Do you take care of your wrist? by Eliane Carotta

Due to potential impacts, falls or repeated activity as sustaining your body during push-ups or Vinyasas, or specific techniques as wristlocks, the wrist is a vulnerable joint to lots of injuries.
It is a small and maybe the most complex joint with delicate tissues around, as ligaments that knits it’s bones together, and tendons that connect the forearm muscles to the fingers. There is very little covering muscle or tissue on the top of the wrist.

In the case of athletes that punch,  remember that hand has around 27 bones that need to be protected, and always wear hand wraps to avoid mild tear, a strain, sprain or even a rupture. Always use a careful and gradual approach to increase wrist flexibility and strength!While studying to write this article, I read that lots of fighters hurt their wrists by punching anatomically incorrectly. They don’t pay attention on how to align the hand when striking, or don’t align the wrist properly when doing a straight punch. If it is bent or bends during contact, wrist injury might occur.

In my classes I always teach a wrist therapy learned from Duncan Wong during a Yogic Arts® Teacher Training. This is the link for the video, so you can also learn and stretch yours:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbNdVmzwPq4

Another exercise I always recommend, since my wrist is a little weak and it works perfectly for me, is squeezing the tennis ball: Hold and squeeze the tennis ball as hard as possible (without pain) for 5 seconds and repeat 10 times. Increase as you practice to more holding and repetition.

In case you injured your wrist, try icing the area to reduce fluid accumulation. Wearing rigid splints that keep the wrists from flexing can also help.
And don’t exercise if you are in pain.
Many experts advice that rest and 24-hour splinting for two or more weeks are needed to prevent permanent nerve damage.