It’s
all in the wrist, so the saying goes. Our wrists are a highly-functioning part
of the body and essential for so many common tasks like writing, typing, eating,
dressing, and driving.
They
also support our entire bodies and are the foundation for a good grip when
exercising in the gym. If your wrist gives out though, or you suffer from
common pain as a result of your workout, what can you do?
Long-held
planks, repetitive push-ups, and things like bench presses put a lot of
pressure on the wrist joint and may cause painful tendonitis,
or a more serious injury like a break or
fracture.
Make
sure you have proper form when doing an exercise that involves weight bearing
down on your wrist, and also consider wearing a supportive wrist guard or
athletic tape to absorb some of the pressure.
If
your wrist is sore following a workout, check out these few ways to help soothe
the pain:
- Apply ice to wrists to ease swelling.
- Massage wrists and forearm muscles, just above the wrists.
- Perform a few quick flexing stretches of the wrist and forearm to release tension: bend the wrist up while keeping the arm and elbow straight, hold for a few seconds, then reverse the motion by bending them down.
- Roll, squeeze, or spread silly putty through your fingers as sort of a cool-down to relax the wrist muscles, or lightly squeeze a stress or tennis ball for a few minutes.
- Take an anti-inflammatory over-the-counter pain reliever as needed.
Please
contact us for an appointment if
your wrist pain is sharp or severe or lasts more than two weeks.
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