Many people experience wrist pain due to the strain on their wrists. Unfortunately, most people do not perform stretches to help prevent wrist pain. This discomfort is preventable with some simple stretches and exercises that can be done throughout the day or before/after a workout session.
Read on to discover 6 different stretches and a few bonus strengthening exercises you should try this week.
Table of Contents
What Are the Causes of Wrist Pain?
Wrist pain is a common issue that can be caused by a variety of things, such as overuse, arthritis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Depending on your work environment and the martial arts you train in will also determine wrist pain and soreness.
Pain in the wrist can also be a result of an injury, such as a sprain or fracture. If you are experiencing wrist pain from an injury, it is important to get proper medical attention to identify the cause and treat it properly.
What Are the Symptoms of Wrist Pain?
Symptoms of wrist pain can vary depending on the cause, but some common ones include throbbing, aching, and burning sensations. You may also experience difficulty gripping objects. Post-workout soreness or repetitive stress soreness is pretty common depending on workout intensity or martial arts training.
Additionally, you may experience severe pain, swelling, or tingling in your fingers. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to see a doctor in order to determine the cause and get proper treatment.
How Can You Prevent Wrist Pain?
Wrist, forearm, and finger stretches help to prevent pain by promoting flexibility and range of motion in the joints and muscles. Stretching can help to prevent injuries by warming up the muscles and joints before activity.
Moreover, wrist stretches should be done regularly, especially if you are prone to wrist pain by working on a computer or by repetition of an activity.
You can also use pain relief products. I’ve had pretty good results with this Copper Wrist Brace by Dr. Arthritis. It also comes with a little wrist pain relief handbook. There are also other types of braces if you need different coverage.
Maintain Proper Posture
It is important to maintain good posture and alignment when performing any activity that involves using your wrists. This includes activities such as typing on a computer keyboard or using a mouse.
Make sure that your wrists are in a neutral position and avoid excessive bending or twisting. Use an ergonomic keyboard and mouse if possible. If you are doing an activity that requires repetitive motions, take breaks often to prevent strain on the wrist joint.
What Stretches or Exercises Can Prevent Wrist Pain?
There are a variety of stretches and exercises that can prevent wrist pain from occurring. Let’s start with the wrist stretches.
Wrist Stretches
- Pronation/Supination: This exercise helps to strengthen the muscles and ligaments around the wrist joint. Start by holding your arm out in front of you with your palm facing down. Gently bend your wrist back and forth, alternating between a palm-down and palm-up position. Repeat this 10 times and then switch sides.
- Wrist circles: This exercise helps to stretch and strengthen the muscles and ligaments around the wrist joint. Start by holding your arm out in front of you with your palm facing down. Make small circles with your wrist, going both clockwise and counterclockwise. Repeat this 10 times and then switch sides.
- Wrist Extension/ Forearm Stretch: This stretch helps to stretch the muscles and tendons in the forearm. To do this stretch, extend your arm in front of you with your palm facing down. Use your other hand to pull your wrist back towards you until you feel a stretch in your forearm. Hold this position for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.
- Wrist Flexion: This stretch helps to stretch the muscles and tendons in the forearm. To do this stretch, extend your arm in front of you with your palm facing up. Use your other hand to bend your wrist back until you feel a stretch in your forearm. Hold this position for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.
- Finger Extension: This exercise helps to strengthen the muscles in the fingers. To do this exercise, extend your arm in front of you with your palm facing down. Use your other hand to pull your fingers back towards you until you feel a resistance in your fingers. Hold this position for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.
- Finger Flexion: This exercise helps to strengthen the muscles in the fingers. To do this exercise, extend your arm in front of you with your palm facing up. Use your other hand to bend your fingers back until you feel a resistance in your fingers. Hold this position for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.
The video below shows the wrist stretches in a bit of a different way but still hits all the main points. Check it out.
Wrist Strengthening Exercises
Another preventative measure that can be taken is to strengthen the muscles and joints around the wrist. This can be done by performing exercises such as wrist curls and reverse wrist curls.
- Wrist Curl: This exercise helps to strengthen the muscles in the forearm. To do this exercise, sit with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place a light dumbbell in your hand and let it hang down at arm’s length. Slowly bend your wrist back as far as you can and then return to the starting position. Repeat this 10 times and then switch hands.
- Reverse Wrist Curl: This exercise helps to strengthen the muscles in the forearm. To do this exercise, sit with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place a light dumbbell in your hand and let it hang down at arm’s length. Slowly bend your wrist forward as far as you can and then return to the starting position. Repeat this 10 times and then switch hands.
- Bonus – Wrist Stretch With a Towel: This stretch is simple and can be done anywhere and works way more than it appears it would. Start by holding one end of a towel in your right hand. Wrap the towel around your left hand, and grab the other end of the towel with your left hand. Gently pull the towel with both hands until you feel a stretch in your wrist. Hold this position for 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side.
The video below shows an example wrist strengthening routine to bulletproof your wrists. Check it out.
Conclusion
While wrist pain can be caused by many different repetitions of overexertion, there are preventative measures that can be taken to help avoid pain or injury. These include stretching and strengthening exercises, as well as avoiding activities that put unnecessary stress on the wrist joint.
By doing these exercises regularly, you can help prevent wrist pain from occurring or reoccurring in the future.
However, if you continue to experience wrist pain, be sure to see a doctor and/or physical therapist to determine the cause, rule out any serious underlying conditions, and get proper treatment.