CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wrist pain, strains and sprains can occur anytime. Activities like yoga and Pilates can increase stress on the wrists from weight bearing and holding the positions. Tennis, golf and bowling can exacerbate or lead to disabling wrist pain from repetition using one arm for those sports.
“Patients come to my office with wrist injuries from all types of yoga, Pilates and other sports,” says Boston physical therapist, Dr. Hollis Herman, DPT PT Doctor of Physical Therapy, Orthopedics and Women’s Health. “Just think about the force needed to hit a tennis ball, hold ‘downward dog’ for 1- 3 minutes or push their body weight up and down using the chair. Many women who are pregnant or postpartum want to be healthier and start with these activities. Their wrists may be vulnerable to injury from hormonal changes that contribute to laxity in the tissues around joints, specifically the wrist and thumb. Older women seeking wellness and weight loss are recommended to try yoga, Pilates and find their wrists sore and inflamed from the new stresses.”
While we can never prevent accidents or wrist injuries from occurring, here are a few ways women can protect the wrist:
- Use a protective support like Wellgate for Women PerfectFit Wrist Supports, designed specifically by women for women. These supports not only help to reduce the chances of injury but provide functional improvement to help relieve pain. Their sleek, lightweight slim fit design fits under women's clothing and the breathable material is ideal for sleeping and everyday use.
- Bone strength can help prevent fractures and be enhanced by 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day for adults and at least 1,200 milligrams a day for women over age 50. 2,000 milligrams of Vitamin D3 and 1,000 milligrams of Vitamin C support bone health.
- Take regular breaks. Take regular breaks during that tennis game. Move your wrists up and down, sideways and around in circles.
- Learn how to fall. Most wrist injuries occur from falling forward onto an outstretched hand. Shift the body weight to minimize the impact and use a wrist support or tape to prevent the wrist from bending backward.
- Be mindful of your posture. Stand against a wall with your heels, calves, buttocks, upper back, shoulders and head touching. Arms at sides and palms facing outward. Now you are in perfect posture. Your ears are over your shoulders, shoulders over your hips and hips over your ankles. Try raising your arms skyward maintaining contact with the wall with backs of hands and elbows. If this is tough, keep trying, many times a day to get rid of the upper back hump and forward head. Remember, wrist health is whole body health.
- Stretch your body. Extend your arms overhead and bend backward 10 times a day. Studies show that women are at risk for upper back spinal fractures and neck and arm pain, if they slump forward.
About Dr. Hollis Herman
Dr. Hollis Herman has been a physical therapist for more than 44 years, with a full-time private practice in Cambridge, MA. Dr. Herman provides expert care for women and men seeking careful, considerate diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic and other medical conditions.
