Hand exercises after a gaming session?

Putty is also good for hand exercise.

I'm partial to Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty.

Here's a diagram of recommended hand exercises using the Thinking Putty, but it also applies to any kind of putty that you can put in your hand and manipulate.

hand exercises for putty


check out carpal tunnel exercises online like bending your wrist up and gently flexing it a few times, then doing the same but bending it down. also, you may want to look into a comfortable mouse if it isnt already, and a wrist lift for your mouse pad.

Here are some recommended carpal tunnel hand exercises, with descriptions

carpal tunnel hand exercises


This is an old question, but I suffer from wrist problems (and have for probably 10 years now) so I feel like I should share my experiences.

The first thing I want to say is - if you are experiencing pain, go and talk to a doctor. Keep talking to doctors until someone acknowledges that wrist pain is a serious condition and they take you seriously. This kind of pain does NOT go away, and it will NOT get better without work on your part.

I never found the recommended exercises did much for the pain. These are the things I found worked best:

  • Try to work/play in an ergonomic environment - Some companies I worked for offered ergonomic consultants to come and take a look at my work environment, and the tricks they taught me I took home to customize my home rig. There's sort of a "standard ergonomic/posture" diagram, this one looks about right. The part I found the hardest was trying to adjust the height of the table and the chair to match. Most tables are fixed-height, and even adjustable chairs have a range. If your feet are up off the floor when you get the desk/chair adjusted right, get a foot rest.
  • Try different mice. There are many that are billed as 'ergonomic' including trackballs, and some change the position of your hand to something you might find more comfortable. I found that the Logitech style (ie, MX518, although they make many with this shape) works best for me.
  • Use a brace. I found that one with a splint that goes about 6" from my wrist towards my elbow worked best. My doctor suggested I wear it while I sleep, because some people (especially those who use computers all day) tend to 'type in their sleep!'
  • Pick your battles. Sometimes I will opt not to continue playing a game because it is just too reliant on button mashing. I'd rather make it to retirement and be able to enjoy myself than burn out on a game now.

When I have pain, I like to pick up a small weight (ie, 5 lbs) and lay on my back. I rotate my wrist in different ways, similar to the exercises that people have mentioned. I also find that using a 'stress ball' (like this one) can help to work the joint and get it moving properly.

I've been in physical therapy before, and the therapist told me a few things that I find helpful to remember. One is that you should try to exercise every day. When you forget or get complacent, the pain will return. Even 2 weeks without a proper exercise regimen can cause issues to return. The second thing I learned was: if the exercises seem inconvenient or are a pain in the butt, remember that your choices are either pain on your schedule or pain on pain's schedule.

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