If you have ever experienced any wrist injuries or pain, you know how difficult it can be to perform many yoga poses. Wrist injuries and pain develop for many reasons, include working on the computer all day, doing the poses incorrectly or not having enough strength and flexibility to perform the poses that require you to put your body weight on your wrists. As a yoga student, you must let the instructor know that a certain pose hurts your wrist and take appropriate modifications.
Functions of the Wrist
The wrist is composed of eight small muscles that extend, rotate, abduct, adduct and flex the fingers and wrist. Extending the wrist, when the fingers are pulled up towards the ceiling, is typically the movement that causes students to have pain in the wrists. Typing on the computer, writing and other day-to-day activities cause us to extend our wrists often. But only a few activities happen with a flexed wrist, when the fingers are pulled down toward the floor. The imbalance between using the wrist in different positions causes a loss of range of motion and an imbalance in the wrist muscles, which can cause pain when getting into a yoga pose that requires the wrist to hold your body weight.
Pose Variations
Don't be afraid to do a different pose than other students to ease the pressure on your wrists. Common poses that can cause pain in the wrists are downward-facing dog, upward-facing dog and high plank, because they require you to place your wrists in complete extension and hold your body weight up. Each of these poses can be done on your forearms, taking away all pressure on your wrists. Focus on alignment and make adjustments while you are in the pose.
Props
Weak muscles and inflexibility can cause wrist pain. Students can use props to help reduce pain and slowly build enough strength and flexibility to do the pose on their own. Start with a bar to do poses such as downward-facing dog until your shoulders and calves have developed flexibility. Without the flexibility, students often place all their weight on their wrists, instead of distributing it through the upper and lower body. Yoga blocks are another prop that can help take the pressure off the wrists by reducing sharp angles that are required in certain poses, such as the plank pose. Blankets can be used as extra cushioning under the hands.
Wrist Exercises
A good way to reduce wrist pain is to do wrist flexion exercises throughout the day. Start with your arm and hand in one straight line. Bend your hand down at the wrist and point your fingers down toward the floor. For a deeper stretch, push your fingers down further by placing pressure on your back of your hand with your other hand. Another exercise that can help strengthen the wrist is to make a fist and roll the wrist around in circles.
Yoga Class Tips
Take each pose slowly and listen to your body. If you feel any pain, back out of the stretch and find a modification or a different pose. For poses that require you to put your body weight over your wrists, spread your fingers wide to help distribute the weight evenly.
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