800-450-6118
carpalrx header

4 Core Stretching Exercises for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

  • Preventing CT Symptoms: These stretches will keep it from ever happening.


  • Eliminating CT Symptoms: These stretches can relieve the pain, numbness, tingling, and burning.
young woman doing prayer stretch

Think you have carpal tunnel? Complimentary self-test


Already know you have carpal tunel? This Quiz tells you its severity


Here's what carpal tunnel stretching exercises will do for you:

  1. Loosen & break up adhesions (caused by over-work) around tendons.
  2. Increase blood circulation in and around your wrist joint.
  3. Facilitate fluid drainage from inside your carpal tunnel space.

Below are 4 core carpal tunnel stretches you absolutely must do to attack symptoms. Doctors cannot emphasize how crucial they are to attacking carpal tunnel syndrome at its source.


The end result is that your tendons are able to glide more smoothly. That means less inflammation and strain while moving your fingers. This is why these these 4 core carpal tunnel stretching exercises must be a daily part of every carpal tunnel treatment.


The small investment of a few minutes per day for these stretches has an amazing payoff. These stretches can actually prevent you from getting carpal tunnel in the first place. And if you already have symptoms, they can eliminate them. 

Important Tips Before You Begin

  • Perform each of the 4 core stretching exercise consecutively.


  • Perform 1 repetition of each stretch before going on to the next one.


  • Perform them at least every 2-3 hours.


  • If you're straining you hand and fingers (e.g., while typing) stop every 30 minutes and perform the stretches.


  • After each individual stretch, drop your hands to your sides and shake them out vigorously for 5 seconds. A warm feeling in your fingers and hands means blood is flowing through them.

4 Core carpal tunnel stretching exercises

1. Finger Interlace Stretch

finger interlace stretch for carpal tunnel

It's important that all carpal tunnel stretches allow your fingers to move through a wide range of motion. One of the motions best suited to do this requires bending your fingers backward. This stretches the tendons inside the hand and the carpal tunnel space deep inside your wrist joint. 

  1. Interlace your fingers and lock your hands together. 
  2. Next, rotate and push both palms outward and away from you. 
  3. Then hold this position for 5 seconds. 
  4. Relax, shake out hour hands, and repeat this carpal tunnel stretch one more time.

2. Stop Stretch

This exercise is ideal for stretching the tendons from your fingers through your wrist joint. You will feel it the most at the base of your hand and your forearm.

  1. First, hold one hand up, fingers upward, around face-high. For example, pretend you’re making a "Stop!" gesture. 
  2. Then with the opposite hand, reach up and pull your fingers backward. 
  3. Hold this position for 5 seconds, then relax, and shake out your hands. 
  4. Repeat this carpal tunnel stretch once again.

3. Prayer Stretch

Another carpal tunnel stretch should include this forearm exercise. The tendons in your forearm travel from the arm muscles, through the carpal tunnel (inside your wrist joint) and into your hand and fingers. That’s a long way for them to go. As a result, it also requires a lot of stretching. This exercise will do it.

  1. Start by putting both hands in a "praying" position. In other words, put both palms and fingers together, pointing upward. Keep them close to your chest. 
  2. Then, while maintaining both palms together and at the same level, slowly raise both elbows. This will stretch tendons throughout your forearm and even to your fingers. 
  3. Hold this position for 10 seconds and then relax. Drop both hands at your sides and shake them out vigorously for 5 seconds.
  4. Repeat once again. 

4. Thumb Stretch

thumb stretch for carpal tunnel

All stretching exercises for carpal tunnel syndrome should always include working and stretching your thumb. The thumb is the most affected finger in carpal tunnel, so pay attention to it separately.

  1. You’ll get effective results if you just rotate your thumb like a helicopter blade. 
  2. Do this several times. Then switch direction. 
  3. When you finish, pull your thumb gently and slowly backward. 
  4. Hold this position for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat once. Switch hands and repeat the stretch.

Summary

These stretching exercises may sound like a big commitment, but they become routine very fast. And they have an amazing payoff. For carpal tunnel prevention, they are the single most important thing you can do for your hands. That is, doing these stretching exercises can actually prevent you from getting this condition in the first place. And if you already have mild symptoms, the stretching exercises can eliminate them. But if you have moderate or severe symptoms you'll probably require other therapies in addition to the stretches.

Share by: