The wrist extensor tendons connect muscles in the forearm to bones in the hand and help control movement in the hand and wrist. Repetitive movements, sports and heavy lifting can cause pain or injury to the tendons. Performing stretches specifically designed for the wrist extensor tendons and the muscles in the forearm can keep you flexible and help prevent injury.
Warm Up
It's important to keep the blood flowing well through your arms and wrists. Start warming up by raising your hands to chest height and shaking them gently. Keep your wrists loose and shake as if you have water on your hands and want to air dry them. Gently shaking out your hands often while you are working at a computer decreases your chance of getting carpal tunnel syndrome, according to the Ergocise website. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in which pressure on the main nerve leading to the hand causes pain and weakness. Curl your hands into fists and circle them in one direction, then the other to increase circulation.
Flex and Extend
Flexing and extending your forearm and wrist is the most common stretch and can be performed with or without support. If you have pain, rest your forearm on a chair arm or table with your hand hanging over the edge. If you are able, hold your arm straight out in front of you and lift your hand, bending at the wrist, going back as far as is comfortable. Then bend the wrist in the other direction with the fingers pointing toward the floor. With your fingers still pointing down, rotate your hand so your palm is facing away from you. You can use your other hand to pull on your fingers to lengthen the stretches.
Side Stretch
Support your forearm on a table or desk with your wrist hanging free. Holding your hand out flat, bend your wrist to the right and then to the left. Do the stretch 10 times, going as far as is comfortable without experiencing pain. If this does not provide enough of a stretch, curl your other hand around your fingers to gently push the hand until you feel the stretch.
Hands and Fingers
Stretching the hands and fingers is particularly helpful if you suffer from intersection syndrome, a condition in which the tissue covering the tendons becomes inflamed. Sit with your arm supported and your palm up. Stretch your thumb out and away from your hand then back in across the palm. Repeat the movement 10 times for each hand. Holding your arm out in front of you, make a fist as if you are holding a small ball, then open your hand as if you are releasing it, stretching the fingers out as far as possible.
References
- St. Croix Orthopaedics: A Patient's Guide to Intersection Syndrome
- PhysioAdvisor.com: Wrist Stretches
- Dr. Ben Kim: How to Keep Your Elbows, Forearms, and Wrists Healthy
- Merck Manual: Lateral Epicondylitis: Exercises to Strengthen the Wrist Extensors
- Ergocise.com: Wrists
- MayoClinic.com: Video: Forearm Stretches for the Office
