortunately, you can do some simple exercises recommended by professionals to improve your wrists’ condition—all with the help of ordinary household items. Here are some tried-and-tested exercises:
Exercise 1: Stretching the Wrist Extensor
This exercise is well-suited to enhance the flexibility of your extensor muscles, which are responsible for extending your hand and wrist. The activity can be done twice or thrice a day. Here’s how to do it:
- While sitting on a chair, raise your arms in front of you until they are parallel to your shoulders, keeping your elbows straight and your palms facing the floor.
- Gently bend your wrist downward.
- Slowly stretch the muscles by using your other hand to pull the raised hand downward.
- Keep your elbow straight and hold this position for 30 seconds.
- Release gently and repeat three times.
Exercise 2: Hand Grip Builder With Towels
The towel hand grip can be effective in improving your hand strength. You can do this simple exercise three to four times a week. Here’s how:
- Fold a hand towel in half, then roll it up.
- With your forearm resting on a table, put the rolled-up towel in your hand and slowly squeeze.
- Hold the position for 5 seconds, then release.
- Repeat 10 to 15 times.
Exercise 3: Wrist Exercise using Water Bottles
These wrist exercises can be performed with water bottles and can strengthen various muscles on your wrist.
For your wrist extensors, you may do this exercise:
- Holding a 16-oz water bottle, rest your arm on a table with your hand hanging over the table’s edge, palm facing the floor.
- Extend your wrist to lift the bottle.
- Hold the position for 3 seconds, then release.
- Do 15 repetitions.
For your wrist flexors, try this:
- With the same setup, rest your arm on a table with your hand hanging over the table’s edge, palm facing the ceiling this time.
- Flex your wrist to lift the bottle.
- Hold the position for 3 seconds, then release.
- Complete 15 repetitions.
Carpal tunnel syndrome treatment in Jacksonville, FL
With many forms of work increasingly going online, many people are compromising the health of their wrists. Carpal tunnel syndrome can be difficult and painful to deal with, not to mention cumbersome. The condition affects your ability to work and function effectively, especially if the pain becomes too much to bear.
Ignoring your condition may warrant surgery over time, but it’s always best to strengthen your muscles before it can reach that point. Prevention is always better than cure, so perform the exercises above as often as you can.
If you wish to seek carpal tunnel treatment, the Hand & Wrist Center in North Florida is the best place to go. Headed by Dr. Richard D. Curtis and Dr. Jose Baez, we offer you treatment programs like no other. They are expertly trained hand and wrist surgeons, committed to serving people with excellent care and unparalleled services. With state of the art facilities to enjoy and friendly practitioners to help, you’ll be well on your way to a better and pain-free life. Book an appointment with us today.
