Press your palms together in front of you, fingers pointing upward. This is the “prayer” position. With your palms at the same level, slowly raise your elbows as far as you can. Hold this position for 30 seconds. You’ll feel your forearm flexor tendons stretching. Relax, drop your hands, and shake them out. Repeat the exercise 4 more times.
Review of Exercises for Carpal Tunnel
From Dr. Z - Carpal tunnel syndrome specialist
Review of Exercises for Carpal Tunnel
Why is it important to learn how to do exercises for carpal tunnel syndrome? Because they actually DO eliminate pain and numbness in your hand and fingers.
The National Institutes of Health warns that carpal tunnel syndrome is on a steep rise. In fact, people are losing their jobs over it. So doing the appropriate hand exercises are an important way to both keep your job and to keep this painful condition from happening in the first place.
- FIND OUT: do you have carpal tunnel?
No strings attached self-test.
Exercises for carpal tunnel as a prevention
The condition we call "carpal tunnel" is sneaky. It often comes on so quietly and gradually that by the time you notice any pattern of discomfort like numbness or pain, you’ve already got full-blown carpal tunnel syndrome. By then, it's probably already well into the mild stage.
If your hands hurt or go numb from typing, holding a steering wheel, or pressing the phone to your ear – it’s time to take action. Why? If you don't, then statistically the symptoms will only worsen.
Do you have these symptoms?
When you stress your hands repetitively it can cause Repetitive Stress Injury or RSI. This is the most common "first step" in getting carpal tunnel syndrome.
For example, people who do a lot of typing are at high risk for RSI and carpal tunnel syndrome. Over 54% of dental hygienists will get it. That can be terrifying because their livelihoods are a stake. It's about the same probability as in cashiers, assembly line workers, transcriptionists, farmers, guitar players, and hairdressers.
People with carpal tunnel syndrome have the following sensations in their hands or fingers:
- pain
- numbness
- tingling
- burning
- itching
- shooting electric shocks
- weakness
These feelings are on the palm side of your hand and fingers, as the image above shows. Your thumb usually suffers more intensely than the other fingers. But the little finger is never affected. As carpal tunnel begins, these symptoms are most pronounced when you're trying to sleep.
If your symptoms are only mild , consider yourself lucky. This is when symptoms are most reversible. The following exercises for carpal tunnel will definitely help reverse symptoms and restore your hand.
If your symptoms are moderate or severe, then you have more advanced carpal tunnel syndrome. It should be the alarm bell to get treatment NOW, before is gets any worse - because it will. Untreated carpal tunnel almost ALWAYS worsens, accounting for the booming business in carpal tunnel release surgery.
For intense symptoms, these exercises will
halt carpal tunnel's progression. But the exercise alone will
not reverse symptoms and restore your hand.
For that, you need more advanced remedies.
5 best exercises for carpal tunnel
There are tons of carpal tunnel exercises on the web. But you’ll find the best five exercises below.
- If you already have symptoms, do each exercise at least 5 times every day. This will eventually eliminate symptoms and restore your hand to normal again.
- If you don't have symptoms yet but are at high risk for developing them, do these exercises 3 times a day. This way you can avoid carpal tunnel symptoms altogether.
1) Exercises to stretch your forearm tendons
2) Extending your wrist
This is one of the best hand exercises for carpal tunnel syndrome. Extend your right arm straight and level in front of you. Point your fingers up, like you’re telling somebody to “stop!” Use your left hand to hold your fingertips and pull them backward gently. You’ll feel your forearm tendons stretching. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Then pull your thumb backward too. Next, drop your hands and shake them out. Repeat this stretch for your left hand. Switch back and forth so you do a total of 5 stretches.
3) Flexing and extending your fingers
Extend both arms straight in front of you with palms down. Then make a tight fist with both hands. Clench your fist a moment, then release and open your hand to spread your fingers out. Spread them out as far as possible. Do this exercise 4 more times.
4) Flexing and extending your wrist
Sit upright and straight at a table. Rest your forearm on the table so that your lower forearm and wrist are hanging off the edge. Keep your palms down. If you wish, and for maximum effect, hold a weight (or a can of vegetables) in your hand and flex your wrist up. Bring it up high while you keep the rest of your forearm on the table. Lift the weight slowly. Then let your wrist drop slowly all the way down. These up and down lifts should be done approximately 10 times. Then flip your hand over, palm up, and repeat. When you finish, switch hands.
5) Exercises to strengthen your grip
This is one of the simplest hand exercises for carpal tunnel. For this exercise you’ll need a soft mass. A tennis ball or stress ball are perfect. But a ball of socks will do just fine. With your wrist straight, grip the mass so that your fingers go completely around it. Make sure your fingertips are grasping tightly. Squeeze the mass and release it. Repeat this 9 more times. Then switch hands and repeat.
Summary
When performed properly, hand, finger, and wrist exercises for carpal tunnel can keep symptoms away. And even if you have this condition already, doing these exercises on a routine daily basis can actually reverse carpal tunnel symptoms and restore your hand.