Why Does My Wrist Hurt When I Do Yoga?
Reasons and what to do
When performing yoga, our bodies are forced to endure unnatural positions that put a lot of pressure on our limbs. These movements can cause aches and pains to appear in our joints, namely, our wrists.
Wrist ache is one of the most common pains associated with yoga. Yoga positions such as plank pose, side plank, and downward dog all put an excessive strain on the wrist, leading to recurring pain on and around the wrist joint. It takes a long time for the wrist to become somewhat accustomed to this level of pressure but can sometimes never fully adapt.
There are, however, ways to prevent the severity of yoga-related wrist pain. It could be a problem related to your yoga poses, or it could be to do with the equipment you are using. This article will address all potential causes of yoga wrist pain and examine ways to reduce post-workout aches.
Stop yoga wrist pain by following the instructions presented in this article.
How to heal wrist pain from yoga
If you’re reading this article, you’re most likely already suffering from yoga wrist pain than anticipating it – so let’s get how to heal wrist pain out of the way first.
The best thing you can do is invest in some yoga wrist support, either wrist wraps or a wrist brace, which you can either wear throughout the day or during yoga sessions. A wrist brace will apply compression to the affected areas and help to reposition the wrist.
A wrap will stabilize the wrist. It will also help the carpal bones to remain in the same position. Overall, it will provide much-needed support after a strenuous yoga session.
How to avoid wrist pain in yoga
Avoiding pain starts with how you are performing the yoga moves themselves. Yoga positions are strenuous enough when done correctly, let alone when done incorrectly, which can be particularly detrimental to your body in the long term.
Make sure to check with an instructor that you are performing each move correctly, that no joint is receiving more stress than necessary, and that you are, generally, executing the yoga safely.
If you’re performing yoga at home, follow a yoga Youtube channel that will teach you how to reach each pose in-depth, from the starting position to the final pose. It’s too risky to only look at images of yoga positions and try to replicate them yourself without the aid of a professional.
Some of the best instructional yoga Youtube channels include:
- Fightmaster Yoga
- Yoga with Tim
- Sarah Beth Yoga
- Yoga with Candace
The best ways to avoid wrist pain
Here’s a list of other things you should keep in mind:
- Avoid bending fingers – spread your hand flat on the floor when hand balancing.
- Modify wrist-based yoga poses by introducing your elbow.
- Do a sun salutation warm-up before any wrist-based yoga pose.
- Distribute your body weight evenly between both wrists.
- Know when to stop – if your wrists are feeling uncomfortable, give them a rest!
How to strengthen wrists for yoga
Incorporating strengthening exercises will prepare your wrists for all yoga positions and reduce the risk of strain.
Yoga poses that are excellent for strengthening your wrist muscles:
The easy crow pose
Go easy on this one, though, as although it looks simple, it is tough to maintain over a long period, so try doing it gradually – you don’t want to strain your wrist while attempting to strengthen it!
This arm balance pose requires a lot of core strength to carry out. Gradually building up to holding the easy crow pose for longer will strengthen both your core and your wrists.
The upward plank pose
The upward plank pose can be a bit strenuous, particularly at the end of a yoga workout, but it is worth doing to build wrist strength.
If the upward plank feels like too much for you, try doing an upward tabletop pose instead.
The high plank pose
The high plank pose applies the maximum amount of pressure onto your wrists without causing strain and is, therefore, an excellent pose to do to build wrist muscles.
Alternatively, you could introduce such exercises as ball squeezing, towel wringing, and wrist curling to build up muscles in the critical areas of the wrist.
How to protect wrists during yoga
If you’re noticing recurring wrist pain, you’re going to want to do all you can do to protect your wrists during yoga workouts. Implementing adaptations to your yoga sessions can make all the difference and save you from suffering from long-term wrist pain.
When performing a particularly complicated yoga position, such as the downward-facing dog, although we’ve recommended that you should keep your hands flat, it can be tough to keep this in mind. Instead, you could adopt this position by leaning on your fists, which is much better for your wrists and is far more difficult to slip out of than flat-handed.
On top of building up wrist strength, you should also be building up strength in your core. If you do not have a strong core, you will naturally rely on your wrists to support the rest of your body, making the whole exercise more challenging while potentially damaging your wrists.
You should aim to implement as many core-building yoga positions into your routine as possible, specifically ones that do not involve putting strain on your wrists.
Recommended core-building positions include:
The victorious warrior pose
The chair pose
The dolphin plank pose
And the boat pose
Yoga props for wrist pain
Introducing props into your yoga routine is another tried and tested means of keeping your wrists protected during an intense workout.
On top of wearing a wrist wrap or brace, you could invest in a foam block or wedge, which takes a considerable amount of the pressure off your wrist, while also allowing you to complete the yoga move unimpeded.
Kneepads are also an essential prop if you want to ensure your wrist stays supple. Not just for your wrists, yoga mats are great to keep all your joints in check.
Props such as push-up wheels and barbell blocks could also work as suitable yoga props. These are, in fact, perfect for such positions as chaturanga and plank as they keep your wrists pressure-free and neutral for the duration.
The best yoga props for wrist pain
Gaiam Yoga Block Wedge – Buy it here
Gaiam Cork Yoga Brick – Buy it here
Mudras for wrist pain
Generally, mudra hand gestures guide energy to certain parts of your body and are used alongside pranayama.
Mudra can also be a suitable means of preventing and alleviating wrist pain and should be implemented into your yoga routine for this reason.
The best Mudra hand positions for wrist pain include:
Apana Mudra
Ganesha Mudra
Buddhi Mudra
To get the most out of mudra, try holding one hand position for ten breaths, and then switch to another one and hold that for ten breaths, and so on.
Mudra chain exercises are mainly devised to reduce pain felt in the wrists and require a mudra chain to be performed.
Rub the mudra chain over the parts of your wrist that have felt the most strain from the yoga session. If the mudra chains are working correctly, they will produce a pleasant sensation on your wrists.
Conclusion
Whether you practice yoga a little or a lot, you will encounter some degree of wrist pain during and after each session. Your wrists are not equipped to carry out the complicated moves that yoga demands from them.
You should both expect wrist pain and be prepared to deal with it when it inevitably occurs.
Contact a physical therapist if your wrists continue to hurt after having tried all the advice presented in this article.
Simply put, you cannot account for the safety of your wrists totally, and there is only so much you can do to avoid and curb wrist pain.