Got Wrist Pain? 3 Tips for Recovery

Disney princesses make dainty wrists look so marvelous. Their delicate hands flutter on the ends of thin, fragile wrists as they sing to their woodland friends. So much grace and beauty! Complete crap. Thin, weak wrists can lead to a lot of pain when the woman suddenly decides to do something with those hands other than flutter during a song, like crow pose, handstands, or archery.

I’ve got tiny wrists and thin hands. (My wedding ring size is 3.5.) When yoga instructors say, “Suction cup your hands to the floor, raising your palms,” I’d look at my flat hands and realize there wasn’t enough flesh in the perimeters to make a decent suction cup at all. A few weeks ago, I fell and developed DeQuervains. Splendid.

Anything requiring pressure in my wrists became difficult. After talking to my doctor and doing a bit of research on my own, I discovered a few tips to pass on to you, my fellow flimsy wrist-ed friend!

Props Are Our Buddies A prop is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of wisdom. Use props to relieve pressure from your wrists and distribute it to other parts of your hand.

This may require wedging the corner of a cloth at the heel of your hand or…

letting your fingers dangle over the edge of a block.

My dear friend gave me this awesome Lotus block with cutouts that allow me to grip the block at different positions. It has been AMAZING.

Since we’re all built differently, it’s important to try out a few options and see what prop works best for you.

Explore Your Tips There are a few hand positions that can also alleviate wrist pain while developing strength in your shoulders, back, and core. Some hand positions are suitable for some poses, others aren’t. Do what makes sense for your body and your practice.

…Get Stronger! It is possible to exercise your wrists (hands and forearms by default) to develop greater strength and support. Begin with stretches and gentle toning exercises.

You can also try squeezing a tennis ball or using those little V-shaped gadgets with the spring at the joint. Whatever floats your boat.

Then upgrade using weights.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06lPIknOKiE&w=560&h=315]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdpB0xfU-Ys&w=560&h=315]

If you’re doing these exercises in conjunction with your regular workout, build slowly and listen to your body so that you don’t fatigue the muscles and tendons. That would only lead to more injuries.

Remember: healing can be a slow process, especially for wrists since we use them so often that they barely get to rest. Take your time and reap the benefits of a full recovery.