Why Carpal Tunnel Exercises Provide Relief
Hi, it’s Coach Cathy. My first position as a therapist on the Eastern Shore Maryland taught me the value of stretching tight arm muscles. Salisbury was home to Perdue Chicken. Pulling chicken carcasses along an assembly line, plucking feathers and chopping parts created a disproportionate number of hand and wrists problems. I was working with two neurology doctors who evaluated workers with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome symptoms. Stretching was an integral part of recovery.
Will carpal tunnel exercises relieve stress in my arms and hands?
Yes and no. Yes, if it is appropriate for your specific condition. No, if it causes further pain or is performed infrequently. You should feel a stretch but not an increase in pain or numbness. A cortisone shot or anti-inflammatory medicines might help if you know exercise increases the pain. If there isn’t inflammation in the carpal tunnel, a bone spur or a recently broken bone, then stretching generally helps. Here’s why…
Would carpal tunnel exercises benefit you?
If your hands and wrists hurt from the muscular tension of cumulative stress, then carpal tunnel exercises can help. Repetitive tension markedly increases the painful accumulation of toxic chemicals in an area. Sustained muscular tension squeeze shut the rich network of capillaries supplying the nutritional and oxygen needs of a body region. The good news: the energy crisis caused by this vicious cycle can be reversed in a short period of time. Properly performed movement restores muscles to their resting position. Tight muscles hurt; long muscles feel normal.
Here’s how to test
Are you feeling tightness in your forearm? In the same way a kink in a water hose squeezes the flow of water, tension in the muscles compress blood and nerves. 
This is TROUBLESOME and can cause tingling and tightness in your arms and hands. To determine if carpal tunnel exercises will give you relief, try this self test.
- Start two inches below the bend of your elbow on the palm side of your forearm.
- Roll the knuckles or fingertips of the other hand back and forth over the flexor muscles of your forearm. Do you feel any taut bands or stringy, snapping cords? If yes, that can be trouble and is very treatable with exercise.
What kind of carpal tunnel exercises are best for me?
Start with gentle stretching and nerve gliding movements. The carpal tunnel exercises sequence in Carpal Tunnel Coaching’s DVD has been scientifically researched to reduce the pain associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and restore grip strength. The 12-step routine also improves posture.
Will exercise help me before or after surgery?
Properly sequenced carpal tunnel exercises, performed frequently, can help the tendons and the nerves slide and glide – before or after surgery. It’s more difficult to recover after surgery when the tissues surrounding the median nerve are dried out and tough. Inflammation and underlying conditions should be addressed first. Then the soft tissue of your neck, shoulders, arms and hands can be retrained to function smoothly.
Want more help with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Take charge of your health today! Learn more about Carpal Tunnel Coaching’s DVD.
P.S. It’s not enough doing a few stretches off YouTube. To TRULY restore the smooth glide of the nerves, a whole body approach is needed. With a 27-minute Carpal Tunnel Exercises DVD to guide you; your body can become more flexible and strong.