Exercises

Carpal Tunnel Exercises

Nerve glides, stretches and hand exercises for carpal tunnel syndrome.

Exercise 1: Median Nerve Glide

Pretend you're holding a tray with your palm facing up.
Slowly straighten your arm while tilting your head toward your shoulder.
Keep your wrist bent back the whole time.
Go back to the starting position.

Two pictures of a man sitting and straightening his arm out to the side with his palm up while tilting his head toward the other shoulder.

Repeat: 5 times
Hold: 2 seconds
Per day: 3 times

Exercise 2: Wrist Flexor Stretch

With your good hand, bend your sore wrist upward.
Keep the elbow of your sore arm straight.

A woman holding one arm straight out and bending the wrist upward with her other hand.

Repeat: 3 times
Hold: 10 seconds
Per day: 2 times

Exercise 3: Clothes Pin Pinch

Use two fingers to pinch a clothes pin or chip clip.

A hand pinching a clothes pin between the thumb and a finger.

Repeat: 10 times
Hold: 1 second
Sets: 3
Per day: 2 times

Exercise 4: Finger Opposition

Touch your thumb to the tip of each finger (index to pinky).
Go one at a time.

Four pictures of a hand touching the thumb to the tip of each finger in turn.

Repeat: 10 times
Hold: 1 second
Sets: 3
Per day: 3 times

Exercise 5: Finger Towel Scrunch

Place a towel flat on a table.
Use your index to pinky fingers (fingers 2-5, not your thumb) to scrunch the towel toward you.
Use one finger at a time.

A hand flat on a pink towel with arrows showing the fingers pulling the towel toward the palm.

Repeat: 5 times
Sets: 1
Per day: 2 times

Exercise 6: Fine Motor Pinch Pickup

Place small items (like coins, beads or paper clips) on a table.
Pick them up in different ways with your fingers.
You can also put them back into a container.

Hands picking up small round items from a table and placing them in a small dish.

Repeat: 10 times
Sets: 1
Per day: 2 times

Tips

Be gentle, not forceful.
Keep your movements slow and controlled.
Stop if you feel pain or numbness.