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Wrist Motion Therapy Exercises

Wrist injuries can stem from many different sources. Whether you are an athlete with a muscle strain, or simply suffer from a common overuse injury like carpal tunnel syndrome, physical therapy can help heal and strengthen your wrist. You can perform a variety of exercises to help speed up the recovery process and gain strength in your wrist.

  1. Wrist Stretch

    • Hold your arms straight out in front of you. Grab your injured wrist hand around the fingers with your other hand. Gently push your wrist down as far as it will go without any pain. Hold the position for 10 seconds. Turn your hand over so that your palm faces the sky. Hold onto your fingers with your other hand again. Pull down gently as far as you can without pain. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Let go and rest for 30 seconds. Repeat the exercise three times in each direction.

    Grip Strengthening Exercise

    • Place a rubber ball in the palm of your hand (a racquetball works great). Squeeze the ball and hold tightly for 20 to 30 seconds. Relax your hand, then repeat. Repeat this exercise 20 times. Once your wrist and hand builds some endurance, start alternating between squeezing and relaxing (pumping) your hand for 30-second intervals. This exercise will help strengthen the base of your wrist.

    Thumb Walk

    • Hold your wrist straight out in front of you. Form an "O" shape with your thumb and index finger, then release your thumb. Continue making the "O" shape with your thumb and each finger of your hand. Spread your fingers wide before moving to the next finger. Perform 10 repetitions per finger, then rest for 30 seconds. Do 10 sets of this exercise.

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