3 Tips for healthy wrists and hands

The more sedentary your lifestyle, the more prone to injury you become because you are not stretching and working your body as you should. This is true for wrists and hands too, which a large section of the American population often uses for working all day typing in front of computers. Regardless of whether or not you work at a computer, wrists and hands are some of the least likely body parts to be massaged and exercised frequently, meaning they could use some extra TLC. Luckily, it is relatively easy to give your hands and wrists the extra attention they need with massages, stretches, and more. Our orthopedic surgeon in Deland recommends the following tips for keeping your wrists and hands healthy.

Hand and wrist massage

It is no secret that you cannot reach all of your body parts to give yourself a full-body massage, but luckily your wrists and hands are easy to work on. If you are experiencing wrist or hand pain, consult a physician to find out the best course of treatment. Otherwise, try to massage your wrists and hands once or twice a week or anytime you experience soreness. Try gently massaging all surfaces of wrists and hands, including the sides of your wrists,  spaces between fingers and thumbs, and palms of your hands.

Take breaks periodically

Your wrists are probably overworked if you are typing at a desk all day long, especially if you do not use an ergonomic keyboard that allows your wrists to rest more naturally during typing. Give your wrists and hands a break at least once an hour and do some simple stretches and wrist rotations.

Stretching

When you think about stretches, you probably think of your arms and legs, forgetting that your wrists and hands need an opportunity for relaxation and rejuvenation too. There are various stretching exercises for wrists and hands. Still, the following series of stretches are easy to use anytime and anywhere, including in bed before sleeping, at work, or while brewing a pot of coffee.

• Stretch out your fingers, face down, so that your palms are as wide open as possible. Then, spread your fingers as wide apart as you can.
• Turn your hands over. Keep your fingers outstretched and flex your wrists toward the floor.
• Use your right hand for deepening your left wrist’s extension, pulling your fingers downward. Repeat on the right hand.
• Relax all of your fingers. Turn your hands over so that your palms face the floor and stretch your fingers out as wide as they will go again.
• This time, flex your wrists upward with your fingers facing the sky.
• Use your right hand to deepen your left wrist’s extension by pulling your fingers toward your body. Repeat with your right hand.
• End your stretching session with thumb rotations. Don’t forget to rotate your thumbs in both directions!

These are just a few tips for healthy wrists and hands. If you are suffering from carpal tunnel or other hand and wrist conditions, contact your physician right away. And when you need an orthopedic surgeon in Deland, we are here to help. Contact us today for more information.