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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Home Exercises

Are you experiencing pins and needles and tingling in your thumb and first 2 fingers? Then you may have carpal tunnel syndrome.  

To learn more about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, check out this page or keep scrolling to see exercises that can help to relieve your symptoms. 

Important Note
These exercises were designed as a place to start to address your carpal tunnel symptoms. These exercises should not be performed or continued if they cause or increase your pain in any way. Using these exercises for self-management of your symptoms does not replace the value of being assessed by a Health Professional.
Man holding arm up, elbow straight and fingers up to the ceiling.
Man holding arm up, elbow straight and fingers up to the ceiling, applying pressure to the fingers using the other hand to stretch the muscles of the forearm.

1. Stretching Flexors

Reps: 4 Freq: Daily Hold: 15sec
Hold the palm of one hand with the other hand while keeping your elbow straight on the affected arm and pull your hand back gently towards your body until you feel a stretch in the forearm. This stretch can be done after strength exercise.
15sec x 4 reps, after strength exercise
Man holding arm up, elbow straight and palm facing down.
Man holding arm up, elbow straight and palm facing down, applying pressure to the hand using the other hand to stretch the muscles of the forearm.

2. Stretching Extensors

Reps: 4 Freq: Daily Hold: 15sec
Extend the affected arm out with elbow straight and use the other hand to grasp it at the side of the thumb and bend the wrist downward until a stretch is felt in the forearm. This stretch can be done after strength exercise.
Progression : Turn wrist towards the small finger to increase the stretch and gently
press down each finger individually
Hold for 15sec x 4 reps
Hand position to start the median nerve gliding exercise.
Adding pressure through the thumb to increase the nerve stretch.

3. Median Nerve Gliding At Wrist

Sets: 1 Reps: 10-15 Freq: 1x a day Hold: 3-7sec per position
Begin with your elbow on your side, your hand in a soft fist, and your forearm neutral-so your thumb is facing up.
Open your fingers straight.
Extend your wrist back.
Extend and straighten your thumb.
Keep your wrist and hand in this position and rotate your palm up facing theceiling.
Then use your other hand to gently stretch your thumb back.
Hold a few seconds then release and relax.
Repeat.
Stop if at any point that you feel pain, numbness or tingling.
Positions of the hand for tendon gliding movements 1-4
Positions of the hand for tendon gliding movements 5-8

4. Tendon Gliding Combo

Sets: 1 Reps: 5-10 Freq: 2-3x a day Hold: 3sec per position
Start with your hand and fingers straight and in line with your forearm.
Without moving your wrist, do the following movements and reset your fingers to the starting position between each:
Series A (pictures 1-4):
1- flex the two last knuckles of your fingers to make a “hook” position
2- curl your fingers to form a fist with your thumb over your fingers (different from picture)
Series B (pictures 5-8):
1. Bend at the first knuckles only to form a 90° angle with the hand
2. bend
Images provided by Physiotec
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