Carpal tunnel syndrome causes uncomfortable tingling, numbing, and weakness in your wrists and hands. It's caused by too much compression of the median nerve in your wrists. It's more common in women, but the reason isn't clear. It can happen during pregnancy, but it usually goes away after delivery.
Some medical conditions, including diabetes, obesity, and rheumatoid arthritis, may increase your risk for carpal tunnel syndrome.
Certain exercises may help your symptoms improve if your carpal tunnel syndrome is minor to moderate. These exercises have the strongest effect when you also change what led to the syndrome or you wear a wrist splint. These exercises are also sometimes recommended after carpal tunnel surgery to prevent internal scarring. They may not be easy at first, but they shouldn't be painful. If they hurt, back off or stop completely, and let your doctor know.
Carpal Tunnel Exercises
Some simple exercises that may help relieve pressure on your median nerve and lessen your symptoms are:
Wrist rotations. Rotate your wrists by moving only your hands up, down, left, and right. Repeat up to four times.
Finger stretches. Stretch your fingers wide and then relax them. Repeat up to four times.
Thumb stretches. Using your opposite hand, push your thumb backward until you feel a gentle stretch. Repeat up to four times.
Prayer stretches. Put your hands together under your chin in a prayer position. Keeping palms together, and lower them to your waist until you feel a moderate stretch. Hold for up to 30 seconds. Repeat two to four times.
Wrist flexor stretches. Some experts recommend doing these a few times each day. Try them before activities that tend to make your carpal tunnel symptoms worse. To do these, hold your hand out in front of you, with the palm face up. Drop your hand back toward 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 two to four times.
Wrist extensor stretches. Like the wrist flexor stretches, these help most when done a few times each day, before activities that tend to worsen your carpal tunnel syndrome. Start by holding your hand out in front of you, with the palm face down. Drop your hand forward toward the floor, stretching the back of your wrist. Use your other hand to bend your hand forward even more, intensifying the stretch, and hold for up to 30 seconds. Repeat on each hand two to four times.
Tendon glides. Try mild heat for 15 minutes before this exercise and ice or cold for 20 minutes after. Hold each of these poses for three seconds. There are two types:
Type one:
- Hold your hand up in front of you, straightening all fingers.
- Curl your fingers, trying to bend from one knuckle at a time until you make a full fist.
- Do this 5-10 times. Repeat a few times each day.
Type two:
- Hold your hand up in front of you, straightening all your fingers.
- Keeping your fingers straight, bend at the first knuckles making an “L” between your hand and fingers.
- Continue bending your fingers from the first knuckles, bringing your fingers to your palm.
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.
Fist to stop sign. With your arms straight in front of you, make a fist. Open up your fingers up until they point toward the ceiling, like you're telling someone to stop. Repeat 5-10 times.
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.
Basic wrist stretches. Sit at a table, resting your elbow and arm on the table, letting your wrist hang over the side, with your palm 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 five seconds. Return to a straight, neutral position. Bend your hand away from you so your fingers point down toward the floor. Hold for five seconds. Return to a straight, neutral position. Repeat this 10 times, up to three times a day.
Wrist resistance. Sit at a table, resting your forearm and wrist on the table, with your hand off the edge and your palm facing down. 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.
Wrist curls. Your can sit or stand,with 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. Keeping your forearm parallel to floor, allow your hand to drop down toward floor. Lift again. Return to a straight, neutral position. Repeat this 10 times, up to three times a day.
Hand grip. Squeeze a pair of balled-up socks or a soft rubber ball. Hold for five seconds. Repeat this 10 times, up to three times a day.
Benefits of Stretches and Gliding Routines
Stretches and gliding routines can help lower pressure on your median nerve, improve your wrist mobility, andease your symptomsof carpal tunnel syndrome.
How They Help
Nerve glides gently move your median nerve, restoring its "slide" and reducing irritation. Tendon glides help your tendons glide through the carpal tunnel, decreasing stiffness that can crowd the nerve.
Wrist flexion/extension stretches lengthen your forearm muscles, relieving tension on your nerve. They can help improve your range of motion and grip, allowing you to do daily activities such as typing or grasping items without flare-ups.
Key Benefits
These exercises can help your carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms by:
- Reducing your nerve compression
- Improving your mobility
- Lessening your pain
- Making it possible to grip and do other tasks
- Helping prevent stiffness
Safety Considerations
A mild tingle or gentle pulling feeling is OK, but you shouldn't feel sharp pain when doing these exercises. If you do feel sharp pain, stop doing that exercise immediately and contact your surgeon or physical therapist.
Takeaways
Carpal tunnel exercises — mainly nerve and tendon gliding movements — help mobilize the median nerve within your carpal tunnel. This can reduce pressure and ease symptoms such as tingling and numbness, especially in mild-to-moderate cases. They're most effective when done consistently and paired with ergonomic changes and nighttime splinting. But they fall short on their own for more advanced cases with constant numbness or weakness.
FAQs
Can exercises make carpal tunnel worse?
Yes, exercises can sometimes make carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) worse, depending on the type, timing, and severity of your condition.
How long does it take for carpal tunnel exercises to show results?
It varies a lot and depends on how serious your symptoms are. Generally, mild cases show improvement with exercises in two to four weeks, moderate cases take 8-12 weeks, and severe cases don't improve with exercise alone.
Should I wear a wrist splint while doing carpal tunnel exercises?
Generally, no. Most hand therapists recommend doing the exercises without the splint. Instead, they suggest wearing the splint before and after exercise sessions and especially at night.
How often should I do carpal tunnel exercises throughout the workday?
Every one to two hours, with breaks every 20-30 minutes.
