14. Wrist Resistance
Best Exercises for Carpal Tunnel
Carpal tunnel syndrome causes uncomfortable tingling, numbing, and weakness in the wrists and hands. Too much compression of the median nerve in the wrists causes this syndrome.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is more common among women than men. The reasons for that aren’t clear. It can happen during pregnancy, and in those cases, it usually goes away after the pregnancy.
Some medical conditions, including diabetes, obesity, and rheumatoid arthritis, may make carpal tunnel syndrome more likely.
Certain exercises may help people with minor to moderate cases improve their symptoms and avoid carpal tunnel surgery. These exercises have the strongest effect when you also get other nonsurgical treatment options, like changing the action that led to the syndrome or wearing wrist splints. Carpal tunnel exercises are also sometimes recommended after carpal tunnel surgery to prevent internal scarring.
These exercises may not be easy at first, but they shouldn’t be painful. If they hurt, back off or stop completely and let your health care provider know. If you’re unsure about whether to do these exercises, ask your doctor.
Carpal Tunnel Exercises
1. Wrist Rotations
Rotate your wrists by moving only your hands up, down, left, and right. Repeat up to four times.
2. Finger Stretch
Stretch your fingers wide and then relax them, and repeat up to four times.
3. Thumb Stretch
Using your opposite hand, push your thumb backward until you feel a gentle stretch. Repeat up to four times.
4. Prayer Stretch
- Put your hands together under your chin in a prayer position.
- Push your hands down to your waist until you feel a moderate stretch. Hold for up to 30 seconds. Repeat between two and four times.
5. Wrist Flexor Stretch
Some experts recommend doing this stretch a few times each day. You may want to do it before any activity that tends to make your carpal tunnel symptoms worse.
- Hold your hand out in front of you, with the palm face-up.
- Bend your hand back towards the floor, stretching the palm side of the wrist.
- Use your other hand to bend your hand back even more, deepening the stretch. Hold for up to 30 seconds. Repeat on each hand between two and four times.
6. Wrist Extensor Stretch
Experts also recommend doing this exercise a few times each day, especially before activities that tend to worsen your carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Hold your hand out in front of you, with the palm face down.
- Bend your hand forward towards the floor, stretching the back of the wrist.
- Use the other hand to bend your hand forward even more, intensifying the stretch, and hold for up to 30 seconds. Repeat on each hand between two and four times.
7. Medial Nerve Glide
You may want to use mild heat for 15 minutes before this stretch. After, use an ice pack for 20 minutes. This will help prevent swelling. Hold each step of this exercise for between 3 and 7 seconds.
- Make a fist.
- Extend your fingers, keeping your thumb close to your fingers.
- Bend your hand backwards, towards your arm.
- Keeping your hand in that position, extend your thumb away from your fingers.
- Turn your forearm so your hand is palm up.
- Use your other hand to pull your thumb back, deepening the stretch. Repeat 10-15 times per day.
8. Tendon Glides: Type One
You may want to use mild heat for 15 minutes before this exercise, and ice or cold for 20 minutes after. Hold each of these poses for 3 seconds.
- Hold your hand up in front of you, straightening all fingers.
- Curl your fingers with your knuckles pointing up. Your fingers will be in a hook shape.
- Curl your fingers further, making a tight fist. Do this five to 10 times. Repeat a few times each day.
9. Tendon Glides: Type Two
Use heat on your wrist and hand for 15 minutes before doing this one as well. Ice it for 20 minutes after. Hold each position for 3 seconds.
- Hold your hand up in front of you, straightening all your fingers.
- Make your hand into a tabletop by bending your fingers at a 90-degree angle.
- Continue bending your fingers, bringing your fingertips to the bottom of the palm.
10. Shake It Out
This simple exercise is especially useful at night, when your symptoms can be worse. If you wake up with pain or numbness, shake your hands out to get some relief.
11. Fist to Stop Sign
- Make a fist.
- Slide your fingers up until they point toward the ceiling, like you’re telling someone to stop.
- Repeat five to 10 times.
12. Thumb Touches
- One at a time, touch the tip of each finger to the tip of your thumb so they make an O-shape.
- Repeat a few times.
13. Basic Wrist Stretches
- Sit down at a table.
- Rest your elbow and arm on the table and let your wrist hang over the side, palm of your hand facing up.
- Start with your hand in a straight, neutral position.
- Bend your hand toward you so your fingers point up toward the ceiling.
- Hold for 5 seconds.
- Return to a straight, neutral position.
- Bend your hand away from you so your fingers point down toward the floor.
- Hold for 5 seconds.
- Return to a straight, neutral position.
- Repeat 10 times.
- Do this up to three times a day.
14. Wrist Resistance
- Sit down at a table.
- Rest your forearm, wrist, and hand on the table, with your palm facing down. Use the hand and wrist affected by carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Lay your other hand across the knuckles at a 90-degree angle, so your hands make a plus sign.
- Lift your bottom hand up but resist with your top one. You’ll feel this in the muscles of your forearm.
- Repeat a few times a day.
15. Wrist Curls
- Sit or stand for this one.
- Get a 1-pound weight or a can of beans.
- With your elbows at your side, lift your forearm so your arm makes an L-shape. Your forearm should be parallel to the floor.
- Start with your wrist straight and neutral, palm with the weight facing down.
- Bend your wrist up.
- Return to a straight, neutral position.
- Repeat 10 times.
- Do this up to three times a day.
16. Hand Grip Exercises
- Squeeze a pair of balled-up socks or a soft rubber ball.
- Hold for 5 seconds.
- Repeat 10 times.
- Do this up to three times a day.
Safety Considerations
A gentle pulling feeling is OK, but you should not feel any sharp pain when performing these exercises. If you do feel a sharp pain, stop doing that exercise immediately and contact your doctor or physical therapist.
Show Sources
Mayo Clinic: “Carpal tunnel syndrome,” “Carpal tunnel exercises: Can they relieve symptoms?”
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons: “Therapeutic Exercise Program for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.”
My Health Alberta: “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Exercises.”
PubMed: “Exercise and mobilisation interventions for carpal tunnel syndrome,” “The comparative effectiveness of combined lumbrical muscle splints and stretches on symptoms and function in carpal tunnel syndrome.”
U.S. National Library of Medicine: “Efficacy of tendon and nerve gliding exercises for carpal tunnel syndrome: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.”
Arthritis Research UK: “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.”
National Health Service, University Hospital Southampton: “Carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy.”
National Health Service, Oxford University Hospitals: “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.”
Eastern Washington University: “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.”
Arthritis Foundation: “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Relief.”
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Exercises
Your healthcare provider may recommend exercises to help you heal. Talk to your healthcare provider or physical therapist about which exercises will best help you and how to do them correctly and safely.
- Wrist range of motion
- Flexion: Gently bend your wrist forward. Hold for 5 seconds. Do 2 sets of 15.
- Extension: Gently bend your wrist backward. Hold this position 5 seconds. Do 2 sets of 15.
- Side to side: Gently move your wrist from side to side (a handshake motion). Hold for 5 seconds in each direction. Do 2 sets of 15.
- Wrist stretch: Press the back of the hand on your injured side with your other hand to help bend your wrist. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Next, stretch the hand back by pressing the fingers in a backward direction. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Keep the arm on your injured side straight during this exercise. Do 3 sets.
- Mid-trap exercise: Lie on your stomach on a firm surface and place a folded pillow underneath your chest. Place your arms out straight to your sides with your elbows straight and thumbs toward the ceiling. Slowly raise your arms toward the ceiling as you squeeze your shoulder blades together. Lower slowly. Do 3 sets of 15. As the exercise gets easier to do, hold soup cans or small weights in your hands.
- Pectoralis stretch: Stand in an open doorway or corner with both hands slightly above your head on the door frame or wall. Slowly lean forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your shoulders. Hold 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
- Scalene stretch: Sit or stand and clasp both hands behind your back. Lower your left shoulder and tilt your head toward the right until you feel a stretch. Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds and then come back to the starting position. Then lower your right shoulder and tilt your head toward the left. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times on each side.
- Thoracic extension: Sit in a chair and clasp both arms behind your head. Gently arch backward and look up toward the ceiling. Repeat 10 times. Do this several times each day.
- Scapular squeeze: While sitting or standing with your arms by your sides, squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold for 5 seconds. Do 2 sets of 15.
- Wrist extension: Hold a soup can or small weight in your hand with your palm facing down. Slowly bend your wrist up. Slowly lower the weight down into the starting position. Do 2 sets of 15. Gradually increase the weight of the object you are holding.
- Shoulder abduction: Stand with your arms at your sides. Rest your palms against your sides. Hold a 2 to 4-pound (1 to 2 kilogram) weight in each hand. Keeping your arms straight, lift your arms out to the side and toward the ceiling. Hold this position for 5 seconds and then slowly bring your arms down. Do 2 sets of 8 to 12.
- Tendon glide: Start with the fingers of your hand held out straight. Gently bend the middle joints of your fingers down toward your upper palm. Hold for 5 seconds. Do 2 sets of 15.
Developed by RelayHealth.
Adult Advisor 2015.1 published by RelayHealth.
Last modified: 2014-06-03
Last reviewed: 2014-05-07
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information is intended to inform and educate and is not a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.
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