Rubber bands are cheap and easily available, making them convenient and ideal tools for treating carpal tunnel. Rubber band exercises, however, are just some of the carpal tunnel exercises you can do. Stretching exercises for the fingers and forearms, strengthening exercises with free weights and gripping exercises with squeeze balls are other options. All of these exercises, including rubber band exercises, will only give you moderate success and only if performed as part of a treatment program that also includes splints, cortisol injections and activity modification, according to MayoClinic.com.
Dr. Fuller's Rubber Band Exercise
The rubber band exercise is recommended by Dr. Scott Fuller, a chiropractor with Fuller Chiropractic in Massachusetts. You can perform this exercise with an average-sized rubber band. Start with one rubber band and wrap it around the top, or distal, parts of your fingers. Bring your fingertips together and then open your fingers to get them as far away from each other as you can. The rubber band will provide resistance. Then, bring your fingertips slowly back toward each other but stop at a place where the band is still taut. Use two rubber bands once the resistance isn't enough for you to feel like your working hard.
Fuller recommends that you bring rubber bands with you wherever you go so that you can do this exercise anywhere, including in the car, and adjust the tension as needed by adding or taking away bands. He advises sets of 10 repetitions for this exercise.
Finger Extensions
The finger extensions exercise is a rubber band exercise for carpal tunnel recommended by Drugs.com. You can use a thick rubber band for this exercise. To perform finger extensions, hold one arm up with your elbow bent so that your palm faces you. Point your fingers and thumb toward the ceiling. Wrap the rubber band around the outside of your fingertips. Then, spread your fingers wide apart slowly and slowly return them to the starting position. Your fingers remain pointing straight upwards throughout the exercise. Perform 40 reps of finger extensions.
Rubber Band Extensions
The rubber band extensions is an exercise recommended by Hand Health Resources. You can use a rubber band like you'd find on produce, such as what holds together your favorite veggies like broccoli. To do rubber band extensions, place a rubber band around the middle of the fingers of both your hands so there is mild tension in the band. Bend your arms to 90 degree angles and tuck them against your sides. Standing works best for this exercise. Next, press against the rubber band to open your hands. Close your hands again back to the point of mild tension.
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