Wrist flexion is the act of bending your hand down or forward in relation to your arm. The opposite is wrist extension, in which you bend your wrist backward. Physical therapy for wrist strength and range of motion usually involves both types of exercises.
Range of motion for wrist flexion can be affected by certain activities and medical conditions. Repetitive strain, holding the wrist in one place for too long, and conditions like osteoarthritis are all common sources of stiffness. Typing on a computer, clicking a mouse and writing for long periods of time can all restrict movement in the wrist. It can also be a result of driving for long distances, swinging a golf club or tennis racket, or holding something heavy in your outstretched hand. There are a few different injuries that are specific to the wrist, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and De Quervain tenosynovitis, a repetitive stress injury that causes pain at the base of the thumb.
Stretching and strengthening your wrists can help reduce pain and stiffness. In this blog post, we’ll share step-by-step instructions for eight exercises that can help with wrist flexion and extension.
8 exercises that may improve wrist flexion
If you put a lot of pressure or force on your wrists regularly, exercising them may help prevent chronic wrist pain. Boxers, tennis players, gymnasts and people who have certain jobs can benefit from wrist exercises. Desk jobs and construction jobs that require you to use power tools are just a couple of examples.
Most of these exercises won’t require any equipment. If you want to add some resistance, try holding a can of soup. If you’re recovering from an injury or surgery, or if your wrist pain has lasted more than a couple of weeks, you should see a physical therapist before starting an exercise program.
Try the following exercises to improve wrist flexion and extension:
Prayer stretch — Put your hands together in front of you as if you’re praying and bring your elbows together. Slowly bring your elbows apart and lower your hands until your forearms are parallel to the ground. You can have some space between your palms, but keep your fingertips together. Bring your hands back up to the starting position and repeat five or six times.
Steeple stretch — You’ll start in a similar position for this stretch. Your hands should be at chest height with some space between your elbows. Splay your fingers apart as far as you can go without pain. Then separate your palms so your fingers are stretching backward. Bring them back together. Repeat five or six times.
Wrist flexion stretch — Hold your affected hand out so your forearm is parallel to the ground. Use the other hand to gently press your fingers down so they’re pointing to the floor. Hold for about 15 seconds. You can try this with your hands flat or make a fist.
Wrist extension stretch — Once again, start with your affected hand in front of you so your forearm is parallel to the ground. Use the other hand to pull your fingers backward so they’re pointing up. Hold for about 15 seconds. You can also flip your arm so your palm is facing up and use the other hand to bend your fingers down.
Weighted wrist flexion — Hold a can of soup in front of you so your palm is facing upward and your elbow is bent at 90 degrees. You can rest your arm on a table with your hand hanging off the edge if that’s easier. Slowly flex your wrist backward under the weight and then bring it back up to starting position. Do this several times or as many reps as you can do without too much pain. Or start with no weight and just flex your wrist back and forth.
Weighted wrist extension — Hold a can of soup in front of you so your palm is facing down. You may also place your forearm on a table with your hand poised over the edge so you’ll have room to extend it down. Slowly bend your wrist forward to lower the can of soup; then bring it back up. Do this several times or as many reps as you can do without too much pain. Or start with no weight and just flex your wrist back and forth.
Wrist pronation — Hold your hand out or grasp your can of soup like you’re shaking someone’s hand, with your thumb facing up. Slowly rotate your wrist so your palm faces upward; then rotate it back. Do this several times.
Wrist supination — Start with your hand or your can of soup out in front of you like you’re shaking someone’s hand. This time, rotate your wrist so your hand or the can of soup is facing down. Then rotate back to the starting position. Do this several times.
Get a custom rehabilitation program for wrist flexion at KC Rehab
Don’t push yourself too hard if you’ve got pain in your wrist or you’re recovering from an injury. If you have wrist pain and stiffness that’s not going away, our friendly physical therapists can help. At KC Rehab, we take the time to understand what our patients are experiencing and create a custom treatment plan for each person.
Oftentimes, for more serious injuries and surgeries, we’ll start with more passive treatments like soft tissue mobilization and dry needling. These methods help promote healing by breaking up stiffness between layers of tissue and increasing circulation. Later on in the treatment process, we add more stretching and strengthening exercises to help you rehabilitate.
Are you wondering if physical therapy is right for you? We can help. Contact our team today or schedule an appointment.
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