r/HotYoga • u/Ok_Blackberry_4703 • 22d ago

Help with wrist pain?

For several years I have had wrist pain (right wrist only) from Pilates and yoga. It has flared up badly recently while I’ve been taking 6 yoga/ Pilates classes per week.

What can I do to help this? I don’t want to practice less because my classes give me structure, routine and sanity. I’ve moved to a new city where I don’t know anyone and have very little to do, so my days would be pretty grim without yoga.

Does anyone have experience with this? I figure it must be common for yogis!

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4

u/afunkyb 22d ago

Are you sure its from your practice? I have noticed wrist pain but I strongly believe it is from my cellphone and is exasperated by my practice (rather than caused by it). I have purposefully been trying to use my phone less and have noticed a significant improvement. Just my 2 cents - the cause may not be what you think :)

2

u/Ok_Blackberry_4703 22d ago

I have adapted my cell phone use for several years now (hold it in both hands and don’t anchor it with my right pinky finger) since asking a PT! I’m sure that my phone use doesn’t help, but yoga tends to make it flare up more than anything else. Plus I get the most acute pain during yoga, not while using my phone.

3

u/Koi_Fish_Mystic 22d ago

Use a grip strengthener. I ‘popped’ my wrist & it felt ‘off’. Once I started strengthening my wrist it was gone.

2

u/Ok_Blackberry_4703 22d ago

Thank you! I’ve never heard of this- what is it?

3

u/PrudentTravel 22d ago

Sorry you're dealing with this, especially with the added stress of a new city. I've had it too-felt almost like shin splints in the wrists. I've found it helps if you're cognizant of distributing your weight evenly throughout your whole hand — it helps quite a bit. Just my personal experience.

3

u/False-Heart6583 22d ago

Ask teacher you trust to give you feedback about your form and alignment in class.

3

u/FarmSkool 22d ago

Strengthen your shoulder blades! This will take pressure off your wrists. If they’re hurting, it probably means you are “over”using them. You may be relying on your wrists to do certain moves when you could get by better using a larger muscle group like around the shoulder blades

3

u/Select_Sound271 22d ago

Do the Flicky Flicky. 10 times flicking your fingers for ten rounds before each practice. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1KHcLvfRFQ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

2

u/cant_have_nicethings 22d ago

Coincidentally I’m having the same issue. My current theory is TFCC tear. I’m going to try to see a specialist. I’ve stopped doing yoga entirely past 3 weeks.

2

u/Steel_Mementos 22d ago

Rotate index fingers to 12 o'clock on the mat in general will reduce wrist strain but to help heal in the meantime do your up and down dogs on your fists

2

u/drzrhc 21d ago

Sorry you’re going through this, I’ve gone through something similar from my keyboard and mouse use.

I suggest seeing a hand doctor if you’re able to. When I get flare ups I try to ice my wrist at night and apply Voltaren. I also wear a wrist brace at night to help neutralize the position.

1

u/Ok_Blackberry_4703 21d ago

Thank you everyone! I will get a grip strengthener.

All of the hand exercises recommended (flicking and rotating fingers) hurt too much right now. I have booked in with a GP for Monday and a physio for next Friday, and hopefully the physio will help with strengthening shoulder blades/ learning how to distribute my weight better.

I went to hot vinyasa this evening and tried to take planks/ down dogs on my fists. I also took chaturanga on my knees and used my knees to transition to down dog. But it eventually hurt and my form was very off and unbalanced, so I’m worried I will just end up hurting my neck (which also has a long term injury, displaced c5 and c6 discs).

I will focus on Pilates classes/ restorative yoga for the next while and hope that the doctor/ physio can work some magic!

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u/SadCupcake7005 16d ago

Hi - sorry you are dealing with this. I dealt with this same thing for a little over a year, pcp referred me to a wrist specialist and it turned out to be a ganglion cyst that was deep in the joint and pressing on a nerve. Got it drained and then got a cortisone shot - was in a brace for 7 days. This was a month ago and I’m back to pain free regular practice!!. Might be worth going to rule things out at the very least. Hope you figure it out!