Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Strengthening Exercises

Carpal tunnel syndrome usually takes some time to recover which is a common thing with injuries. However, stretching and strengthening exercises delivers a faster result on the injured part of your body. Stretching is great for preventing the return of future injuries on the same spot as it builds and provides more mass to the muscle tissues. Strengthening on the other hand restores back the lost strength of the muscles due to the time they were left immobilized and weak.

There are a variety of strengthening exercises for carpal tunnel syndrome. In fact, you can choose from these which you can use in your program. Schedule a consultation with your doctor and bring up the exercises that you wish to use for your strengthening program. In case your doctor does not allow these exercises as a part of your workout, you can always search for appropriate ones through the Internet. Most doctors have their own set of exercises which they can give to you as a part of your strengthening program.

Strengthening exercises usually begin after you had received a stretching program. Most likely, your wrists are now free from pain and discomfort which allows you to carry lighter weights or loads with your hands. Do not start the strengthening program on your own without a go signal from the doctor, physician, or physical therapist to avoid bigger and additional problems in the long run.

• Isometric Exercises – these types of exercises involves no movement during the workout program. However they are very effective in building strength on your wrists. The main goal of these is to provide muscle resistance while under contractions which is very important in restoring the strength of the affected areas of the body. The good thing about these types of stationary exercises is that they are very basic and can be understood by any average individual. They can also be done while sitting, standing, and lying down. All you need to do is to do a fist with the injured hand and place the other hand on top of the fisted one near the knuckles. Try to move your affected wrist by bending it backwards while the other hand is trying to resist the movement. The other hand will act as a resistance while the affected hand contracts and tries to push its way up. Hold for a few seconds while you are feeling a slight shock when pushing backwards. Repeat the same process for 5 times a day and gradually increase the number of repetitions and hold time with every progress.

• Concentric Exercises – these exercises share the same goal with isometric exercises although they include movement during the process. The most common concentric exercise used for strengthening the wrist is by using a dumbbell. It is done while the forearm is lying on a bench for support as you move your wrist up and down with the dumbbell. Do not rush with the exercise as a slow paced and properly executed method is much better in terms of results. Repeat the process for 3x a day and gradually increase depending on your progress.