You use your wrist often during your daily activities, making it more susceptible to injuries and sprains. That is why you need to consult a wrist sprain specialist such as Dr. Daniel Brereton in La Jolla to learn how you can avoid complications. You can do many things to keep your wrist safe, but you need to ensure you do it right. You can learn to fall the correct way, although accidents are inevitable, and also how to do some wrist strengthening exercises to build up and strengthen your wrist muscles. The following tips will help you:
Fall the Right Way
Most wrist injuries and sprains result from falls. Although falls can be unexpected, learning how to protect your hands during a fall can minimize your damage risks. Generally, remember to get your hands away from catching yourself when you fall. Instead, try to roll when you reach the ground if possible and tuck your arms to your body. It is essential to learn how to fall safely, particularly if you engage in sporting activities that increase your chances of fall.
Walk Carefully and Wear Appropriate Footwear
Sometimes your footwear increases your chances for falls. When working or walking on slippery or wet surfaces, please ensure you get the proper footwear, and tread carefully to minimize your fall risks. Focus on your steps when running or walking on snow or ice, or taking a shower on a slippery bathroom floor. Go slowly to gain control and help avoid falling.
Lift Objects With Two Hands
When you lift heavy objects with one hand, the weight is unevenly distributed and can cause sprains to your wrist. But with both hands lifting the object, the consequence will be balanced with the rest of your body’s weight. This will help you gain a more stable grip putting less pressure on each of your wrists. Additionally, you can opt to push large objects or ask for help.
Wear Protective Gears
Some specially designed items can help you avoid wrist sprains. You can wear protective tape or wrist guards when participating in skateboarding, skiing, skating, diving, weightlifting, and other sporting activities mainly prone to wrist sprains. You can also benefit by holding your poles strapless when skiing to protect your wrist. Most of these protective gears are readily available at the local stores.
Strengthen Your Grip
You can strengthen your grip using a gripper to avoid wrist sprains. Generally, you hold the gripper in your hands and squeeze it slowly roughly for about 3 seconds before releasing it slowly for about 3 seconds. You are to do this about ten times on one hand before switching to the other. Repeat the exercise about 3-4 times a week to build strength in your wrist to minimize your risks for sprains and injuries.
Balance Your Weight When Practicing
Smetimes you can experience wrist sprains after your routine exercise schedule due to an imbalance of weight. When engaging in exercises that involve holding your hands to the ground, do not spend much time with your body weight on your heart. Therefore, try spreading the weight to your fingers and balance it to avoid sprains afterward.
If you experience sprains often, let Dr. Brereton help you learn how you can avoid the issue. Remember, it is critical to seek expert advice before trying out any remedies to manage your condition.