With the majority of careers these days requiring an ever-increasing amount of time at the keyboard, it’s more important than ever to take care of your hands and wrists. Even in your free time, you may have a hobby that needs a lot of active flexibility, like gardening or tennis. Keeping your hands and wrists healthy can not only help you stay active and pain-free, but may also mean avoiding hand surgery in the future.
1. Take Breaks
Any time you engage in heavy use of your hands and wrists, whether that’s at work or at play, be sure to take a break every once in awhile. This can mean taking your hands off the keyboard and shaking out your wrists for a few moments, or just resting with your wrists in a neutral position.
2. Exercise Your Hands
In addition to resting your hands, you can also try some targeted exercises to help strengthen and stretch your muscles, ligaments and tendons to keep your hands and wrists flexible and mobile. A physical therapist can show you ideas for the best ways to help your joints stay supple, and offer suggestions for things you can do at home to help reduce joint strain too.
3. Get a Little Extra Support
If needed, you might want to consider wearing a supportive brace during activities that stress your wrist. In fact, a brace is often incorporated as part of a conservative approach toward carpal tunnel treatment. The extra support can help prevent too much strain on the joints and tendons, limiting the potential for repetitive stress injuries or unexpected strains or sprains.
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