Combat Carpal Tunnel With These Exercises

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition that causes pain, numbness and tingling in the hand and arm. Each year, millions of people in the U.S. and around the world are affected by carpal tunnel.

What Is Carpal Tunnel?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the result of compression of the median nerve where it passes over the carpal bones through a passage at the front of the wrist, alongside the flexor tendons of the hand. If the median nerve gets compressed, it can cause the symptoms we associate with carpal tunnel syndrome, including hand or wrist pain.

There is no single cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. Factors like your anatomy, health problems and injuries can all increase the risk of irritation or damage to the median nerve.

Will Carpal Tunnel Go Away?

Carpal tunnel tends to be a degenerative condition, which means its symptoms begin slowly and get worse over time. If you address it early, you can have success slowing carpal tunnel or correcting it entirely.

Many people use support items, such as a carpal tunnel brace to help relieve their symptoms. There are also carpal tunnel stretches and exercises that are simple and do not require equipment.

Try These Carpal Tunnel Exercises

These exercises can be performed easily at your desk, while relaxing at home or whenever you have a minute to spare.

• The Shake
  • o Simply shake your hands as if they’ve just been washed, and you are trying to air dry them.
    • This is especially useful at night when hand pain can be worse.
• Fist Fan
  • First, make a fist. Then, while in a fist position, attempt to fan your fingers out as far as you can. Repeat this 5-10 times with each hand.
• Wrist Extension Stretch
  • Straighten your arm out in front of you and bend back your wrist like you are asking someone to “stop.” Repeat this 5-10 times with each arm.

• Wrist Lift
  • Place your palm on the table and lift the fingers up. Place your other hand across the knuckles at a 90-degree angle and push down as your bottom hand attempts to pull up. If you are doing it properly, you should feel the muscles of your forearms contracting. Repeat this with the hands swapped.

• Wrist Flex
  • With your arm straight out and your palm facing down, gently bend your wrist down. With your opposite hand, press the stretched hand back towards your body. Hold this for 15-30 seconds. Repeat five times, then perform this stretch on the other arm.

There are many other exercises that can be performed to help treat carpal tunnel but remember to start slowly and see how your hand responds. If you are experiencing hand or wrist pain, take a break.

What If Exercises Don’t Help My Carpal Tunnel?

If you think you are experiencing carpal tunnel syndrome and home exercises are not helping, you should call your doctor. They can work with you to diagnose any underlying causes, such as an underactive thyroid or arthritis. A doctor can also work with you to explore treatment options, including corticosteroid injections or carpal tunnel surgery.

Click here to see a list of centers and their contact information so that you can return to a pain-free life.