Therapeutic Exercise for Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
Length of program: This exercise program for carpal tunnel syndrome should be continued for 3 to 4 weeks, unless otherwise specified by your doctor or physical therapist. After your recovery, these exercises can be continued as a maintenance program.
Flexibility: Strengthening the muscles that you strengthen is important for restoring range of motion and preventing injury. Gently stretching after strengthening exercises can help reduce muscle soreness.
If you’re in too much pain to even think about activity, rest and ice until you feel better. Then attempt stretching and strengthening.
- Before you start to stretch, warm your muscles up with some light cardio, like brisk walking, for 10 to 15 minutes. The longer you can devote to stretching, the better you’ll feel and the easier the exercises will be.
- Stretch every day if you can, and aim to do the strength exercises 2 to 3 times a week.
Do not ignore pain: You should not feel pain during an exercise. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist if you have any pain while exercising.
Ask questions: If you are not sure how to do an exercise, or how often to do it, contact your doctor or physical therapist.
Getting Started
Warm up: Before doing the following exercises, warm up with 5 to 10 minutes of low impact activity, like walking or riding a stationary bicycle.
Stretch: After the warm-up, do the stretching exercises shown on Page 1 before moving on to the strengthening exercises. When you have completed the strengthening exercises, repeat the stretching exercises to end the program.
Therapeutic Exercise Program for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Wrist Extension Stretch
Step-by-step directions
- Straighten your arm and bend your wrist back as if signaling someone to “stop.”
- Use your opposite hand to apply gentle pressure across the palm and pull it toward you until you feel a stretch on the inside of your forearm.
- Hold the stretch for 15 seconds.
- Repeat 5 times, then perform this stretch on the other arm.
Tip Do not lock your elbow.
Equipment needed: None
Repetitions: 5 reps,
4x a day
Days Per Week: 5 to 7
Additional instructions: This stretch should be done throughout the day, especially before activity.
After recovery, this stretch should be included as part of a warm-up to activities that involve gripping, such as gardening, tennis, and golf.
Wrist Flexion Stretch
Step-by-step directions
• Straighten your arm with your palm facing down and bend your wrist so that your fingers point down.
• Gently pull your hand toward your body until you feel a stretch on the outside of your forearm.
• Hold the stretch for 15 seconds.
• Repeat 5 times, then perform this stretch on the other arm.
Equipment needed: None
Additional instructions: This stretch should be done throughout the day, especially before activity.
After recovery, this stretch should be included as part of a warm-up to activities that involve gripping.
Medial Nerve Glides
Step-by-step directions
• Make a fist with your thumb outside your fingers (1)
• Extend your fingers while keeping your thumb close to the side of your hand (2)
• Keep your fingers straight and extend your wrist (bend your hand backward toward your forearm) (3)
• Keep your fingers and wrist in position and extend your thumb (4)
• Keep your fingers, wrist, and thumb extended and turn your forearm palm up (5)
• Keep your fingers, wrist, and thumb extended and use your other hand to gently stretch the thumb (6)
Equipment needed: None
Additional instructions: Apply heat to your hand for 15 minutes before performing these exercises.
After completing the exercises, apply a bag of crushed ice or frozen peas to your hand for 20 minutes to prevent inflammation. Hold each position below for 3 to 7 seconds.
Tip Do not put too much pressure on your thumb in position 6.
Tendon Glides
Step-by-step directions for Series A
• With your hand in front of you and your wrist straight, fully straighten all of your fingers (1)
• Bend the tips of your fingers into the “hook” position with your knuckles pointing up (2)
• Make a tight fist with your thumb over your fingers (3)
Tip These movements may cause a gentle pulling, but should not cause increased pain.
Repetitions
5 – 10 reps,
2 to 3x a day
Step-by-step directions for Series B
• With your hand in front of you and your wrist straight,
fully straighten all of your fingers (1)
• Make a “tabletop” with your fingers by bending at your
bottom knuckle and keeping the fingers straight (2)
• Bend your fingers at the middle joint, touching your fingers to your palm (3)
Equipment needed: None
Additional instructions: Apply heat to your hand for 15 minutes before performing these exercises.
After completing the exercises, apply a bag of crushed ice or frozen peas to your hand for
20 minutes to prevent inflammation.
Two series of tendon gliding exercises are provided here. Follow these general instructions for both
series:
• Proceed from position 1 through 3 in sequence
• Hold each position for 3 seconds
• As the exercises become easier to complete, increase the number of repetitions, or how many times per day you do
them
There are few stretches which you can do before doing Gym exercises
Safety and Precautions
If you have any shoulder instability due to rotator cuff tears, tendinitis, arthritis, or feel any pain or instability, do not do shoulder stretches until you have discussed it with your doctor.
