Do you struggle with hand and wrist pain often as a result of your work or even hobbies? Typing, gaming, writing, exercise, and various other activities can cause or contribute to overuse and strain on your hands and wrists, leading to mild to severe pain.

You don’t necessarily need to have a condition like carpal tunnel syndrome to suffer from hand or wrist pain or to have past injuries. Sometimes, repetitive motions with insufficient breaks can be a primary cause.

So how do you combat overuse and promote better hand and wrist health? With the following tips and advice:

1. Add regular, frequent breaks for strains

When you’re busy with your work or activities, it can be next to impossible to take a break. But it’s important that you do so and slow down before you injure yourself again. Your breaks don’t need to be exceptionally long, just a couple of minutes, but it makes all the difference in the world. Stop after every 30-60 minutes, give your hands some rest. No texting, no scrolling Instagram, no playing games. Actual rest and breaks. You should ideally be doing this all through the day, and reminders can help!

Plus, regular breaks also help you stay more productive and focused, so that’s a plus!

Typing such as shown above can cause repetitive strain injuries and aches.

2. Stretch your hands and wrists out often

It’s important to stretch whenever you take a break. Stretch your legs out, stretch your back, but don’t forget about your wrists, fingers, and hands! You can follow simple stretches such as those recommended by our certified hand therapists and do them while sitting in place. These stretches help improve circulation, relieve pressure, improve control, and alleviate pain. Ignoring them can lead to worsening of symptoms and longer-lasting, more intense pain, and difficulty. It’s vital that you focus on recovery and rest simultaneously.

3. Invest in custom hand splitting for support

It also helps to invest in custom hand splitting, where a professional hand therapist will evaluate and assess your problem, conduct a detailed history of your case, and create a custom-fitted hand split to take the pressure off your injury or point of pain. You can visit our clinic in Freehold, NJ, for a detailed checkup and evaluation and place an order for your splint.

 

It’s important that you focus on improving dexterity and strength and avoid exhaustive, repetitive activities that cause strain. Cut down on how frequently you do them, especially if you’re struggling with intense pain. If you can’t avoid them, be sure to take more breaks!