Yoga for carpal tunnel: gentle stretches for wrist pain and numb hands

Your carpal tunnel syndrome yoga plan

Mountain PoseTadasana BeginnerStanding Prayer PosePranamasana BeginnerStanding Raised Arms PoseHasta Uttanasana BeginnerStanding Eagle PoseGarudasana IntermediateStanding Cow Face PoseGomukhasana IntermediateSeated Easy PoseSukhasana BeginnerSeated Corpse PoseSavasana BeginnerSupine

More poses that help with carpal tunnel syndrome

Add these once the session above feels easy, or swap one in when a pose does not suit you.

Extended Puppy PoseAnahatasana BeginnerProne and kneeling Gate PoseParighasana BeginnerSeated Bridge PoseSetu Bandhasana BeginnerSupine Supine Spinal TwistSupta Matsyendrasana BeginnerSupine

Mudras for carpal tunnel syndrome

Hold a mudra while you sit for the breathing practice or a few minutes of quiet. Mudras are a traditional practice; research on them is limited.

Emerging evidence: Small or early trials look promising.

Yoga for carpal tunnel syndrome is gentle, upper-body yoga: slow stretches for the arms, shoulders and hands, good posture, and relaxation, with no weight on the wrists. Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when the median nerve is squeezed as it passes through a narrow tunnel in the wrist, causing tingling, numbness and pain in the thumb and first fingers, often at night. This page explains how the plan above works, what one well-known trial found, and how to protect your wrists in any yoga class.

See a doctor if you have constant numbness, weakness in your grip, you keep dropping things, or the muscles at the base of the thumb look thinner. Long-term pressure can damage the nerve, and these signs may mean you need a splint, an injection or surgery.

Does yoga help with carpal tunnel?

It may. The best-known study was a small randomised trial in 1998 in JAMA. Forty-two people with carpal tunnel syndrome did either a yoga programme of 11 upper-body postures plus relaxation, twice a week for 8 weeks, or wore a wrist splint. The yoga group had better grip strength and less pain afterwards, and more of them improved on a standard nerve test (Phalen's sign) than the splint group.

That is encouraging, but it is one small, older study, so the evidence level here is "emerging". The NHS mentions that hand exercises may help and that wrist splints worn at night are a common first step. Yoga for carpal tunnel syndrome treatment fits alongside these, not instead of them.

Can exercise help carpal tunnel? Gentle exercise and stretches can ease symptoms for many people with mild to moderate carpal tunnel. They cannot release a nerve that is badly trapped; severe or long-lasting cases may need a small operation, which usually works well.

Yoga poses for carpal tunnel: why each one is in the plan

This is a wrist-free routine. The poses stretch and strengthen the whole arm and upper back, because tension in the neck, shoulders and forearms can add to symptoms in the hand.

Mountain pose: posture for the whole arm

In Mountain pose, let your arms hang, shoulders relaxed and away from your ears. A slumped, forward-head posture tightens the neck and chest, where the nerves to the arm begin.

Prayer pose: a gentle wrist stretch

Prayer pose presses the palms together in front of the chest, which gently bends the wrists back. Keep the hands near the chest and press lightly. If it causes tingling, lower the hands towards the belly to reduce the angle, or keep the fingertips touching only.

Raised Arms: stretch from the fingers to the waist

Raised Arms pose lengthens the arms and the side body. Spread your fingers wide as you reach, then relax them. Keep the shoulders soft.

Eagle arms and Cow Face arms: forearms and shoulders

Eagle pose arms stretch the upper back and outer shoulders; you can simply hug yourself. Cow Face pose arms stretch the front and back of the shoulders. Use a strap between the hands and keep the wrists straight rather than bent.

Easy pose and Savasana: calm the nerves

Sit in Easy pose for breathing and hand exercises, and finish lying in Savasana with your palms turned up and fingers relaxed.

Carpal tunnel stretches and exercises for the hands

Add these hand yoga for carpal tunnel moves in Easy pose. Do them slowly, and stop if tingling increases.

• Finger spreads: make a soft fist, then open and spread the fingers wide. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
• Tendon glides: move the fingers through a straight hand, a hook fist, a flat fist and a full fist, slowly.
• Wrist circles: small, slow circles both ways with loose hands.
• Gentle nerve glide: arm out to the side at shoulder height, palm up; slowly bend and straighten the elbow. Keep it very gentle and stop if symptoms rise.
• Self-massage: rub the forearm muscles and the fleshy base of the thumb with the other hand. This is a simple way to massage wrist pain.

How to stretch carpal tunnel safely: a light pull, never numbness. These stretches for carpal tunnel relief work best in short sessions spread through the day, such as a two-minute break every hour at the keyboard.

Yoga wrist strengthening exercises, for later

Once tingling has settled for a few weeks, strengthening exercises for carpal tunnel recovery can help your wrists cope with daily tasks and, later, with weight-bearing yoga. Squeeze a soft ball gently, or rest your forearm on a table and slowly lift and lower the hand with a very light weight. These carpal tunnel therapy exercises are usually taught by a hand therapist; build up slowly. Wrist exercises for wrist pain from other causes, such as a past sprain, follow the same "gentle first, strength later" rule.

Can yoga help carpal tunnel numbness? Mild tingling often eases as posture, tension and wrist habits improve. Numbness that is constant is a reason to see a doctor, not to stretch harder. Side effects of yoga for carpal tunnel are uncommon when you keep weight off the hands; the main risk is making symptoms worse with too much wrist bending.

How to do yoga with bad wrists: modifications

What causes wrists to hurt from yoga? Mostly weight on the hands with the wrists bent back sharply, as in plank, downward dog, chaturanga and arm balances. Until your wrists settle, use these yoga modifications for wrist injury and carpal tunnel:

• Come onto your forearms: forearm plank, dolphin instead of downward dog, and Sphinx instead of Cobra.
• Use fists with straight wrists in Cat and Cow or tabletop, or hold two yoga blocks.
• Use a wedge or a folded mat edge under the heel of the hand to reduce the angle; yoga blocks for wrist pain and a wedge are simple yoga props for wrist pain.
• Spread the fingers and press through the knuckles when you do put weight on the hands, so the heel of the hand is not taking all the load.
• Skip crow and handstand until you are symptom-free.

A wrist free yoga 10 minutes session, such as the plan above, lets you keep practising while the wrist rests.

Breathing and Gyan mudra

Sit comfortably and practise Anulom Vilom for a few minutes with your hands resting on your thighs. Gyan mudra, touching the tips of the thumb and index finger lightly, is traditionally used during breathing and meditation. It is a gentle, relaxing hand position; there is no evidence that a yoga mudra treats carpal tunnel syndrome itself.

How to relieve wrist pain in daily life

• Wear a wrist splint at night if your doctor or physio recommends it; many people bend their wrists while asleep.
• Keep your wrists straight when typing, using a phone or mouse, and take regular breaks.
• Loosen your grip on tools, pens and steering wheels.
• Keep your hands warm; cold stiff hands often feel worse.

If symptoms continue, physical therapy for carpal tunnel can add a splint, targeted exercises and advice about work. Carpal tunnel is common in pregnancy and in people with diabetes, thyroid problems or arthritis, so tell your doctor about these. For related pain, see yoga for neck pain, yoga for arthritis and yoga for posture.

Yoga for carpal tunnel in both hands, and for women

Carpal tunnel often affects both hands, especially in people whose work uses both. The plan works the same way; do each hand exercise on both sides. Carpal tunnel is more common in women, and it can appear in pregnancy or around menopause because of fluid changes. In pregnancy, symptoms often improve after birth; keep hand exercises gentle and ask your midwife or doctor about a splint.

Practise with the 3D guide

Play the session at the top of this page. The voice guides you in 28 languages, so you can listen instead of looking at your phone, which also rests your hands and neck. Rotate the 3D teacher to see how the arms wrap in Eagle and Cow Face. To make your own wrist-free routine for work breaks, use the sequence builder, and try the Neck and Shoulder Release session too.

Research behind this plan

1. Garfinkel 1998, JAMA — randomised trial of 42 people: grip strength and pain improved in the yoga group, and Phalen's sign improved more with yoga than with a wrist splint
2. NHS — Carpal tunnel syndrome: night splints, hand exercises, steroid injections, surgery and when to see a GP

Medical note: yoga supports treatment; it does not replace it. Keep taking prescribed medicine and talk to your doctor before you start, especially with heart disease, uncontrolled blood pressure, recent surgery, pregnancy, epilepsy or severe pain. Read our medical disclaimer.