Anastasis Tzanis
Wrist Pain
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Wrist pain can be due to a number of factors, including: arthritis, osteoporosis, poor grip strength, tight forearms and unstable or tight shoulders. While it is more common in women over the age of 50, very often younger women (often after pregnancy) experience wrist problems.
How to treat wrist pain?
If you want to get rid of wrist pain the 1st thing you need to do is realise that:
Your wrist pain diagnosis doesn’t indicate the reason why your wrist hurts.
Those that consult a specialist about wrist complaints often get one of the following diagnosis: Carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive strain injury, wrist sprain, arthritis, tendinitis, ganglion cyst, while a fracture is always a possibility. While a diagnosis is useful it doesn’t help much with the treatment of the problem, until the route cause is identified.
So when trying to treat your wrists I suggest you:
1. Identify causes of the pain
i.Test your wrist's mobility
Mobilise your wrists in flexion, extension, radial and ulnar deviation, pronation and supination. Identify which of these movements hurt.
iI. Assess your elbow’s mobility and shoulder stability
Bring your elbow into full extension and notice any tightness in your forearms. Test the range of your shoulders and how stable they are at the end range and during the movement.
iII. Evaluate your grip strength
Your grip strength can be assessed by holding on to something ‘light’ for a long period of time or ‘heavy’ for a few seconds.
2. Progressively address the root cause
Once you have identified the cause of the pain, all you need to do is address it.
If you are experiencing pain 3months after following a rehab protocol, you need to reconsider its efficiency.
iI. Wrist pain & shoulder pain
Wrist pain is often connected with shoulder dysfunction and pain. In most cases shoulder limitations is responsible for the wrist problems but the reverse is also possible. When evaluating your wrist pain you should pay extra attention to the following:
1. Discrepancies between the 2 shoulders
Some times the problem in the wrists is due to overuse of one shoulder or limited mobility in it. The first thing you should do when assessing your shoulders is compare them. You should compare them at the very list in flexion, medial internal and external rotation.
2. Pain in neck & shoulder blades
The function of the shoulder joint depends on the rotator cuff and trapezius muscles. Dysfunction in these 2 muscles can lead to shoulder pain and subsequently to wrist problems.
3. Limited shoulder mobility
Tightness in the shoulders can be due to lat, trapezius, deltoid limitations as well as fascia tightness or nerve trapping.
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iII. Wrist problems in Yoga
Why does Yoga hurts your wrist?
Your wrists are hurting during yoga either because the muscles around your wrists are weak or because you have limited mobility in your shoulders. This often results in baring unnecessarily too much weight on the outside of the wrist. For these reasons a lot of yoga students experience wrist pain during chaturanga and downward dog. Those with sensitive wrists may experience however pain even in asanas where there is limited weight on the hands, like headstand.
How to stop wrist pain during Yoga?
To stop wrist pain during yoga you need to modify the positioning of your hands. For many students, turning the fingers out and having the hands slightly wider takes care of the discomfort but in severe pain more complex modifications might be necessary.
How to strengthen my wrists for Yoga?
Finger pushups (with all the knuckles of the fingers on the floor) is a great exercise to strengthen your wrists for yoga. Strengthening the shoulders is also beneficial for wrist strength.
What yoga poses should you avoid with carpal tunnel?
There are no poses you need to avoid if you have carpal tunnel. Instead you need to modify your practice. In the process you will understand your body’s patterns which will make it easier to work on.
iV. Wrist problems in Pilates
Why do wrists hurts during pilates?
Unfortunately wrists issues are very common among pilates practitioners and teachers. The reasons why this happens, go beyond the scope of this article but ultimately the route cause is due to the common culprits: shoulders, rotator cuff, forearms, overall arm weakness.
Experiencing pain in the wrists during Pilates is a red flags, as Pilates exercises have very low demand for the wrist joints.
Can pilates aggravate arthritis?
While Pilates will not cause arthritis in healthy individuals, certain exercises may aggravate the pain in some patients. Addressing the issue with complementary exercises is strongly advisable before resuming a regular pilates practice. At Perola Bruta we follow a specific protocol for our Reformer Pilates clients that have arthritis.