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Exercises for RSI of Wrist

Repetitive strain injuries, or RSIs, occur when muscles and joints perform the same tasks repeatedly. Such injuries are most common among people who work at keyboards or on assembly lines, but anyone can develop an RSI. Perhaps the most notorious RSI is carpal tunnel syndrome, a compression of nerves in the wrist that results in numbness, tingling, pain and weakness in the hands. Advanced RSIs may require surgery, but for sufferers in the early stages, a number of wrist exercises can help prevent further damage.

  1. Wrist Pivots

    • This exercise, developed by noted carpal tunnel researcher Dr. Houshang Seradge, is designed to put the wrists through a full range of motion. Stand with your arms straight in front of you, palms down. Moving only at your wrists, pivot your hands upward so they form a roughly 90-degree angle with your arms. (It should look as if you are trying to push someone away.) Lower your hands to the flat starting position, palms down. Now make a tight fist with both hands. Again moving only the wrists, pivot your fisted hands downward. You'll feel a tug in the tops of your forearms. Hold this position for a count of five. Finally, straighten your hands again and relax your fingers for a count of five.

    Forearm Stretch

    • This exercise loosens the muscles through the forearm and wrist. Hold your arms straight in front of you, palms down. Flip your arms so the palms are facing up. Moving only at the wrist, bend one hand so the fingertips are pointing toward the floor. With your other hand, grasp the fingers of the bent hand and pull them toward your body. Pull only until you feel discomfort. Hold for a second or two, then release. Repeat with the other hand. Shake out both hands.

    Standing Desk Press

    • Stand at a desk or table. Place your hands flat on the top, with the fingertips pointing at each other, and press downward. You should feel a tug at the back of your wrists. Hold for five seconds. The farther apart you place your hands, the greater the stretch.

    Finger Pulls

    • This one's easy. Just give a slow, gentle outward tug on each of your fingers. You may feel or even hear a pop. Doing this a few times each day will, as Men's Fitness magazine says cheerily, "keep your carpal tunnels computer-fit."

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