Beginner

Wrist Ulnar Deviation Stretch

The partner to the radial deviation stretch, this one targets the thumb-side muscles that run up the outer forearm. Those tissues tighten with mouse use, phone scrolling, and repetitive lifting. Together the two deviation stretches round out full wrist mobility.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Forearms
Type
Stretching
Browse by muscle
Brachioradialis
Muscles worked
Target
Brachioradialis
Secondary
Extensors

How to do it

  1. 1

    Rest your forearm on a table on its little-finger edge, thumb pointing up, with the hand hanging past the edge.

  2. 2

    Keep the forearm anchored and slowly bend the wrist so the little-finger side drops toward the floor.

  3. 3

    Add a gentle assist from the other hand at the end of the range if you want more.

  4. 4

    Hold at a comfortable stretch along the thumb side of the forearm for 20 seconds.

  5. 5

    Return to neutral and repeat twice per side.

Tips

  • Keep movements small and slow; the wrist joint has limited side-to-side range.
  • Let the fingers stay relaxed so tension does not creep into the hand.
  • Feel the stretch along the outer forearm, not inside the joint itself.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • This direction has more range than the radial tilt, so it is easy to keep going past the point of a stretch; the tilt should stop where the outer forearm pulls, not where the hand runs out of room.
  • The elbow lifts off the table as the hand drops, and the whole forearm travels down with it, so the wrist ends up in much the same position it started in.
  • Tilting from a palm-down or palm-up position turns the drop into a different movement entirely; the thumb points at the ceiling for this one.
  • Both hands get hung off the same table edge at once, which leaves neither forearm anchored and the tilt shallow on both sides; work one wrist at a time.
  • The mouse hand is the only one that gets stretched, since that is the side that aches by evening, and the other wrist loses side-to-side range every bit as quietly.

Frequently asked

How long should you hold the wrist ulnar deviation stretch?
Twenty seconds, twice per side, which is what the steps describe and takes under two minutes for both wrists. Spread it through the day in desk breaks rather than saving it for one long session, because the thumb-side forearm responds better to being visited often. If 20 seconds feels like nothing at all, the tilt is probably stopping short of where the outer forearm starts to pull. As it gets easier, hold the tilt steadier rather than longer, and add the radial version so the joint is covered both ways.
How can I get more out of the wrist ulnar deviation stretch, or make it gentler?
Gentler: keep the elbow bent near a right angle and let the hand tilt under its own weight alone, stopping at the first hint of a pull. More: straighten the elbow so the thumb-side muscles are long at both ends, let the hand hang a few inches further past the edge, and add a light assist from the other hand on the outside edge of the palm. Add a third hold before you add force, and keep the fingers soft throughout.
What is the wrist ulnar deviation stretch good for?
It lengthens the thumb-side forearm, the muscles loaded by mouse work, phone scrolling, hammer curls, and carrying bags with a stiff wrist, which makes it a sensible desk break and a companion to flexor and extensor stretching. It is a poor answer to pain at the base of the thumb or along the thumb side of the wrist that persists for weeks; that needs assessing rather than stretching. It also does nothing for a wrist that feels unsteady under a heavy grip, which is a strength problem.

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