Wrist & Thumb Exercises

Gentle routine for sore thumb-side wrists. About 10 minutes.

Warm up & stretch

Thumb lifts demonstration

1Thumb lifts

Rest your hand flat on a table, palm down. Slowly lift just the thumb up and away from the hand, then lower it back down.

2 sets10 reps
Thumb-to-fingertip touches demonstration

2Thumb-to-fingertip touches

Hand flat on the table. Touch your thumb to the tip of each finger in turn, index to little finger, then back. Keep it smooth and relaxed.

2 sets10 rounds
Thumb across the palm demonstration

3Thumb across the palm

With your other hand, gently guide the thumb across the palm toward the base of the little finger. Hold 5 seconds, then release.

2 sets10 reps
Gentle thumb-side stretch demonstration

4Gentle thumb-side stretch

Tuck your thumb into a loose fist. Tilt your wrist gently down toward the little finger until you feel a mild stretch on the thumb side of the wrist. Do not push into pain.

3 timeshold 15–20 sec

Wrist movement

Wrist curl up (light weight) demonstration

5Wrist curl up (light weight)

Forearm on the table, palm up, holding a very light weight (a small tin works). Slowly curl the wrist up, then lower it.

2 sets10 reps
Wrist lift (light weight) demonstration

6Wrist lift (light weight)

Forearm on the table, palm down, holding the same light weight. Slowly lift the back of the hand up, then lower it.

2 sets10 reps

Strengthen (once pain is settling)

Wrist raise, thumb side (light weight) demonstration

7Wrist raise, thumb side (light weight)

Hold a very light weight, like a small tin or 0.5 kg, with the thumb pointing up. Slowly tilt the hand up toward the ceiling, then back to the start.

2 sets10 reps
Slow lowering with band demonstration

8Slow lowering with band

Sit with a resistance band under your foot, thumb up. Use your other hand to lift the band, then let the sore wrist lower it slowly, counting 4 seconds.

3 sets10 reps
Soft ball squeeze demonstration

9Soft ball squeeze

Squeeze a soft ball gently, hold 5 seconds, then slowly let go.

2 sets10 reps
Finger spring (rubber band) demonstration

10Finger spring (rubber band)

Put a small rubber band around your fingers and thumb. Slowly open them against the band, then close again.

2 sets10 reps

Understand it

What is it?

De Quervain's tenosynovitis, often called "mommy thumb", is pain on the thumb side of the wrist. Two thumb tendons become irritated and swollen where they pass through a small tunnel near the wrist.

It hurts when you grip, pinch, lift your baby, or twist the wrist. You may feel tenderness and swelling at the base of the thumb, and sometimes a catching feeling.

Sore spot at the wrist Two thumb tendons (blue) forearm fingers thumb
Back of the hand and wrist (simplified). The two tendons run side by side along the thumb edge of the wrist.
Why does it happen?
  • Repeated lifting and carrying of a baby, with the thumb spread wide and the wrist bent.
  • Repeated thumb work: feeding positions, phone use, pinching, opening jars.
  • Hormones and fluid during pregnancy, after birth and while breastfeeding can make tissues puffier and tighter.
  • Tired, deconditioned forearms, so the tendons take more load than they are used to.

It is much more common in women, especially in the months around pregnancy and the first year with a baby.

The root cause

It comes down to too much load on a tight space. The tendons slide through a narrow tunnel every time the thumb moves. If the thumb and wrist are used a lot, in awkward positions, the tendons rub against the tunnel.

The rubbing irritates and thickens the tunnel lining, which makes the tunnel tighter, which makes the rubbing worse. That loop is why it keeps hurting even when you are not doing much.

Healthy: room to glide Irritated: tight and rubbing tunnel roof (band)
Cut straight across the wrist. Bone at the bottom, tendons (blue) inside a tunnel with a band as its roof.
The basics
  • Tendons are the cords that connect muscle to bone. The two involved here pull the thumb up and out.
  • The tunnel keeps the tendons snug against the bone so they glide in a straight line.
  • Healthy tendons like regular, moderate load. Too much, too suddenly, is what irritates them. Total rest is not the goal either.
  • Position matters. A straight wrist is easy on the tendons. A wrist bent toward the little finger with the thumb wide puts the most strain on them.
Wrist straight tendons slide easily Wrist bent, thumb wide tendons strained
Side view. The red circle marks the strain point when the wrist bends toward the little finger with the thumb spread.

So the plan is: calm the irritation (rest from the painful positions, a thumb brace if needed), keep gentle movement going (the stretches above), then rebuild strength so the tendons can handle daily life.

How to avoid it
  • Lift your baby with your whole hand and forearm, with your palms under their bottom and back. Avoid lifting with the thumbs hooked under the armpits and the wrist bent.
  • Keep the wrist straight when you can: while feeding, carrying, and holding your phone.
  • Use pillows to support the baby during feeding so your hands don't hold the weight.
  • Hold your phone in the palm and take breaks from typing with the thumbs.
  • Switch hands and share the load with the other arm.
  • Do the stretches and strength exercises above a few times a week, even when it feels fine.
  • Act early. At the first twinge, ease off the painful movement and use a thumb brace for the heavy tasks.

If pain keeps getting worse or doesn't ease after a couple of weeks, check with a doctor or physiotherapist.