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Yoga Therapy for Wrist Pain and Injuries
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Yoga Therapy for Wrist Pain and Injuries
By Yogesh Varun
Wrist injury has become a common issue nowadays. At least one or two persons in class may have experienced wrist pain. With pain, any arm balancing pose becomes uncomfortable.
Wrist injury can be caused by many factors - long hours on the keyboard, carrying heavy bags or holding weights, old injuries that did not heal properly etc. As such, doing asanas like Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar), Downward Facing Dog, Upward Facing Dog, Side Plank and any arm balancing poses is a challenge.
Wrist injury can be caused by many factors - long hours on the keyboard, carrying heavy bags or holding weights, old injuries that did not heal properly etc. As such, doing asanas like Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar), Downward Facing Dog, Upward Facing Dog, Side Plank and any arm balancing poses is a challenge.
Baddhanguliyasana (Interlocking the Fingers)
The followingserie of asanas strengthen the muscles which act on the wrist joints, the forearm muscles and the only tendon crossing the joint and inserting on the hand.
The followingserie of asanas strengthen the muscles which act on the wrist joints, the forearm muscles and the only tendon crossing the joint and inserting on the hand.
Interlock your fingers and stretch your palms forward by turning the palms outwards facing away from the chest
Interlock your fingers and stretch your palms forward by turning the palms upside down outwards facing away from the chest
PawanMukthasana(Wind Releasing Pose)
This series of asanas work every muscles and the joints in the body. The main purpose is to bring suppleness and rehabilitate the functional ability of the wrists.
This series of asanas work every muscles and the joints in the body. The main purpose is to bring suppleness and rehabilitate the functional ability of the wrists.
Anatomy
If we understand the structure of our wrists, we become more aware of how to take care of them.
The hand is composed of many small bones called carpals, metacarpals and phalanges. The two bones of the lower arm, the radius and the ulna meet at the hand to form the wrist. All these bones participate in complex articulations that allow variable mobility of the hand. Relative to the forearm, the hand is capable of three range of freedom. They are flexing and extending, pronating and supinating, and deviating ulnarly or radially (side movements). In order to maintain mobility without sacrificing the stability, the wrist has a complex structure of the ligaments that attach these bone and joints.The wrist helps to control all the fingers, when we open and close our palm, different ligaments, tendons and joints attached together do the work.
Common Injuries
Some common wrist injuries include broken wrist, sprained wrist, repetitive strain injury (“RSI”), bursitis in the wrist, carpal tunnel syndrome, dislocation of the carpal bones, muscle and tendon inflammation, fractured scaphoid etc.
Injury occurs when we position the palms wrongly. Instead of feeling the weight of the body lifting upward and spreading it evenly everywhere, many people apply pressure all the way down onto the wrists. There may be pressure on the heel of the palm, either by just pressing the heel or by joining all the fingers together. This leads to overloading the wrist joints and pulling or overloading the tendons or the ligament running through the wrist joint connecting the forearm.
Such injuries happen not only to people with old injuries but to those who do not understand the correct technique of getting into the poses. Examples include Bakasana (Crane), Mayurasana (Peacock) andTolasana (Lifting in lotus). Special attention is required in these poses. For instance, the fingers should be spread from the arches of the palm (middle of the palm).
Yoga Therapy - Asanas to Strengthen the Wrist
If we understand the structure of our wrists, we become more aware of how to take care of them.
The hand is composed of many small bones called carpals, metacarpals and phalanges. The two bones of the lower arm, the radius and the ulna meet at the hand to form the wrist. All these bones participate in complex articulations that allow variable mobility of the hand. Relative to the forearm, the hand is capable of three range of freedom. They are flexing and extending, pronating and supinating, and deviating ulnarly or radially (side movements). In order to maintain mobility without sacrificing the stability, the wrist has a complex structure of the ligaments that attach these bone and joints.The wrist helps to control all the fingers, when we open and close our palm, different ligaments, tendons and joints attached together do the work.
Common Injuries
Some common wrist injuries include broken wrist, sprained wrist, repetitive strain injury (“RSI”), bursitis in the wrist, carpal tunnel syndrome, dislocation of the carpal bones, muscle and tendon inflammation, fractured scaphoid etc.
Injury occurs when we position the palms wrongly. Instead of feeling the weight of the body lifting upward and spreading it evenly everywhere, many people apply pressure all the way down onto the wrists. There may be pressure on the heel of the palm, either by just pressing the heel or by joining all the fingers together. This leads to overloading the wrist joints and pulling or overloading the tendons or the ligament running through the wrist joint connecting the forearm.
Such injuries happen not only to people with old injuries but to those who do not understand the correct technique of getting into the poses. Examples include Bakasana (Crane), Mayurasana (Peacock) andTolasana (Lifting in lotus). Special attention is required in these poses. For instance, the fingers should be spread from the arches of the palm (middle of the palm).
Yoga Therapy - Asanas to Strengthen the Wrist
Vasisthasana (Side Plank)
Stay in the cat pose on your knees. Place the palm down from the shoulder, pressingit evenly, then raise your right hand up to the ceiling in line with the shoulders and the right leg back in line with the hip. You can bend your left knee down on the mat. The key point is to grip the palm to the floor and pull the muscle energy upwards to the arms and the shoulder. Stay for 20-30seconds and repeat on the other side. This pose strengthens the wrists and tones the muscle of the arms, shoulders and the abdomen.
Stay in the cat pose on your knees. Place the palm down from the shoulder, pressingit evenly, then raise your right hand up to the ceiling in line with the shoulders and the right leg back in line with the hip. You can bend your left knee down on the mat. The key point is to grip the palm to the floor and pull the muscle energy upwards to the arms and the shoulder. Stay for 20-30seconds and repeat on the other side. This pose strengthens the wrists and tones the muscle of the arms, shoulders and the abdomen.
Press both palmsagainst each other in Anjali Mudra ;then turn the back of the palms pressing against each other facing downwards
Hold the right palm with your left, slowly push towards the right. Repeat the same with the left hand pushing towards the left.
Plank Pose
Start with AdhoMukhaSvanaasana (Downward Facing Dog). Now grip your toes firmly, inhale and bring your torso forward and the arms down from the shoulders. Keep your body parallel to the floor. Tuck the tailbone downward and press your outer arm inwards, make the base of the index fingers firm on the floor. Roll the shoulder blades against the back and pull the front thigh into the legs, abdomen in and the chest forward and expanded. Now press both the legs and arms firmly and lift the roof of your back towards the ceiling. Stay for 20seconds and repeat a few times. The weight of the body is spread evenly to all parts of the body. This pose not only strengthens the wrists and core muscles but also teach you the technique of lifting and spreading the weight of the body upwards
Start with AdhoMukhaSvanaasana (Downward Facing Dog). Now grip your toes firmly, inhale and bring your torso forward and the arms down from the shoulders. Keep your body parallel to the floor. Tuck the tailbone downward and press your outer arm inwards, make the base of the index fingers firm on the floor. Roll the shoulder blades against the back and pull the front thigh into the legs, abdomen in and the chest forward and expanded. Now press both the legs and arms firmly and lift the roof of your back towards the ceiling. Stay for 20seconds and repeat a few times. The weight of the body is spread evenly to all parts of the body. This pose not only strengthens the wrists and core muscles but also teach you the technique of lifting and spreading the weight of the body upwards
Sit with your knees bent or in a simple cross legged pose. Turn the finger inwards, press the hands on the floor
Stretch your fingers wider when you place your palms on the floor.
Healthy Wrist
There is a growing popularity in wristbands. While some see this as a fashion accessory, it is designed toprotect and prevent a weak wrist. Hence, wear this only during injury. If used regularly, the real ability of the wrist is lost physically and mentally. This can also invite injuries as too much of anything is not good.
Learning proper techniques to achieve any posture,without jumping to the final pose, is important. At the same time, practise without awareness and knowledge invites injuries. Will power, determination and devotion to the practice can cause any injury to disappear.
There is a growing popularity in wristbands. While some see this as a fashion accessory, it is designed toprotect and prevent a weak wrist. Hence, wear this only during injury. If used regularly, the real ability of the wrist is lost physically and mentally. This can also invite injuries as too much of anything is not good.
Learning proper techniques to achieve any posture,without jumping to the final pose, is important. At the same time, practise without awareness and knowledge invites injuries. Will power, determination and devotion to the practice can cause any injury to disappear.
Wrong Positions
