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Weight-Bearing Through Extended Wrist exercise demonstration
Exercise library

Weight-Bearing Through Extended Wrist

Gradually loading body weight through a flat, extended hand to rebuild wrist tolerance for daily tasks.

Area
Wrist
Stage
Return to function
Equipment
A firm table or worktop

Typical dose: Hold 20s × 3 · once a day, 6 days a week. This is a general starting point, not a plan matched to your condition or stage.

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How to do it

You need: A firm table or worktop.

Stand at a firm table with your palm flat on the surface, fingers spread and pointing forwards and your elbow straight. Start with only a little weight going through the arm.

  1. Slowly lean some of your body weight forwards through the flat hand.
  2. Hold for a few seconds, feeling a stretch and firm pressure across the front of the wrist.
  3. Ease the weight back off the hand.
  4. Over the days, lean a little further so the wrist bends back more and takes more load.

Form cues

  • The load builds gradually - a stretch and firm pressure are fine, sharp pain is not.
  • Your fingers stay spread and your whole palm stays in contact with the surface.
  • Keep the elbow straight but not locked hard.

Common mistakes

  • Dropping a lot of weight onto the wrist quickly.
  • Pushing into sharp pain at the back of the wrist.
  • Moving on to taking weight on all fours before the standing version is comfortable.

Safety: Stop and message your physio if the wrist swells, clicks painfully, or the pain is clearly worse the next day.

Part of these recovery programmes

This exercise is one step in a staged plan for the conditions below. Each link opens the full programme and shows where this exercise fits.

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