Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Exercises from Middle GA’s Only Hand Specialists

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a common repetitive motion injury that causes pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in a patient’s hand or arm. The symptoms of this condition, caused by excessive pressure on the median nerve, can be relieved with the proper medical care from an orthopedic hand specialist and with special exercises, including wrist stretches, nerve glides, prayer stretches, and other practices that help reduce the inflammation of CTS.

Affecting anywhere from 1% to 5% of the adult population in the US, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common repetitive motion injuries and one of the most painful. Patients with CTS experience pain, numbness, and tingling, along with loss of grip strength and an inability to pinch.

Fortunately, there is help. The Hand Center at OrthoGeorgia fields Middle Georgia’s top certified hand specialists and offers decades of experience to help you regain full use of your hands. With a range of treatment options, we can reduce or eliminate the symptoms of CTS.

In this article, we’re looking at the nature and causes of carpal tunnel syndrome and sharing a few exercises that may help you enjoy a more pain-free life.

Our Hand Specialists Explain Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Your hands and wrists are tightly connected structures of bone, muscle, ligament, cartilage, and tendons, all connected to your brain through a number of nerves. One such nerve, the median nerve, controls your hand’s ability to flex and grip things, especially “pinch” grips.

The median nerve enters your hand through the carpal tunnel – an opening in the wrist between the carpal bones at the bottom of the wrist and a ligament known as the transverse carpal ligament. When pressure is placed on the median nerve by a constriction of the carpal tunnel or some other cause, the result is carpal tunnel syndrome.

Causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

• Some people have smaller carpal tunnels and are more susceptible to CTS
• The tunnel may become smaller due to arthritis or an injury
• Inflammation from an orthopedic injury like a sprain or a strain can cause swelling in the carpal tunnel

The most common cause of carpal tunnel syndrome is repetitive motion injury. This injury is caused by using the hands to make regular, repetitive motions, such as typing or gripping heavy objects, without a break for long periods of time. Sustained repetitive motion leads to inflammation in the involved joints, which leads directly to CTS.

How Do Hand Specialists Treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Treating CTS is a multi-step process. In most cases, your hand specialist will first try to reduce your symptoms through non-invasive measures. If these steps resolve the issue, then making a few lifestyle changes and regularly exercising your hands and wrists should keep you symptom-free.

• Splinting the hand can stabilize the wrist and reduce nerve irritation.
• Anti-inflammatory drugs help reduce swelling and other inflammation, easing symptoms.
• Changing your working conditions, such as using an ergonomic keyboard or finding healthier ways to carry heavy objects, can help reduce CTS symptoms.
• Regular exercise of the hands and wrists helps prevent recurrences of carpal tunnel syndrome.

If these non-invasive treatments don’t bring relief, carpal tunnel syndrome surgery is an outpatient procedure that can be performed via open surgery or a minimally invasive endoscopic method. Either way, it is a low-risk procedure with a high success rate.

Our Hand Specialists Share Effective CTS Exercises

Whether your carpal tunnel syndrome is still flaring up or if it’s mostly under control, one thing remains the same: careful exercise of your hands and wrists will strengthen muscles and improve the flexibility of connective tissues, reducing the chance of future recurrences. Here are some of our favorites:

Note: You should always check with your OrthoGeorgia hand specialist before performing any therapeutic exercise. Stop if stretches cause an increase in pain.

Wrist Rotations

Rotate your wrists up, down, left, and right, being careful not to overstretch your hand. Repeat four times.

Finger Stretches

Open your fingers as widely as possible, hold for a second, and then relax. Repeat four times.

Prayer Stretch

Put your palms together under your chin as though you’re praying. Slowly push your hands downward towards your waist until you can feel a moderate stretch. Hold for 30 seconds; repeat 2-4 times.

Wrist Flexor Stretches

Hold your arm out in front with your palm outward, like you’re making a “stop” gesture. Using your other hand, gently pull your hand back towards your face until you feel a moderate stretch. Hold for 30 seconds, then release.

Median Nerve Glide

Note: Applying heat for about 15 minutes prior to the stretch and following the stretch with 20 minutes of an ice pack can help make the exercise more comfortable and more effective.

• This exercise involves a series of “poses” – hold each pose for 3-7 seconds
• Pose 1: Make a fist. Hold, then relax.
• Pose 2: Extend your fingers as if you were about to raise your hand. Keep your thumb tight against your index finger.
• Pose 3: Using your other hand, bend your hand backward towards your arm. Hold, then relax.
• Pose 4: Extend your thumb away from your finger.
• Pose 5: Turn your arm and flatten it so that your hand is palm-up.
• Pose 6: Use your other hand to pull your thumb back until you feel a deep stretch. Hold, then relax.
• Repeat the entire nerve glide 10-15 times per day

Turn to OrthoGeorgia’s Hand Specialists for CTS Care

For more than 60 years, OrthoGeorgia’s team has included Middle Georgia’s only fellowship trained certified hand surgeons in our dedicated hand center. Our team of physicians are the region’s leading experts on carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive motion injuries and inflammation conditions.

In addition, OrthoGeorgia has an occupational therapy team with decades of experience treating conditions of the hand and wrist. Our Certified Hand Therapists are rehab specialists who work in conjunction with our five hand surgeons to provide the most comprehensive care possible for CTS.

When local teacher Nancy Scouten began experiencing CTS symptoms, her doctors referred her to OrthoGeorgia. See Nancy’s story here.

Don’t Let CTS Cause You To Lose Your Grip! Call Us at (478) 745-4206 Today!

Disclaimer: The information contained within this material is intended for informational purposes only. No material in this content is intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, treatment, or advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other healthcare provider with questions regarding your medical conditions and treatment options.