We recently shared a blog post about preventing Mommy Thumb, which is a condition increasingly experienced by new moms known as de Quervain’s tendonitis, de Quervain’s stenosing tenosynovitis and mother’s wrist.
While anyone can develop de Quervain’s, mommy thumb is caused by ongoing stress on the wrist among new mothers who repeatedly lift their babies.
Recognition and physio is vital to help relieve mommy thumb pain, along with exercises to strengthen your palm and wrist.
5 Exercises to Strengthen Your Palm and Wrist
1. Wrist Flex
With your palm facing up, make a fist and flex your wrist towards you and down away from you. As you feel comfortable doing this exercise without a weight, feel free to lift a can of vegetables as a light weight. With slow and controlled motion, repeat 3 sets of 10.
2. Resistance Stretch
Tie a kitchen towel to a door handle and wrap one end of the towel around your hand. Stand sideways and pull the towel towards you. Hold for 30 seconds with your elbow tucked to your side. Repeat 3 sets of 10.
3. Wrist Rotation
Hold your hands out in front of you, like you are pushing a wall. Slowly rotate your wrists clockwise then counter clockwise. Repeat 2 sets of 10 in each direction.
4. Palm Rotation
Press your palms into one another and extend your elbows out to the side. Rotate your palms out as though to point at something ahead of you then return to starting position. Repeat 3 sets of 10.
5. Wrist Stretch
With your palm facing up, push your fingers down towards your wrist until you feel a stretch in your forearm. Then reverse and keep your palm facing down as you push your fingers down towards your wrist. You should feel a pleasant stretch on the outside of your forearm. Repeat 2 sets holding for 30 seconds in each direction.
Need help with these exercises to relieve your mommy thumb pain?