Pain Management

Try out These Exercises for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Say Goodbye to Nagging Pain

Why Should You Choose Exercises for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

It is hard to say what causes carpal tunnel syndrome, but 9 out of 10 Americans suffer from this. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a syndrome where the median nerve in your hand gets compressed. The palm of your hand is where the median nerve is located. This nerve enables the thumb, index finger, middle finger to feel or sense anything.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome usually presents itself with symptoms of swelling and pain caused by obstruction of blood flow. Diabetes, thyroid, high bp are few conditions that aggravate the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

You can treat this condition by opting for medication, surgery, or try out these easy exercises for carpal tunnel syndrome. Which are they? Let’s find out.

Did You Know

  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused by one single nerve called the ‘median nerve.’
  • Texting on the phone or typing too much can also be a cause or trigger the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is not a very serious nerve condition, but if not treated on time, it can cause permanent damage to your hand.
  • This condition affects millions of people all around the world.
  • Being overweight can also make you suffer from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. You might as well consider hitting the gym.
  • Exercise for carpal tunnel is the best way out of this condition.

Exercises to Treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Mentioned below are physical therapy exercises(1) for carpal tunnel.

1. Shake your Hand

The name says it all. If you experience pain, numbing sensation in your hands, shake your hands for a minute to get immediate relief.

2. Squeeze a Ball

Take a ball and hold it using the palm. Use your fingers and thumbs to strengthen while holding the ball.

If you don’t have a ball, you can also use a towel that can be squeezed.

3. Wrist exercises for Carpal Tunnel

Rest your forearm on the table where the hand is placed at the edge of the table. Bend your wrist facing downwards and then upwards and repeat for ten counts.

This exercise improves the flexibility of your wrist and alleviates the pain caused by the median nerve.

4. Flexing your Wrist

Hold the palm with one hand, and push the hand downwards holding a dumbbell in a way that stretches the top of your wrist.

Repeat this every day. Stretch the forearm muscles, and see how flexible they become.

[Also Read: Relieve Carpal Tunnel Naturally]

5. Make a Fan with Your Fist

Image: ShutterStock

Close your fingers into a fist. Now, stretch all your fingers out. Repeat ten times.

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6. Palm Rotation

Use all your fingers to close them into a fist. Now rotate the wrist in a clockwise direction ten times and then in an anti-clockwise direction.

7. Hand Exercises for Carpal Tunnel

Sit on a chair and extend your forearm. The palm must be kept straight, and the fingers must be facing the wall. Once you feel the stretch, hold it for 1 minute.

Then take each finger (that’s facing the wall) gently and pull them upwards so that they face the ceiling.

This stretch is very effective in treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

  • Place your hands together in a prayer position. Spread the fingers and then stretch them. This helps in stretching the palmar fascia, median nerve, and the Carpal tunnel structures.

[Read: Acupuncture of Carpal Tunnel]

Mentioned Below Are the Exercises to Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

This Syndrome can be prevented by following the right lifestyle. Also, treat underlying diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, arthritis (if any) can reduce your risk of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. If you’re overweight, work on losing the excess weight first. However, you might want to lose that extra weight the right way. If you have a typing job, stretch your fingers once in a while to prevent yourself from this condition.

Also, pay extra attention to your hand posture, and avoid any activity that puts extra pressure on your wrists.

Physical therapy exercises for Carpal Tunnel syndrome work the best.

The Dos and Don’ts of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome-

Dos

  1. Do all the stretches regularly.
  2. Do use cold packs when in immense pain.

[Read: Essential Oils for Carpal Tunnel]

Don’ts

  1. Don’t use your hands to type for too long. This exerts immense pressure on the median nerve.
  2. Don’t resort to corticosteroids and medications.
  3. Don’t skip your exercise routine.

Choosing to treat the syndrome using natural methods, exercises, and lifestyle changes are more effective in the long run. Pay extra attention to your posture while you exercise and maintain a regularity to avoid the occurring of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.


FAQs

1. Does Massage Help Carpal Tunnel?

Massage therapy for carpal tunnel is the most cost-efficient and effective long term treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. It treats the inflammation, pain, and numbness by softening and lengthening the muscles and fascia of the neck, upper arm, elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand.

2. What Vitamin Is Good for Carpal Tunnel?

You can use vitamin B6 for carpal tunnel syndrome. Vitamin B6\(100 to 200 mg daily for 12 weeks) has proved curative for a large percentage of patients having carpal tunnel syndrome.