Helpful Exercises for Wrist and Arm Pain

This spring, I began to experience a lot of pain in my forearm and wrist. It’s no wonder, because my entire job is computer-based, with a lot of mouse and keyboard activity. And when I get home from work, I start on my weekly homework for my digital art class. Suffice to say, I am on the computer in some capacity for probably 8 to 12 hours per day, depending on the week. It is no surprise I started experiencing wrist pain!

Even an ergonomic mouse and an Apple trackpad proved insufficient to alleviate my discomfort. Stretching my arm and wrist was no good. Every online remedy boiled down to resting the limb and limiting activity. That would have been nice, but it was not possible.

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I could not afford another doctor’s office visit thanks to a gap in my health insurance beyond my control. I do not like to take painkillers on a regular basis and was at a loss, feeling stressed, defeated, and in constant pain. So, on a whim, I plugged my symptoms into YouTube and clicked on the first video that wasn’t a sponsored search result. It was a video by Coach E, or Eric Wong, a fitness coach and trainer with a degree in kinesiology, or the study of movement (yes, I had to look that up!). I was surprised at the recommendation to avoid stretching, but his explanation made sense. It also explained why stretching my forearm had not helped my pain in the slightest. The alternative exercises focused instead on ASMR—not autonomous sensory meridian response, but active self-myofascial release.

I admit I was dubious, and ASMR sounded to me like hocus pocus, but I was desperate and willing to try anything. After watching the full video, I decided to follow along with the exercises, repeating them as directed. Within hours, I realized my pain had improved by approximately 75 to 80 percent. I no longer had constant pain. To say I was amazed would be an understatement.

The next day at work, I repeated these exercises every hour or so while at my computer. My pain continued to improve, but it wasn’t gone entirely and was more relegated now to my wrist. I began to have concerns about carpal tunnel syndrome. Over my lunch break one day, I again took to YouTube, this time specifically searching for carpal tunnel relief. I came across another video, this one by Dr. Tony Comella, a physical therapist.

Again I followed along with the video and repeated the exercises every hour or so while at my desk. I kept this up every day for an entire week.

Today, I am happy to report that my arm has been completely pain free for over six weeks. I continue to follow these exercises as needed, and I recently graduated with my bachelor of arts—meaning I have been able to cut back on computer time. That has also helped immensely in mitigating arm and wrist pain.

I am thankful for the resources that doctors and other professionals have shared online. They have helped me, and I hope they help others too.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, physical therapist, or expert on wrist pain—I am only sharing what has worked for me. It is always best practice to consult with your physician if you are experiencing prolonged and disruptive pain. This article is not meant to be a stand-in for real medical treatment and care.