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Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a painful condition that can make your hands and wrists feel numb and tingly. If you're like most people with CTS, the pain can get so bad that it keeps you up at night. Certain exercises can help strengthen your arms, wrists, and hands to relieve the pain of CTS and give these muscles a chance to rest so they can heal.
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What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
The carpal tunnel is a narrow tunnel made of tough tissue in your wrist. The median nerve runs through it. When the median nerve gets compressed, you have what's known as carpal tunnel syndrome.
CTS is most commonly found in people who do the same hand movements repeatedly for long periods of time—such as people whose jobs require pinching or gripping with their wrist held bent.
Think about people who use hand tools, like jackhammers; or those who play musical instruments, such as pianos or violins; or people who spend a lot of time using computers and cell phones to scroll on those devices.
Best Exercises for Carpal Tunnel
Exercises for carpal tunnel syndrome should be done slowly and softly. Stop doing them if they hurt you or make your symptoms worse.
1) Wrist Extensions
Wrist extensions are a great way to stretch the muscles in your inside forearm. To complete the wrist extension exercise, follow these steps.
To do this exercise:
- Hold your left arm straight at shoulder height, then bend your left wrist backwards so that you feel a mild stretch in your inner forearm.
- Hold this position for 15 seconds, release, and repeat 5 times with the right arm.
2) Thumb Flexion
This is a very basic (but effective) stretch that should be performed multiple times per day.
To do this exercise:
- With your palm facing up, rest your forearm and hand on a table.
- Bend your thumb across your palm until the base of your little finger is touched. Hold the position for six seconds before releasing it.
- Switch hands after 8 to 12 repetitions of the motion.
3) Ball Squeeze
Squeezing the ball has been shown in studies to increase heart rate and oxygen levels in the brain. As a result, your heart will pump more rapidly, improving blood circulation.
To do this movement:
- In your right hand, hold the ball.
- Release the ball after 5 seconds of squeezing it.
- Rep 10 times for a total of three sets.
- Rep using your left hand.
4) Weighted Wrist Stretch
Putting on a set of wrist weights before going for a brisk walk around the park may not improve your appearance, but these simple accessories can quickly make your workout more challenging.
To do this exercise:
- Extend your right arm straight, palm facing down while holding the weight in your right hand.
- Bring your hand up and back slowly, bending your wrist.
- Return to your original starting position.
- Repeat for three sets of ten repetitions.
- Repeat with the other hand.
- Stop immediately if you feel any pain while doing this workout.
5) Wrist Flexion
Stretching your wrists has several health benefits, including activating muscles and increasing blood flow. Stretching your wrists can help stimulate the muscles in your forearm and hand and enhance blood flow to the area.
To do this exercise:
- Lift your right arm up to shoulder height in front of you.
- Bend your wrist with your right palm pointing down.
- Pull the bent hand toward the body with your left hand. A mild stretch in the outer forearm should be felt.
- For 15 seconds, hold the stretch.
- Rep the stretch five times more.
- Switch to the left arm and repeat.
6) Tendon Glides
The tendons in the carpal tunnel are stretched during this workout. The use of splint and tendon gliding exercises has been shown to help with carpal tunnel syndrome in various studies.
To do tendon glides:
- Bend your right elbow to the point where the forearm is straight up.
- Straighten out your fingers and thumb so that they are all pointing straight up.
- To construct a hook, bend the tops of the fingers.
- Make a tight fist with your fingers and thumb on top.
- Each stance should be held for 3 seconds.
7) Median Nerve Glide
Nerve flossing is a moderate stretching exercise for inflamed nerves. This can help them increase their range of motion while also reducing pain. It's also known as neural gliding or nerve gliding.
To do median nerve glide exercise:
- Make a fist and keep your thumb on the outside.
- Stretch your fingers and thumb out, uncurling them.
- Extend your thumb to the side after bending your hand back toward the forearm.
- Apply pressure to the thumb with your other hand.
- Hold each position for a total of 5 seconds.
- On the other hand, release, and repeat.
Takeaway
Exercises like these can go a long way to helping you regain some of the mobility lost due to carpal tunnel syndrome.
If you have an active lifestyle, your symptoms may take some time to improve, but why not start now? Start by trying out each exercise every other day and build up to every day as you feel more comfortable. It will all build towards making a difference in your recovery.
