Stretches to Help Carpel Tunnel or Wrist Pain

With so many of us working from home now, I figured carpel tunnel syndrome or just wrist pain in general would be a condition I should cover here. I am excited to share some knowledge I have about carpel tunnel with you and give you some tools to help if you experience wrist pain in the future.

Disclaimer* I am not a doctor, I am a licensed massage therapist and am sharing knowledge and stretches to help with conditions in the body. It is always important to consult with a doctor if you are worried about any pain or symptoms you have. Massage is an amazing relaxation and healing technique but not a substitute for seeing your doctor for medical conditions*

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? Well first you need to understand the anatomy of the wrist. When you are looking down at the palm side of your wrist, directly in the center there is a tunnel between your bones called the carpel tunnel. Stemming from your spine above your shoulder is the medial nerve, which runs all the way down your arm through that carpal tunnel. This is the nerve that is being impinged when you have carpal tunnel syndrome. As this nerve is compressed or impinged it can cause numbness, tingling, pain or weakness in your hand. Does this conditions name make a little more sense now?

What Causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? There are two types of carpal tunnel Syndrome; one that is functional, meaning your tight muscles or tendons are the problem. Stretching, massage and heat can be very effective in helping to "open" up the area around your carpal tunnel to help relive tension. The other is structural, meaning your carpal bones are shaped in a way that the carpal tunnel is not big enough for everything that needs to to fit through it. Stretching, heat and massage can be helpful but consulting with your doctor if pain persists in either case is a good idea to help give you the best prolonged solutions.

#1 Wrist Extension Stretch: Straighten your arm, hold your fingers with your opposite hand and lightly pull down. You can externally rotate (point the palm of your had away from your body) to get a deeper stretch. Be sure to stretch both wrists in order to keep your body balanced.

#2 Spiders doing Pull-ups on a Mirror: Keep your fingers spread apart and tips touching. Go from pinching to prayer position with fingers down to help stretch and gain mobility in the wrists.

#3 Texters Thumb Stretch: Hold your arm out, fingers extended and thumb up. Tuck your thumb into your fist. Flex your wrists toward the ground like you're pulling your thumb down. be sure to stretch on both sides.

#4 Self Massage: With your palm facing up, use the thumb your other hand to massage the anterior ( or palm side) of the wrist, on top of the carpel tunnel. Massage first towards your fingers then up towards your elbow.

#5 Shake it out: Do some jazz hands and spirit fingers to help get the blood flowing to your hands.

Remember to always thank your body for all the amazing things it does for you everyday! I hope these carpal tunnel stretches find you well and give you just a little more freedom in your wrists!

Signing off for today, Kayleigh Weber over at Kayleigh Weber Massage and Bodywork