Reduce Yoga Wrist Pain
How to Reduce Yoga Wrist Pain
One of the biggest complains for people who want to try yoga is that they will have body pains. Among them, wrist pain is at the top of the list. Many of the floor yoga exercises will require you to rest some of your weight on your wrists, and it can be hard to accomplish if you have conditions like carpal tunnel or arthritis. Here are some ways to reduce wrist pain while doing yoga.
Shift the Weight from Your Wrist
The good news about wrist pain while doing yoga is that it is something that can often be corrected. Of course if you have a significant injury to that area, you should be avoiding any floor work or moves where the weight of your body is on your wrists.
However, the problem might be where your weight is being shifted. You don’t want all your weight to be resting on your wrists, even during moves like the downward facing dog. These moves should have weight on all muscles of your body, including your abdominal muscles, back, legs, arms, and shoulders. If you feel all the pressure on your wrists, focus on changing your direction and pose until you find that relief.
Hold Your Wrist Correctly
If your wrist continues to hurt while doing yoga, revisit the proper position of the pose. You might be holding your wrist incorrectly, such as balancing your weight on the side of your wrist or putting your fingers close together. Your fingers should be splayed out, which allows more of the pressure to be spread out on your entire hand, not just on your wrist alone. You can also use props like yoga blocks to help with some of the moves, as well as using a thinner mat. The thick mats are soft and cushiony, but sometimes they move your wrist in odd ways and actually put more pressure on them.
Treat the Cause of Your Wrist Pain
It is just as important to treat the cause of the wrist pain, than to try and push through yoga with the pain already existing. Even if you use props and change the position, that original cause is going to be bothering you. See your doctor to determine why you are having wrist pain, which might be a medical condition like arthritis, simple inflammation not related to this condition, or perhaps carpal tunnel. Anything from medication and physical therapy to surgery might be what you need.