Tips to reduce wrist pain

During yoga practices,  often we feel pain in hands and wrists. The improper positioning of the hands on the mats can result in hand  and wrist pain.

It is very important to understand how to perform and hold a pose during yoga. Till we get used for poses one can feel pain in wrist often during yoga practices.

To reduce pain, hold hands on the mat properly and do few routine wrist exercises as below (see images too).

When you must hold your hand pressed against the mat – like in downward dog use this technique

1. How to keep palm against mat? Imaging your palm as suction pump and use palms in such a way that it supports you to hold the pose but not getting strained. Follow this technique as shown in the image.

• Firmly plug the pink color areas to the mat
• Press the areas in blue color into the mat
• Avoid collapsing your weight in the area in red color
• Middle yellow area should be used as a suction that helps to lift body upwards

2. Wrist rotation: Before moving onto shavasana or corpse pose bring both your palms together and form a lotus using palms by touching both wrists. Then rotate the wrists by keeping them together. When your wrists touch from the back, place the backs of both of your hands together and hold the wrists in forced flexion for a full minute. This gives gentle massage to wrists and helps to reduce any inflammation in the wrists.
3. Make a fist and rotate your hands – from the wrist in one direction. Repeat these 10 times. Switch directions and repeat 10 times. Release hands and with open fingers repeat the wrist rotation exercise on both direction.
4. Wrist stretches: Hold the palm in your hand and push your hand downward to create stretch in top of the wrist. Turn your forearm inwards at the elbow joint to create extra stretch to the wrists. It increases strength of the wrist and reduces pain too. Similarly straighten the hand and hold the palm upwards and pull the fingers slowly towards your  body. Repeat this few times.
5. Wrist extension and flexion: Place your arm on a table on a rolled-up towel for padding. Your hand should be hanging off the edge of the table and palm should face down. Now, move the hand upward for a gentle stretch. Bring back hand to neutral position. Repeat the same motion with elbow bent at your side while palm facing up.
6. Finger and hand exercise: Extend the fingers straight out and then make hook using fingers. Then straighten the hands. Now, make a full fist and return to straight hand. Last step, make a straight fist and hold it for few seconds and release. Repeat these four steps again – Straight fingers, hook, full fist and straight fist. Hold each step for few seconds.
7. Wrist supination/pronation: Stand or sit straight with your arm at your side with the elbow bent to 90 degrees, palm facing down. Rotate your forearm, so that your palm faces up and then down. This gives stretch to wrist and forearm.
8. Applying coconut oil: Warm coconut oil and apply to your wrists and hands. Give gentle massage to your fingers. Coconut oil helps in bringing down the inflammation and helps to reduce the pain.
9. Hot and cold pack: If the pain is due to inflammation of hands and wrists, keep a hot pack for few minutes followed by cold pack.

All these helps increases mobility of wrists and strengthens the wrist and hands. You can perform these exercises after weight lifting or any other body work classes.

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References:

• https://www.health.harvard.edu
• http://selfhealingonline.com
• rehabmypatient.com