Dr. G R Devaraj

Every day we use our hands the most to get everything done. From drinking water to typing on the keyboard (and today on mobile phones); from holding the newspaper still when reading it to taking down academic notes- we use our hands for everything. But our hands like all other parts of the body have the capacity to carry out their functions. At times, we unknowingly put a lot of strain on our hands and they start to pain. Hand pains are quite common in everyone and it is equally common to practice certain exercises to control them quickly.

If you experience frequent pains in the hands, these are some of the exercises you can resort to.

1. Fist: You do not always make a fist while punching people. Sometimes you make a fist to tighten your hand muscles and nerves and smoothen the blood flow in your hands. This helps in reducing the pain in your hands to a great extent. In fact, folding your hand to a fist can also help in preventing hand pain.

2. Finger Bends: Bend each finger tightly towards your palm for at least a minute and then release it. Do it separately for each of the five fingers on your hand. This would ease out the tension in each of the fingers and normalize blood flow. This helps in curing any finger pain that you might be experiencing. It is especially a great exercise to prevent pain from developing in your thumb and index finger.

3. Thumbs Up: Usually, we show the thumbs up sign to signal all is well and best wishes to people. But it is also an exercise if continued for some time. All you have to do is place your palm on a table and curl all your fingers except the thumb inwards. Stretch the thumb outwards and hold it in this position counting up to ten. Then curl your thumb towards the palm. This exercise too helps in stretching the muscles.

4. Wrist: An important part of the hand is the wrist. The wrist joints are a very crucial set of bones and they tend to get injured very fast. They are also delicate enough to be sprained if the hand is turned abruptly. To avoid such injuries, strengthen the wrist and reduce wrist pain, a lot of wrist exercises are also prescribed. The simplest one is to extend your hand and move the wrist in anti-clockwise and clockwise directions.

Thus, these are some of the ways in which you can ease the pain in your hand in no time and go about normally with your daily chores.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, you may be at a high risk of developing Carpal tunnel syndrome. This is a very painful condition in which the hands and wrists are affected. The Carpal tunnel refers to a structure which is formed by the bones present in the wrist and the surrounding connective tissues, through which the nerves and tendons controlling the thumb movement pass. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the connective tissues get swollen because of inflammation and the nerves passing through the tunnel are crowded and squeezed.

Ways to get relief from Carpal tunnel syndrome:

Here are some common ways by which a patient with Rheumatoid arthritis can get relief from any discomfort caused due to Carpal tunnel syndrome:

1. Get your Rheumatoid arthritis treated. Carpal tunnel syndrome is commonly caused because of an underlying sickness such as rheumatoid arthritis. Medicines such as disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs are used to manage the condition and for reducing inflammation which causes carpal tunnel syndrome.
2. Getting enough rest is also very important. You must avoid using that hand or wrist, which has been affected for some weeks. This will allow the inflamed tissue to heal. 
3. You may wear a wrist splinter. A splint is suggested for resting your wrist therefore, it is kept in a neutral position. It can be worn during the day or when you are sleeping.
4. You can take prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain relief. These also help in reducing the swelling of tissues within the carpal tunnel.
5. A Cortisone shot may also be effective for easing the carpal tunnel syndrome. These steroid injections are given directly into the carpal tunnel. You will be able to get temporary relief from pain.
6. A set of Carpal tunnel exercises have been developed by doctors. These are designed for stretching the wrists and for keeping them limber. You must perform these exercises on a regular basis for best results. Yoga is also effective for easing carpal tunnel syndrome. Performing regular yoga will help you to improve your wrist pain. The upper joints of the body are strengthened. 
7. Take breaks at work on a regular basis. By changing your position and taking short breaks, your Carpal tunnel symptoms are bound to improve. This is more essential for people who do a job where great stress is placed on the wrists. If you are into typing, you need to take breaks and stretch your wrists.

There are several alternative therapies for easing carpal tunnel syndrome, which  are being studied and researched on. They include the likes of acupuncture, chiropractic care, magnets, botox treatments and vitamin B6 supplements. If you wish to discuss any specific problem, you can consult a pain management specialist.