How to Crack Your Wrist

Throughout the day, your hands and wrists are in constant use. If your wrists feel locked up and need a good crack, try a variety of stretches. Rotate and roll your wrists, then outstretch your arms and bend your wrists up and down. You can also try massaging your wrists to realign the joints. While cracking a joint can offer a sense of relief, obey your body's limits, and don’t try to exceed your natural range of motion.

Method 1 - Doing Wrist Rotations and Rolls

1

→ Make circles with your wrists using your full range of motion. Hold up your hands with your elbows bent at 90-degree angles and palms facing forward. Relax your fingers, and slowly rotate your wrists inward and down towards your body. Turn your wrists as far as you comfortably can until your palms face your body.

→ Once your palms face your body, rotate your wrists slowly so your palms face forward. Repeat the steps to make a total of 10 circles.

→ You can sit or stand while doing wrist rotations.

→ Try making fists with your hands when you do wrist circles. Making fists while rotating your wrists can improve blood flow to your hands.

2

→ Rotate your wrists with your arms stretched out straight. Hold your arms shoulder-width apart in front of you with your palms facing down. Relax your fingers, and slowly rotate both wrists in clockwise circles. As you make circles, bend your wrists as far up, to the sides, and down as you can.

→ Do 10 clockwise circles, then switch directions and do 10 counterclockwise circles.

3

→ Roll your wrists and arms. Start with your arms outstretched in front of you with your palms facing up. Slowly bend your wrists to bring your fingers toward your forearms. Bend your elbows to bring your knuckles to your shoulders, then raise your arms so your elbows point straight up.

→ Try to roll your wrists and arms with a smooth, continuous motion. Hold your arms above your head for 5 seconds, then slowly unroll your arms back to the starting position. Repeat the steps to complete 10 wrist and arm rolls.

Method 2 - Trying Flexion and Extension Stretches

1

→ Hold your left arm straight in front of you. Start with 1 arm comfortably outstretched at shoulder height. Relax your fingers and position your hand so your palm faces the floor.

→ Stand or sit while doing flexion and extension stretches. Whether you’re sitting or standing, maintain good posture, and keep your head in a neutral, forward-facing position.

2

→ Pull your left wrist downward with your right hand. Hold the top of your left hand with your right fingers. Gently pull your wrist downward to bring your palm toward the underside of your forearm. Extend your wrist gently, and don’t force it to bend past your natural range of motion.

→ Hold the downward stretch for 15 to 30 seconds.

3

→ Stretch your left wrist upward with your right hand. After stretching downward, which is an extension stretch, return to the starting position with your palm facing the floor. Grasp your left fingers with your right hand, and gently bend your left wrist backward as far as you comfortably can.

→ Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. This upward stretch is called a flexion stretch.

4

→ Do 3 upward and downward stretches, then switch arms. Repeat the steps on your left wrist to do a total of 3 downward stretches and 3 upward stretches. After that, raise your right arm and do 3 of each stretch on your other wrist.

5

→ Repeat the stretches with your palms facing up. Raise 1 arm in front of you, but hold your palm so it faces the ceiling this time. Repeat the steps to bend your wrist up and down with your opposite hand 3 times each. Then switch arms and stretch the other wrist.

→ Stretching with your palms facing up and down targets different parts of your wrists and forearms.

6

→ Take regular stretch breaks at work. Take a few minutes every hour or so to do flexion, extension, and other wrist stretches. Stretching can feel good if you need to crack your wrists, but it's also wise to stretch them routinely.

→ It's especially important to stretch your wrists and other parts of your body if you work at a desk job or type a lot.

Method 3 - Massaging Your Wrist

1

→ Hold your left wrist up with your elbow bent. Bend your left elbow at a 90-degree angle and raise your hand to a comfortable level. Position your hand so your palm faces outward and the back of your wrist faces you.

→ Try to relax your left fingers and wrist as much as you can.

2

→ Push gently on the back of your wrist as you bend it. Hold your left wrist with your right hand. Place your right fingers over the bottom of your left palm, and your right thumb against the back of your left wrist. Apply gentle pressure with your right thumb as you pull your wrist back toward your forearm.

→ Start with your thumb on 1 side of the back of your wrist. Push once at that spot, then apply pressure in the middle of your wrist joint, then press on the side opposite the first.

→ As you use your wrist throughout the day, it falls out of alignment. Applying gentle pressure can help realign the joint. You might hear some cracking as you massage and realign your wrist.

TIPS

→ As long as there’s no pain or swelling, cracking joints is normal. It doesn’t cause arthritis or any other joint issues. However, if any joints crack and you experience pain, redness, or swelling, schedule an appointment with your doctor.