Before we get into Carpal Tunnel Exercises, you should know the causes of this debilitating problem. Carpal tunnel is cause by swelling of the nerves in the carpal tunnel. This can be caused by numerous things. The main cause is repetitive actions like typing or anything that uses your hands for more than thirty minutes at a time. This can cause pain, numbness and tingling in your hands and fingers.
There are quite a few exercises that can reverse or stop the symptoms. The exercises help uncompress the primary nerves that run along the bones. It will also help to stretch out the muscles in the affected area that also cause the swelling. When it is in the early stages it is very easy to stop, but when its in advanced stages it can be more difficult. Early stage symptoms can be stop as soon as two weeks, and when its in the advanced stages it could take up to six months.
When you have carpal tunnel symptoms a doctor will usually recommend anti-inflammatory drugs to help the pain. While this does help the pain it does nothing to stop the symptoms. You should use these exercises to stop the cause of the pain. I will list a few of the exercises you can do to help stop the pain.
The Exercises
1. Flex your wrist: You want to begin with having your fingers straight. Close your fist and then return to the open hand position. Hold each position for several seconds, and do this for 10 repetitions. You should do this three to five times a day.
2. Glide your median nerve: First make a fist, and then straighten out your fingers and thumb. You will then bend your wrist back, and carefully use your other hand to pull your thumb away from your palm. You will need to maintain the positions for five seconds, and do five repetitions. Do this three to five times a day.
The two exercises listed above should help you decrease your symptoms. It may take a few weeks before you notice a great improvement. It is also important to take note that there are a lot of other exercises that can be very helpful. The more hand exercises you can do the better your symptoms will get. You can also use shoulder and neck exercises to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome.