Relieve Wrist Pain with these 5 MOVES in 7 DAYS!
When there is pain in the wrist, many people think that by just giving the wrist some rest, the pain will slowly go away. While it might initially help, neglecting the source of the pain will only lead to more problems in the future, especially if it is a reoccurring issue.
The wrist joint is a gliding joint, where smooth surfaces slip over one another and therefore making this a weak joint, to begin with. Eight smaller bones connect the five hand bones (metacarpals) to the two forearm bones (radius and ulna). Having pain on the pinkie side of the wrist is more common (also known as ulnar wrist pain) and usually, it occurs after an injury to bones, cartilage, ligaments, or tendons. However, due to the many parts in this “pinkie” side of the wrist, it is often challenging to pinpoint the exact cause of ulnar wrist pain. It is also very easy to damage the wrist, thus resulting in both pain and restricted wrist and hand function.
What are the CAUSES?
Some of the causes include –
- Repetitive Motion – Fine hand movements that cause the hands to do the same things, even simply by staying in the same position for a prolonged duration can lead to irritation of the wrist joints. E.g. Typing on the keyboard continuously for many hours.
- Physical Impact – A sudden trauma such as falling and supporting the weight on the wrist or having something drop on the wrist.
- Ganglion Cysts – These are benign tumors that grow on the wrists and press on the nerve.
- Arthritis – This can be a condition of Osteoarthritis which is most often caused by wear and tear of the cartilage over the years or Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the healthy body organs.
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – This occurs when there is additional pressure on the median nerve passing through the carpal tunnel.
What are the SYMPTOMS?
Some of the symptoms include –
- Pain on the “pinkie” side of the wrist with any movement
- Clicking or popping sensation with rotation movement
- A decline in grip strength
- Decreased or limited mobility
Many who suffer from chronic wrist pain find it difficult to manage the constant pain and the loss of mobility. And that leads to frustration as the ability to get things done is greatly slowed down and productivity is largely reduced. Furthermore, many of our jobs today require us to use a keyboard which results in repetitive stress to the wrist joints and thus makes these joints very vulnerable. Since the wrist is structurally not as stable as the other joints, stretching and strengthening the muscles around the wrists will keep the wrists flexible and strong and help minimize injuries.
With these 5 simple Yoga Moves, we aim to improve the range of movements by promoting blood circulation and nerve innervations to the joints and thus, gradually reducing the pain and increasing mobility once again.
And NOW, let us present to you our 5 YOGA MOVES, done 15 mins/ day for the next 7 days, and we PROMISE the PAIN will be GREATLY MINIMISED.
MOVE #1 (Wrist Stretch Variation 1)
Come onto your fours with the right palms face down and left palms to face up (with fingers pointing towards your knees). With an inhale and exhale, slowly shift the hips back (towards the heels) to feel a nice stretch in the left wrist. Feel free to bend the left elbow slightly if the stretch is too intense. Repeat on the right wrist.
MOVE #2 (Wrist Strengthener Variation 1)
Sit up tall and place a tennis ball in each palm. Inhale and exhale, spread the fingers wide and grip the tennis ball with all the strength from the wrist and hold the grip for 10 counts. Next, inhale and exhale, and release the grip. And repeat a few more times.
MOVE #3 (Wrist Stretch Variation 2)
Sit up tall and extend your left hand out, with the palm facing up. Point the fingers towards the ground, and you may feel some stretch on the wrist. Next, use the right fingers to grip the left thumb (below the hand) and gently pull the thumb towards the body. Hold this stretch for 10 counts. And repeat on the right hand.
MOVE #4 (Plank Variation)
Come onto your fours and consciously lean your weight onto the hands to bear some weight on the wrist. Inhale and exhale, and slowly extend the left leg towards the back and bear more weight on the wrist. If this variation is simple, you can try to lift the right knee and extend it towards the back, into a full plank pose. Hold this pose for 5-10 counts. And repeat 2-3 more times.
MOVE #5 (Wrist Stretch Variation 3)
Come onto your fours with the right palms face down and left palms turned inwards (with fingers pointing towards your knees and wrist facing away). With an inhale and exhale, slowly shift the hips back (towards the heels) to feel a nice stretch in the front of the left wrist. Feel free to bend the left elbow slightly if the stretch is too intense. Repeat on the right wrist.
In addition to what was mentioned above, our day-to-day posture is also very important to promote hand health and prevent or reduce pain.
A tip for all: One should try to relax your shoulders while typing away. (For more stretches on the shoulders, you could refer to our previous article on Neck & Shoulders Pain). Another tip will be to not be sedentary and change your body position every few hours.
We understand that whenever there is pain or discomfort, the last thing we want to do is to move for the worry of causing more pain. With the practice of mindful breathing and synchronization of the breaths with movements, WE ASSURE YOU that you will see improvements in your mobility and strength in your wrist.
GO ON and try these 5 YOGA MOVES for 7 CONSECUTIVE DAYS and feel free to share your experience with US! Tag us in a Facebook/ Instagram post or share this article with more friends and family who are going through similar pain.
We look forward to walking alongside you as you gradually resume the routines of your life WITHOUT ANY PAIN OR DISCOMFORT!
