Will your carpal tunnel pain go away if you strengthen your hands?
Actually, part (or all) of the reason that you have pain in your wrists and hands may be because of muscle imbalance. That means that some of your muscles are stronger and some (usually on the opposite side) are weaker.
Since you usually hold your hands in a closed or semi-closed position, the muscles on the palm side of your hand tend to get short (and tight.) The muscles on the other side of your hand tend to become stretched and lose tone.
Strengthening your hands will keep the muscles
on the palm side of your arm short. That is NOT the effect you want. You are after muscular balance all the way around your arm.
Body builders who hold their hands in bent positions when they are lifting weights can also get hand and wrist/carpal tunnel pain. But those who keep their wrists straight and work all sides of their arms equally do not tend to get pain.
How can you get balanced muscles?
1. You can massage ALL of them, either yourself or professionally. (See the “Massage Category” here.)
2. You can stretch the tighter, shorter muscles on the palm side of your arm.
The reason that physical therapy often fails is because it tries to strengthen muscles before they have been returned to their neutral positions. Once the muscles in your hands and arms are “neutralized” with massage or stretching only then it is time to begin a strengthening program to get rid of your carpal tunnel pain.
And remember: You want to strengthen ALL of your arm muscles on all sides. Balanced muscles = no more carpal tunnel pain. 🙂