Do you type or use a mouse a lot? How about a game controller? Do you get pain or feelings of tightness in your forearms, wrists or hands? How about signs of inflammation: heat, redness or swelling?

Try a contrast arm bath to refresh, renew and revitalise your tissue:

1. Fill two tubs or sinks, large enough to submerge your forearms, one with warm or hot water and the other with cool or cold. **Be careful: if the difference in temperature is too great, you can burn your skin even if the actual temperature of the water isn’t that extreme.**
2. Submerge your forearms in the warm water for 3 minutes, then in the cool water for 1 minute. Going from warm to cold can be shocking, so be warned.
3. Repeat 3 times. You can stay in either side longer or do more repetitions if you like, but finish in the cool water.

As a massage therapist, this is something I do on a regular basis to counteract the effects of working with my hands all day.

Here’s how it works:

• Heat draws fresh blood to the area, bringing fresh nutrients. Heat also softens and relaxes the muscles and connective tissue (tendons and ligaments).
• Cool and cold applications cause the blood vessels to constrict, flushing away metabolic waste products.
• The repeated contrast has a pumping action that’s really good for the tissue and helps reduce inflammation.

Try following your contrast bath with forearm stretches – more on those another time. You can also do a contrast foot bath, for the end of those long days.

If you have any questions, comment here, or send me a message. I’d love to help!