The carpal tunnel is a passageway through the bone in the wrist just wide enough to accommodate the tendons, blood vessels and medial nerve. It's a perfect fit -- that is, until you strain the wrist, often by repeating the same motion over and over. Even minor tissue swelling resulting from a repetitive motion injury like carpal tunnel syndrome, puts pressure on the medial nerve and causes pain and numbness.
Basics
Any muscle in the body that extends an arm, leg, finger or any other body part is loosely referred to as an extensor. The muscles in the wrist that allow you to keep the wrist extended for long periods, as they are when you are typing all day, are called extensors. Stretching these muscles to help rehab an injury is called an extensor exercise.
Wrist Extensor Stretch
Extensor exercises require no special equipment, and you can do them in a space just large enough for you extended arm. Begin the basic wrist extensor stretch by extending your arm in front of you, perpendicular to your body and parallel to the floor. Turn your palm to the ceiling then use your other hand to pull downward and back on the outstretched fingers. You should feel the tension right away, so don't overdo it. While you hold the stretch, your palm is facing away from you and your fingers are pointing toward the floor. Hold the position for 10 seconds, release and repeat the stretch five times.
Wrist and Finger Stretch
Extend your arm in front of you, perpendicular to your body and parallel to the floor like in the wrist extensor stretch, but align your arm so your palm faces the floor. Place your other hand over the top of the extended hand and slowly curl the fingers around, making a fist out of the injured hand. As you close the non-injured hand around the injured hand, pull back slightly toward your body. If you are enclosing your right hand with your left hand, this gentle pull comes back toward your body and slightly toward the left. Hold the position for 10 seconds, release then repeat the stretch five times.
Wrist Curls
From a seated position, rest your forearms on your thighs, palms facing upward. Relax the muscles in your wrist so that your hands hand down toward the floor over your knees. Curl the wrist upward and back toward your body, keeping your forearms firmly planted on your thighs. The motion is the same as a wrist curl with barbells, only without weights. Flex the muscles as you move the wrist slowly all the way up and all the way down.
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