Office workers often suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, a debilitating condition that causes numbness, tingling, swelling, and pain in the hands and wrists. These symptoms occur when the median nerve that runs from the forearm through the hand becomes squeezed at the carpal tunnel—a narrow passageway at the base of the hand near the wrist. Some cases of carpal tunnel are greatly alleviated by simple exercises that stretch the tendons and muscles that run through this area. Here are several to try.
Hold your arms straight out in front of you. Turn your thumbs down, toward your hand. Grab your thumbs with your other fingers, then tilt your wrists down, toward the floor. You should feel a stretch in the portion of the wrist facing you.
Hold your arms straight out in front of you. Gradually bend your wrists in and toward you, until you can go no further. You should feel a stretch in the back of your wrist.
Hold your arms straight out in front of you. Hold your hands up, with your finger extended toward the ceiling. Hold for several seconds. You should feel a stretch in the front of your hands and in your wrist.
