We have magnificent bodies that were created to move in all kinds of
ways. But, too often, we stop moving in all of these ways. When we
only use some of our muscles, and not all of them, we get pain
symptoms like carpal tunnel syndrome.
Our muscles are telling us: “Hey! Use me! Make me feel good again! If you don’t, then I’m going to give you grief!” (Translation from muscle-speak: “I’m going to give you carpal tunnel pain! How about some numbness, too? Hey? Hey?”)
If you’re working with your hands curled up most of the day, give your
muscles a gift. Move them. A lot. Many times a day.
Move them in the opposite direction of their usual position.
You probably already know that you have a ‘tunnel’ in each wrist. This is the carpal tunnel. It is made up of carpal bones on three sides. That’s how the ‘carpal tunnel’ got the name.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome means you have uncomfortable symptoms around your carpal tunnel–your wrist. This is often caused by tight, out-of-balance muscles in your hand and arm. Those muscles pull on joints and need to be released or relaxed.
How can you relax the muscles around your hand and arm to reduce your carpal tunnel symptoms?
There are simple stretches you can do.
The good news is you can start them right away and do them often. They don’t require any special equipment.
What is the position that you usually hold your hands in? Are your fingers curled toward your palms? (Well, yes, that is about the only way we can do a lot of things, isn’t it?)
The stretches you do are to move your fingers away from your palms.
Open your hands, spread your fingers and thumb, and s-t-r-e-t-c-h.
Whoa! How does that feel?
If you have more pain or numbness at any time while you are doing these stretches, stop! That might not be an appropriate stretch for you. Try some of the others, instead.
On the other hand, if you simply notice tightness or stretching, you’re on the right track!
So, do that simple carpal tunnel stretch with your palms
facing the floor. Do it with your palms facing each other. And, do it with your palms facing the ceiling. Do it with your elbows straight. Do it with your elbows bent and held close to your waist.
Can you do it overhead with straight elbows?
Stretch with your wrist straight (no bend at the wrist.) Then stretch up with your hands bent back at the wrist. Now, stretch down with your straight hand (palm and fingers with no bend.)
Curl your fingers lightly into your palms. Flex your wrists in both directions. Do you feel the stretches in the muscles of your lower arm?
Shoulder shrugs, rotating your fingers, hands or arms in comfortable circles, and other movements can help, too.
All of this movement is helping warm and relax the tight muscles around your carpal tunnel. These are all muscles that have become shortened or tight because they weren’t being used in all of the different ways they were made to be used.
When your muscles relax, all of the other soft tissue that passes through your carpal tunnel can move easier. The nerves and blood vessels in your carpal tunnel will have less pressure on them.
Your muscles will thank you by getting rid of your carpal tunnel symptoms.
And that’s a very good thing.
“Because You Deserve to Feel Better!”