You move your wrist using a complex interplay of bones, muscles, and ligaments. The wrist's flexibility allows for a wide range of motion, enabling everyday actions like turning a doorknob or typing on a keyboard.
Wrist Anatomy and Movement
The wrist joint, also known as the radiocarpal joint, is where the radius bone in your forearm connects to the carpal bones (small bones in your hand). Muscles in your forearm, such as the flexor carpi radialis, extensor carpi ulnaris, and numerous others, control wrist movement. These muscles contract and relax to flex (bend), extend (straighten), abduct (move away from the body), and adduct (move towards the body) the wrist. The interossei muscles, located between the metacarpal bones in your palm, help with side-to-side finger movements, which indirectly affects overall wrist dexterity. (Anatomy of the Hand & Wrist: Bones, Muscles & Ligaments).
Several sources mention that problems moving your wrist can be indicative of injury. A sprained wrist, for example, is caused by stretching or twisting wrist ligaments too far. (Wrist Sprains: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment). Similarly, a wrist fracture may limit or entirely prevent movement. (Wrist Fracture: Symptoms and Treatment | The Hand Society). Even soft tissue injuries can restrict your wrist's range of motion. (Soft Tissue Injury: Wrist and Hand | Hull University Teaching ...)
Types of Wrist Movement
We can break down wrist movements into several categories:
- Flexion: Bending your wrist towards your forearm (palms down).
- Extension: Straightening your wrist (palms up).
- Radial Deviation: Bending your wrist towards the thumb side.
- Ulnar Deviation: Bending your wrist towards the pinky finger side.
Practical Implications
Understanding how your wrist moves is essential for preventing injury and maintaining dexterity. Gentle exercises and stretches can help improve flexibility and range of motion, particularly after injury or periods of inactivity. The provided YouTube video snippet mentions repeating a wrist exercise five times and then switching wrists, demonstrating the importance of symmetrical movement and controlled repetition for wrist health. (How to Reset Your Wrist - YouTube) However, if you experience significant pain or inability to move your wrist, seek medical attention.
