Stretches to Prevent Carpel Tunnel Syndrome or Ease the Pain!

      Carpel Tunnel Syndrome is a condition when the median nerve is compressed in your wrist. Symptoms of Carpel Tunnel Syndrome can be numbness in your fingers, tingling or general hand weakness. “carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway located on the palm side of your wrist. This tunnel protects a main nerve to your hand and the nine tendons that bend your fingers” (Mayoclinic). Carpel Tunnel Syndrome can arise because of incorrect posture, over use of your hands, fracture or injury of the wrist and an improper work station setup. If you work at a computer all day make sure you are ergonomically setup. This will help prevent pain in the wrist but also the neck, shoulder, back etc. Your forearms should be parallel to the ground with your elbows at a 90 degree angle. Another tip if you work at a computer all day is to take a break every 30 minutes and if you forget to take a break set a timer on your desk :-). Stretch your wrist out, get some water and allow your hands to relax for a minute. If you have injured your wrist in the past you may want to consider a wrist splint to wear at night while you’re sleeping or during the day to help stabilize the muscles in a neutral position. By wearing a splint it will help you avoid over extending or flexing the wrist which can flare up the carpel tunnel and give you unwanted symptoms. If you notice taking breaks at work and the stretches only alleviate a percentage of the pain or symptoms but not all of the pain, go get a physical examination from a health professional and see what the next best step is for you! The two pictures are wrist stretches that can help prevent Carpel Tunnel Syndrome and ease the pain. Hold each stretch for about 30 seconds each 3 times and take care of your wrists! 🙂