How to Prevent Hand and Wrist Pain during Yoga

Yoga can be a great activity to reduce stress and tension. It’s also been cited as a way to help prevent painful hand and wrist conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome. The flipside is that yoga requires you to build up hand and wrist strength. That means it can be difficult to begin practicing yoga without accidentally overstressing your hands and wrists. By taking the proper precautions, you can prevent hand and wrist strain during yoga.

Modify your pose.

Remember that yoga discourages doing anything painful or uncomfortable. When doing yoga, you should remain mindful of your body’s cues. If you feel that you have crossed the boundary of what feels right, it is always best to find a modification of the pose that feels comfortable. This is especially important to keep in mind if you have a preexisting wrist or hand condition.

Often, poses that require you to extend your wrist 90 degrees are the most difficult on the wrists. The following poses (among others) can prove difficult for this reason:

• Handstand
• Plank, side plank, and upward plank
• Table
• Downward facing dog

For poses like downward facing dog, it is wise to move into child’s pose if your wrists begin to ache. If you are unsure of how to modify a pose, it is always a good idea to consult with your instructor.

Check your weight distribution.

Weight distribution is critical in yoga. When your hands are planted on the floor it is best to keep the tips of your fingers pressed into the mat. The tops of your palm and your thumb should be the most firmly rooted on the mat while it is best to avoid placing weight on the bottom of the palm. You can also imagine the center of the palm as a suction cup that lifts upwards. A chart on popular blog, Yoga by Candace gives a useful illustration.

Find proper alignment.

Generally speaking, you should aim to alight the shoulders over the wrists in weight bearing poses. This is critical to preventing hyper extension in the wrists. Proper alignment helps you to remain stable yet light throughout a pose. Check out this article on yoga site, Omega for tips on how to find proper alignment throughout your practice.

Use props.

There a several types of props to help avoid hand and wrist strain. The most useful items for the hands and wrists assist with weight distribution. General props like yoga blocks and even dumbbells can be used effectively. Other more specific props like the Three Minute Egg or Yoga Jellies have also been created to solve these issues.