Wrist pain is very common, especially if you spend a lot of time at your desk or doing other repetitive activities. But if your achy wrist is accompanied by numb, tingly, weak, or even painful fingers, carpal tunnel syndrome could be the culprit. Even though symptoms tend to affect your fingers, the issue stems from your wrist.

Your carpal tunnel is a narrow channel on the palm side of the wrist that several tendons and nerves run through. “Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve — which runs from your neck to the palm of your hand — gets temporarily compressed in the carpal tunnel,” explains Katie Schaner, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health. “Your carpal tunnel gets a lot of traffic, and the resulting pressure on your median nerve may cause numbness and pain in your fingers, especially your thumb and first two fingers,” she adds.

Carpal tunnel syndrome can be uncomfortable and inconvenient, but there are steps you can take to try to avoid it, especially with exercises recommended by Hinge Health physical therapists. Read on for more on how to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Causes and Risk Factors

Anyone can develop carpal tunnel syndrome, says Dr. Schaner, and it’s often due to a combination of factors. Some risk factors are unmodifiable, but knowing which ones you may be able to take control of is a step forward in learning how to prevent carpal tunnel. Common contributors to carpal tunnel syndrome include: 

• Repetitive movements. Repeating the same hand or wrist movements over and over can irritate the tendons that run through your carpal tunnel. This can cause swelling that puts pressure on your median nerve.

• Genetics. A family history of carpal tunnel syndrome may make you more likely to get it. Some people inherit a smaller-than-average carpal tunnel, or simply have more sensitive nerves.

• Wrist injury or trauma. Swelling related to a wrist sprain or fracture may contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms.

• Chronic health conditions. Certain conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and thyroid disease are linked to an increased risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.

• Certain medications. Some medications have been linked to increased incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome, such as drugs that help prevent breast cancer like aromatase inhibitors, as well as birth control pills and smoking. 

• Being female. “Women tend to have smaller wrists, which means their carpal tunnels are smaller,” explains Dr. Schaner. Symptoms often flare up during pregnancy, since pregnancy hormones may cause swelling which puts more pressure on the median nerve.

Keep in mind that while many of the risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome are unmodifiable, there are proactive measures you can take to help reduce your likelihood of developing it.

Tips for How to Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Not many people think of their carpal tunnels when it comes to self-care. But giving your wrists a little love can go a long way in preventing unwanted symptoms. Here’s advice from Hinge Health physical therapists.

• Stay active. It’s especially important to do wrist exercises and wrist stretches, as well as nerve gliding exercises, which work tension out of your nerves and allow your median nerve to move more easily. A study published in the Journal of Orthopedic Research found that just one week of specialized exercises helped reduce pressure on the median nerve. You can start with some of the exercises listed below, or work with a physical therapist to design a personalized plan. You can see one in person or use a program like Hinge Health to access a PT via telehealth/video visit.

• Modify certain activities. Carpal tunnel symptoms often develop if your hands and wrists are in the same position too long, especially if your wrist is flexed or extended during activities such as typing on a computer, says Dr. Schaner. You don’t want to put your life on hold or stop doing your normal activities, but you can try to prevent carpal tunnel symptoms with some simple changes to your workstation. “Try positioning your computer screen at eye level, and your keyboard and mouse at a height where your elbows are bent 90 degrees so you don’t have to reach too far up or down,” Dr. Schaner explains.

• Relax your grip. Sometimes it’s not just the activity that you do — it’s how intensely you do it, says Dr. Schaner. If you normally grip objects (like tools) tightly, or hammer it out on the keyboard, try a lighter touch. 

• Nighttime wrist splints. These keep your wrists in a neutral position, which can reduce pressure on the nerves in your carpal tunnel, explains Dr. Schaner. Since movement is so important for carpal tunnel symptoms, you only want to wear a splint at night so you can move your wrists freely throughout the day. You can purchase wrist splints over the counter or get one made by an occupational therapist with speciality certification in hand therapy.

• Try to keep your hands warm. Research shows that this increases elasticity among the nerves, tendons, and ligaments near your wrist, which makes it easier to move them and reduces compression in the carpal tunnel. Warmth also encourages blood flow and brings healing nutrients to the area, says Dr. Schaner. You can wear fingerless gloves if you work in a cold office, or warm up your hands each evening in a warm paraffin bath.