Your wrist is one of the most active joints in your body. You’re relying on it for many everyday tasks when you’re not using it during athletic activities such as tennis, golf, wrestling, or football. From typing, stirring a wok, and lifting objects to flipping through channels with a remote controller – so much of our life hinges on a functional wrist.
So, you can imagine how unbearable it can be when you start to experience wrist pain. Not only are you unable to be as active as you want, but basic tasks can also be excruciating. We want to help you undo that pain; so in this blog, we’ll teach you seven basic exercises to reduce your wrist while also helping you understand what causes it.
What Causes Wrist Pain
There are a variety of reasons why you could be experiencing wrist pain and understanding them is the first step towards healing. If you don’t know the underlying cause of your pain, you run the risk of treating poorly which could cause the pain to recur or lead to a worse injury.
Repetitive Strain
Doing repetitive wrist movements, like playing tennis can strain your joints and over time this can lead to wrist pain.
Sudden Impact
If you fall and brace yourself on your hands, the sudden impact can be too much for your wrist to absorb which could cause injury.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a progressive strain condition that occurs when the median nerve is pinched. This can be due to your anatomy or other risk factors such as diabetes and working with a keyboard and mouse every day.
Arthritis
Arthritis, a condition characterized by inflammation of the joints, can cause wrist pain by wearing down the cartilage in the wrist joint, leading to discomfort, stiffness, and reduced mobility. Gout, which is a type of arthritis, can have a similar effect.
Relieve Wrist Pain With These Exercises
The upside to wrist pain is that it can be treated. The sooner you start working on reducing your pain and regaining your strength, the better your chances that your pain will be eliminated for good. There are countless approaches to addressing wrist pain, but we believe that the following simple exercises that you can do on your own in the comfort of your home are an excellent starting point.
Wrist Flexor Stretch
- Sit or stand up straight with your shoulders relaxed.
- Extend your arm in front of you, palm facing up.
- Use your opposite hand to gently bend your wrist downward, so your fingers point toward the floor.
- Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds, feeling a gentle stretch in your wrist and forearm.
Wrist Extensor Stretch
- Start in the same position as the wrist flexor stretch.
- This time, use your opposite hand to gently bend your wrist upward, so your fingers point towards the ceiling.
- Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds, feeling a gentle stretch on the top of your wrist and forearm.
Wrist Circles
- Extend your arms in front of you, palms down.
- Slowly rotate your wrists in a circular motion, first clockwise and then counterclockwise.
- Perform 10-15 circles in each direction.
Fist to Finger Stretch
- Extend your right arm in front of you, palm facing down.
- Make a fist with your right hand.
- Slowly open your hand, extending your fingers as far as possible.
- Hold for a few seconds, feeling the stretch.
Forearm Pronation and Supination
- Sit with your forearm resting on a flat surface, palm facing down.
- Slowly rotate your hand and forearm to the palm-up position – this is supination.
- Hold for a few seconds, then rotate it back to palm-down – this is pronation.
Finger Fan Exercise
- Extend your right arm in front of you, palm facing up.
- Spread your fingers apart as wide as you can.
- Hold for a few seconds, then relax your fingers.
Tennis Ball Squeeze
- Hold a tennis ball or stress ball in your right hand.
- Squeeze the ball as hard as you can for 5 seconds.
Heal Under Professional Supervision With In Touch NYC Physical Therapy
If you’ve tried these exercises on your own and you’re still experiencing wrist pain, it’s time to let a professional physical therapist take a look at you. We have locations spread across New York City so you’re never too far away from expert healing.
Schedule an appointment and take the first step towards a pain-free life.