Featured Sequence: Wrist Flossing for Wrist Care

by Nina

In Baxter's post on wrist care (see "Wistful Wrists: How to Keep Your Wrists Safe"), he recommended a wrist "flossing" sequence developed by Tom Alden that was featured in Timothy McCall's book Yoga As Medicine. This is a wonderful sequence you can do if you over-worked your wrists doing yoga, have wrist problems, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, or just want to give your hands and wrists a break during a marathon typing session. There are three different "flossing" movements:

1. Palms Down. Start by interlacing your fingers and turning your palms to face the ground. Move your elbows out the sides, so both arms are parallel to the floor. Gently pull your wrists apart, so you feel a slight traction, then raise your right arm and lower your left, bringing your right wrist into a forward bend and your left wrist into a backbend. Allow your right arm to do all the work, while your left arm is passive.

Repeat the movement on the other side by using your left arm to do all the work while your right arm is passive. Go back and forth any number of times.

2. Palms Facing You.  Start by interlacing your fingers and turning your palms in to face the ground. Move your elbows out the sides, so both arms are parallel to the floor. Now turn your palms inward, to face you. Gently pull your wrists apart, so you feel a slight traction, then move your right arm outward and your left inward, bringing your right wrist into a forward bend and your left wrist into a backbend. Allow your right arm to do all the work, while your left arm is passive.

Repeat the movement on the other side by using your left arm to do all the work while your right arm is passive. Go back and forth any number of times.

3. Palms Facing Away. Start by interlacing your fingers and turning your palms to face the ground. Move your elbows out the sides, so both arms are parallel to the floor. Now turn your palms outward, so they face away from you. Gently pull your wrists apart, so you feel a slight traction, then move your right arm inward and your left outward, bringing your right wrist into a forward bend and your left wrist into a backbend. Allow your right arm to do all the work, while your left arm is passive.

Repeat the movement on the other side by using your left arm to do all the work while your right arm is passive. Go back and forth any number of times.

See http://www.tomalden.com/ for information about Tom Alden. For information about Timothy McCall and his book Yoga As Medicine, see http://www.drmccall.com/.