Wrist joints are weak and conditions like
soreness and swelling are common after working with our hands all day long.
Taking minor symptoms lightly all the time may result in severe wrist disorders
though. But thankfully, there are common yoga poses that help prevent wrist
pain, mild and severe, when recurrently practiced.
Most of us have similar daily routines
wherein we need to repeat one or two body movements back and back again every
day. For instance, those who have sitting jobs develop a habit of holding their
body in the same position throughout the day. But maintaining your sitting
posture at work for long and on daily basis often causes Repetitive
Strain Injuries (RSI).
Since the hands
are the most frequently used body part at home and in the office, they are
prone to various RSI injuries. Occurring after repetitive and prolonged use of
the hands, these disorders can be anything from soreness, swelling and general
weakness to loss of dexterity. There are a number of variations of these
repetitive strain syndromes, and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) of the wrists is
the most common of them. One acquires CTS because of repetitive strain of the
hands and keeping the wrists in a position for a long time.
Here are ways to
prevent wrist pain with common yoga poses:
1. Prayer Pose
Place your palms
together gently in front of the chest, and bring your hands together as if
praying. Keep elbows below your wrists and let the thumbs rest against the
chest. Your fingers will be pointing upward. Now, soften your elbows down and
lift the sternum toward you thumbs.
Apply some more
pressure to the palms so you feel the weight and warmth. You’ll notice that you
can clearly feel muscles, tissues and bones every time you increase the pressure.
Press a little harder as you position your elbows at 90 degrees to the wrist
joints. Practice this ritual daily for wrist flexibility and relieving
discomfort.
2. Tadasana Pose
Stand with your
body in natural alignment, thumbs and biceps facing forward and palms toward
the thighs. Let the top of your shoulders press back while the shoulder blades
travel down your back.
Now, soften the
front ribs as you lift your sternum and heart area. The exact posture is in
which you stand with an arched back and slouched shoulders.
3. Flexion and Extension
Sit down and
interweave your fingers with palms facing down as if resting on a counter. Bring
your elbows in line with each other by moving them to the side. Then pull them
apart from each other to create space in the joint. Make ‘L’ shape by gently
raising your right arm and lowering the left one, as you maintain the pull.
Your right arm should be gripping the left hand’s fingers when you pull the
left wrist into the backbend. Repeat it on the other side also.
What If Wrists Hurt and You Can’t Practice
Yoga?
Yoga is effective in keeping your body toned because you need to hold your body weight
up. But, you can’t perform a number of asanas when your wrists hurt, especially
in which you need to hold body weight on your wrists only.
Consider
practicing the following poses to lessen your wrist pain while you do yoga:
‘Down Dog’ Pose
Don’t place your
palms flat on the surface, but make fists with the hands as you begin to come
into that down dog position. Placing your forearms on the floor in the
beginning is also helpful since it takes pressure off your wrists and joints.
Wheel Pose
Keep your head’s
top resting on the surface and since you have wrist pain, you can do your
backend by holding your partner’s ankles. Now place your palms on the front of
your partner’s ankles, your fingers pointing down. You press away and not down
as you lift up into the backend. This way, you exert negligible pressure on
your aching wrists.
‘Crow’
Pose
The best to
treat your aching wrists is to strengthen your muscles of forearms and hands. When
you try crow pose, you can spread your fingers wide as if gripping the surface.
This way you alleviate any direct pressure on your wrists. You should try to
rest your knees on the triceps and not off your arms. You’ll feel lighter if
you can squeeze your knees together.
