Your Basic Trainer

Library / Stretches

Wrist flexor stretch

Also called forearm flexor stretch, wrist extension stretch

A forearm stretch that bends the wrist and fingers back. What studies of forearm-flexor stretching and wrist-extension positions measured, from muscle stiffness and grip to the median nerve.

Region
Wrist & hand
Muscles
flexor carpi radialis, flexor carpi ulnaris, flexor digitorum superficialis, flexor digitorum profundus
Updated
October 23, 2026
Reviewed
October 23, 2026 · how entries are checked

Movement

What the studies actually tested

The research behind this page comes from two kinds of study, and neither tested this stretch by name. The muscle findings come from static stretches of the forearm flexors, the finger flexors, or both1,2,7. The nerve findings come from holding the wrist in extension, bent back, and from nerve-tension tests8,9.

The stretching studies used these set-ups1,2:

  • Static stretches of the forearm flexors held for between 30 and 300 seconds, in 17 healthy men1.
  • A single 30-second static stretch (the abstract does not name the muscles stretched), with wrist range measured before and after, in 20 active older women10.
  • A bout of static stretching of the finger flexors of one hand, in 30 participants2.
  • Three 50-second stretches of the flexor carpi radialis (a forearm muscle that bends the wrist) and the finger flexors, in 26 healthy men7.

How the arm position matters

The position of the rest of the arm also matters to the nerve3. In an ultrasound study of healthy people, bending the elbow or lowering the shoulder unloaded the median nerve3. The same study estimated the added strain with the arm out to the side, the elbow straight and the wrist back 60 degrees3.

What it loads

The forearm and finger flexors

One study of forearm-flexor stretching, in 17 healthy men, measured wrist range of motion and passive stiffness in those muscles1. Stiffness is how much force it takes to stretch something by a given amount, and passive means with the muscle not contracting. It also measured blood flow in the forearm flexors1. The tendons of nine front-of-forearm muscles pass through the carpal tunnel into the hand, together with a major nerve11. The carpal tunnel is a passage at the front of the wrist, and forearm tendons slide back and forth through it11.

The median nerve

The median nerve travels through the carpal tunnel beside those tendons11. The median nerve also supplies most of the forearm flexor muscles12. In a cadaver study (bodies donated for study) of ten arms, wrist and finger motion moved the nerve most at the wrist13.

In that cadaver study, these movements slid the nerve at the wrist13:

Nerve slide at the wristWrist from 60 degrees back to 65 degrees forward19.6 mmFingers from bent fully back to fully bent9.7 mm
Nerve slide at the wrist (mm). Bars start at zero; the table below gives each value with its source.
MovementNerve slide at the wrist
Wrist from 60 degrees back to 65 degrees forward19.6 mm13
Fingers from bent fully back to fully bent9.7 mm13

The finger movement also changed nerve strain by 19.0%, and more so when the wrist and fingers moved together13. Strain here means how far something stretches as a share of its resting length. In another cadaver study of 12 arms held with the wrist back 60 degrees, strain inside the carpal tunnel averaged 8.07%8. Just above the tunnel, it averaged 5.21%8.

How much strain in living people

Studies in living people also measured strain3. In healthy people, 40 degrees of wrist extension added a mean 1.1% strain to the nerve in the forearm3. With the whole arm extended, the authors estimated 2.5 to 3.0% extra strain, likely below levels that harm its blood flow or signals3. A review of 12 studies in living people found a maximum reported median nerve strain of 2.0%14. Another review, of 22 studies, found that raised nerve strain was not a major finding of limb movement15.

The first cadaver study’s authors noted that constant strains of the size they measured have reduced nerve blood flow and signalling in rabbits13.

The nerve’s shape and the pressure around it

Bending the wrist back also changed the nerve’s shape and the space around it16,17:

  • In 16 healthy volunteers, the nerve’s cross-sectional area in the forearm was smallest when the wrist was passively bent back16.
  • In 53 men and women, the nerve’s area at the entrance to the carpal tunnel shrank with extension18.
  • MRI is a scan that shows soft tissue in detail. In an MRI study of 14 volunteers, the carpal tunnel was larger with the wrist back 45 degrees than in neutral, its natural resting position17.

In 20 control subjects, the lowest pressure averaged 8 mmHg (millimetres of mercury), with the wrist almost straight19. In 37 healthy people, pressure reached 30 mmHg in a quarter of them by about 33 degrees of extension20.

What nerve-tension tests show

In 35 men without symptoms, adding wrist extension to a median-nerve tension test cut how far the elbow could straighten before discomfort9. The elbow’s range fell from 179.5 to 169.0 degrees9. Sensations appeared mainly where a movement such as wrist extension was added9. The authors report that lengthening the nerve’s path along the whole arm cuts range sharply and can bring sensations throughout the arm9.

How the body adapts

Range and stiffness after one stretch

The evidence here covers the minutes after a stretch1,2. In 17 healthy men, forearm-flexor stretches held 180 seconds or longer raised wrist range more than holds of 30 or 60 seconds1. Over 9 minutes of follow-up, the longer holds also gave longer-lasting drops in passive stiffness1. Blood flow in the muscles rose straight after each stretch and was back to baseline within 3 minutes, whatever the hold1.

The authors of the same study concluded that the gains in flexibility seem mainly tied to stretch tolerance (how much stretch a person will accept)1. In 20 active older women, a single 30-second static stretch also raised wrist range10.

Grip straight after stretching

Studies of grip after stretching found different things2,10:

  • In 20 active older women, a single 30-second stretch did not significantly change peak grip force or how fast force built up10.
  • In 30 participants, stretching the finger flexors of one hand lowered its peak grip force by 4.4% and muscle activity by 6.4%. The other hand did not change2.
  • In the same 30 participants, the rate of force development (how fast grip force builds) fell in both hands one minute later2. It fell 17.3% in the stretched hand and 10.8% in the other, and stayed similarly lower 15 minutes later2.
  • In 26 healthy men, muscle activity rose faster during a held effort below maximum after stretching. The authors suggest stretching may increase fatigue7.

Held stretching after stroke

The findings on this page from people after a stroke come from a 2019 meta-analysis, and the evidence is of low to very low quality23. It found very low-quality evidence that stretching with positioning braces reduced wrist-flexor spasticity (muscle stiffness from overactive reflexes) compared with no therapy23. That analysis pooled 3 studies of 57 participants23. Stretching by simple positioning was not better than conventional physiotherapy for wrist extension range, on low-quality evidence23.

In people with carpal tunnel syndrome

How the wrist position behaves

A 2024 guideline from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons describes carpal tunnel syndrome as compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel4. One study measured pressure in the tunnel with the wrist neutral and bent back 90 degrees24:

GroupPressure, wrist neutralPressure, wrist back 90 degrees
15 people with carpal tunnel syndrome32 mmHg24110 mmHg24
12 controls2.5 mmHg2430 mmHg24

In a pilot study of 30 people, holding the wrist bent back changed sensory test thresholds in the carpal tunnel syndrome group25. A meta-analysis of 12 studies found the median nerve moved less in people with carpal tunnel syndrome26. In one ultrasound study, the nerve glided less in 49 people with the condition than in 48 healthy volunteers. This held with the wrist neutral or back 30 degrees27. In that group, the nerve and a finger tendon moved further with the wrist back 30 degrees than in neutral27.

What reviews of nerve exercises found

These reviews tested nerve-gliding and mobilisation exercises, not this stretch, and their findings conflict5,6:

  • A 2023 meta-analysis pooled 12 randomised trials (studies that assign people to groups by chance), with 1,003 participants. It found lower symptom scores and pain, but no significant difference in grip strength. It noted high variation and some risk of bias (flaws that may skew results)5.
  • Another 2023 meta-analysis, of 25 randomised trials, found low to very low-quality evidence of no clinical benefit in mild to moderate cases. It still saw some statistical gains over no intervention6.
  • A 2017 meta-analysis found nerve mobilisation did not help most clinical outcomes, though it showed some nerve effects, such as less swelling inside the nerve28.
  • A 2017 review of 13 trials found limited evidence. Most reported improvements, head-to-head results were mixed, and 6 were low quality29.
  • A 2012 Cochrane review (a review done to the Cochrane Collaboration’s standards) of 16 trials (741 participants) found limited, very low-quality evidence of benefit30. Only two trials measured side effects, too few for firm conclusions on safety30.

Progressive overload

A 2026 position stand on resistance training describes progressive overload as the need to increase the stimulus placed on the muscle throughout a training programme31. Studies of forearm-flexor stretching have varied hold time, sets, stretch force and stretch style1,32,33.

Longer holds

One study compared four hold times in 17 healthy men: 30, 60, 180 and 300 seconds1. Holds of 180 seconds or longer raised wrist range more than holds of 30 or 60 seconds1. Over up to 9 minutes afterwards, they also gave longer-lasting drops in passive stiffness1.

Repeated sets and stretch force

One study gave 11 healthy young adults five 1-minute sets of passive forearm stretching, with 15 seconds of rest between sets32. The study describes it as passive forearm stretching, not as this stretch by name32. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity rose, and mean blood pressure went up by a mean 10 mmHg (millimetres of mercury)32. All the measures were back to baseline within 15 to 30 minutes32. The torque (turning force) during the stretch correlated with the rise in sympathetic activity, and the authors call the response load-dependent32.

Held or moving stretches after stroke

A crossover trial (each person tries every option in turn) tested a robotic wrist-stretching device in 31 people with wrist-flexor spasticity after stroke33. It compared 3-minute sessions of dynamic stretching, done with movement rather than a hold, to 30 or 60 degrees against static stretching at 60 degrees33. Both dynamic sessions lowered spasticity scores more than static stretching33. They also gave larger gains in wrist and finger extension range33. The authors conclude that a 60-degree angle, 80% of the normal range, is enough for significant range gains33.

Connections

The nerve and the condition

Bending the wrist back added strain to the median nerve in the forearm in one ultrasound study of healthy people3. A cadaver study measured strain in the nerve at the wrist with the wrist held back8. The same position has been studied in carpal tunnel syndrome, where it raised carpal tunnel pressure in one study of 15 people24.

In one study of this kind of stretch, 26 healthy men stretched the flexor carpi radialis and the finger flexors7. The wrist curl entry reports that in 40 healthy arms holding a wrist-flexion effort, the flexor carpi radialis worked harder with the palm up34.

Inner elbow pain

No trial of this stretch in golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis) turned up in one review35. That 2013 systematic review (a set, checkable search of the research on a question) looked for exercise trials in inner and outer elbow pain35. All 12 trials it found were in tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), none in golfer’s elbow35.

Wrist flexor stretch lengthens the bed of

Wrist flexor stretch uses the wrist position studied in

Wrist flexor stretch stretches the muscles worked by

Wrist flexor stretch is progressed by

Sources

  1. Iwata M, Matsuo S, Ito K, Fukaya T, Hatano G, Miyazaki M, Tsuchida W, Ota H, Noritake K, Asai Y (2026). Static stretching duration-dependent changes in flexibility, muscle oxygen saturation, and blood flow in the forearm flexors.. Scientific reports. doi:10.1038/s41598-026-60707-3 PMID 42414377
  2. Jelmini JD, Cornwell A, Khodiguian N, Thayer J, Araujo AJ (2018). Acute effects of unilateral static stretching on handgrip strength of the stretched and non-stretched limb.. European journal of applied physiology. doi:10.1007/s00421-018-3810-6 PMID 29453756
  3. Dilley A, Lynn B, Greening J, DeLeon N (2003). Quantitative in vivo studies of median nerve sliding in response to wrist, elbow, shoulder and neck movements.. Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon). doi:10.1016/s0268-0033(03)00176-1 PMID 14580833
  4. Shapiro LM, Kamal R, Brault J, Chen K, Erickson M, Martin D, Naam N, Raizman N, Strelzow J, Chamberlain A, Murray J, Sevarino K, Casambre F, Jebamony K, Donnelly P, Rodriguez J, McGiveny A, Knowles L, Tiwari A, Verity T, Krause B (2025). American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Clinical Practice Guideline Summary Management of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-24-01179 PMID 39637428
  5. Zaheer SA, Ahmed Z (2023). Neurodynamic Techniques in the Treatment of Mild-to-Moderate Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.. Journal of Clinical Medicine. doi:10.3390/jcm12154888 PMID 37568290
  6. Paraskevopoulos E, Karanasios S, Gioftsos G, Tatsios P, Koumantakis G, Papandreou M (2023). The effectiveness of neuromobilization exercises in carpal tunnel syndrome: Systematic review and meta-analysis.. Physiotherapy theory and practice. doi:10.1080/09593985.2022.2068097 PMID 35481794
  7. Trajano G, Pinho C, Costa P, Oliveira C (2015). Static stretching increases muscle fatigue during submaximal sustained isometric contractions.. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness. PMID 25642683
  8. Takashima K, Teramoto A, Aoki M, Miyamoto H, Hidaka E, Shirato R, Ozasa Y, Saito A, Emori M, Yamashita T, Iba K (2023). Measurement of the median nerve strain within the carpal tunnel using a capacitance-type strain sensor: A cadaver study.. Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon). doi:10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2023.105894 PMID 36706625
  9. Coppieters MW, Stappaerts KH, Everaert DG, Staes FF (2001). Addition of test components during neurodynamic testing: effect on range of motion and sensory responses.. The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy. doi:10.2519/jospt.2001.31.5.226 PMID 11352189
  10. Palmer TB, Palmer BM (2025). Acute Effects of Static Stretching on Handgrip Strength and Wrist Joint Flexibility in Physically Active Older Women.. Journal of aging and physical activity. doi:10.1123/japa.2024-0344 PMID 40015283
  11. Betts JG, Young KA, Wise JA, Johnson E, Poe B, Kruse DH, Korol O, Johnson JE, Womble M, DeSaix P (2022). Anatomy and Physiology 2e. OpenStax. Link
  12. Murphy KA, Ryan N, Fakoya AO (2025). Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Median Nerve.. StatPearls. PMID 28846302
  13. Wright TW, Glowczewskie F, Wheeler D, Miller G, Cowin D (1996). Excursion and strain of the median nerve.. The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume. doi:10.2106/00004623-199612000-00013 PMID 8986667
  14. Silva A, Manso A, Andrade R, Domingues V, Brandão MP, Silva AG (2014). Quantitative in vivo longitudinal nerve excursion and strain in response to joint movement: A systematic literature review.. Clinical Biomechanics. doi:10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2014.07.006 PMID 25168082
  15. Szikszay T, Hall T, von Piekartz H (2017). In vivo effects of limb movement on nerve stretch, strain, and tension: A systematic review.. Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation. doi:10.3233/BMR-169720 PMID 28869435
  16. Jengojan S, Schellen C, Dovjak G, Schmidhammer R, Weber M, Kasprian G, Bodner G (2021). High-resolution ultrasound demonstrates in vivo effects of wrist movement on the median nerve along the forearm.. Muscle & nerve. doi:10.1002/mus.27403 PMID 34423460
  17. Skie M, Zeiss J, Ebraheim NA, Jackson WT (1990). Carpal tunnel changes and median nerve compression during wrist flexion and extension seen by magnetic resonance imaging.. The Journal of hand surgery. doi:10.1016/0363-5023(90)90019-n PMID 2269787
  18. Loh PY, Muraki S (2015). Effect of wrist angle on median nerve appearance at the proximal carpal tunnel.. PloS one. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117930 PMID 25658422
  19. Weiss ND, Gordon L, Bloom T, So Y, Rempel DM (1995). Position of the wrist associated with the lowest carpal-tunnel pressure. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. American Volume. doi:10.2106/00004623-199511000-00008 PMID 7593079
  20. Keir PJ, Bach JM, Hudes M, Rempel DM (2007). Guidelines for wrist posture based on carpal tunnel pressure thresholds.. Human Factors. doi:10.1518/001872007779598127 PMID 17315846
  21. Coppieters MW, Alshami AM (2007). Longitudinal excursion and strain in the median nerve during novel nerve gliding exercises for carpal tunnel syndrome.. Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society. doi:10.1002/jor.20310 PMID 17415752
  22. Coppieters MW, Butler DS (2008). Do 'sliders' slide and 'tensioners' tension? An analysis of neurodynamic techniques and considerations regarding their application.. Manual therapy. doi:10.1016/j.math.2006.12.008 PMID 17398140
  23. Salazar AP, Pinto C, Ruschel Mossi JV, Figueiro B, Lukrafka JL, Pagnussat AS (2019). Effectiveness of static stretching positioning on post-stroke upper-limb spasticity and mobility: Systematic review with meta-analysis.. Annals of physical and rehabilitation medicine. doi:10.1016/j.rehab.2018.11.004 PMID 30582986
  24. Gelberman RH, Hergenroeder PT, Hargens AR, Lundborg GN, Akeson WH (1981). The carpal tunnel syndrome. A study of carpal canal pressures.. The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume. PMID 7204435
  25. Aird J, Cady R, Nagi H, Kullar S, MacDermid JC (2006). The impact of wrist extension provocation on current perception thresholds in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome: a pilot study.. Journal of hand therapy : official journal of the American Society of Hand Therapists. doi:10.1197/j.jht.2006.04.004 PMID 16861129
  26. Lin MT, Liu IC, Chang HP, Wu CH (2023). Impaired median nerve mobility in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.. European Radiology. doi:10.1007/s00330-022-09262-9 PMID 36394604
  27. Liu CT, Liu DH, Chen CJ, Wang YW, Wu PS, Horng YS (2021). Effects of wrist extension on median nerve and flexor tendon excursions in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome: a case control study.. BMC musculoskeletal disorders. doi:10.1186/s12891-021-04349-8 PMID 34030693
  28. Basson A, Olivier B, Ellis R, Coppieters M, Stewart A, Mudzi W (2017). The Effectiveness of Neural Mobilization for Neuromusculoskeletal Conditions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.. The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.7117 PMID 28704626
  29. Ballestero-Pérez R, Plaza-Manzano G, Urraca-Gesto A, Romo-Romo F, Atín-Arratibel MLÁ, Pecos-Martín D, Gallego-Izquierdo T, Romero-Franco N (2017). Effectiveness of Nerve Gliding Exercises on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Systematic Review.. Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics. doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2016.10.004 PMID 27842937
  30. Page MJ, O'Connor D, Pitt V, Massy-Westropp N (2012). Exercise and mobilisation interventions for carpal tunnel syndrome.. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD009899 PMID 22696387
  31. Currier BS, D'Souza AC, Singh MAF, Lowisz CV, Rawson ES, Schoenfeld BJ, Smith-Ryan AE, et al (2026). American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews.. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000003897 PMID 41843416
  32. Lehnen GCS, Araujo MS, Neri JV, Guerrero RVD, Cunha GMR, Silva BM, Trajano GS, Vianna LC (2026). Passive forearm stretching evokes robust and load-dependent muscle sympathetic nerve activity responses in humans.. American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00021.2026 PMID 41944649
  33. Fan SC, Chiu HP (2026). Comparative effects of dynamic and static stretching on spasticity reduction in stroke patients using a robotic hand-wrist stretching device.. Topics in stroke rehabilitation. doi:10.1080/10749357.2025.2566134 PMID 40995839
  34. Ikeda K, Kaneoka K, Matsunaga N, Ikumi A, Yamazaki M, Yoshii Y (2025). Effects of forearm rotation on wrist flexor and extensor muscle activities.. Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research. doi:10.1186/s13018-024-05363-x PMID 39819577
  35. Hoogvliet P, Randsdorp MS, Dingemanse R, Koes BW, Huisstede BM (2013). Does effectiveness of exercise therapy and mobilisation techniques offer guidance for the treatment of lateral and medial epicondylitis? A systematic review.. British journal of sports medicine. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2012-091990 PMID 23709519

Every source the library cites

Changes

  • Added a Progressive overload section.
  • Re-reviewed after a published correction to a cited source was read and recorded; no change to the page.
  • First published.