Part 4 – Recover, Rebuild, Repeat: The Baker’s Wrist Pre-Hab Plan
Healing Baker’s Wrist requires a structured, evidence-based approach — not just rest. Tendons recover through progressive loading, which stimulates collagen remodeling and re-alignment of fibers.
The rehabilitation framework mirrors modern tendinopathy protocols used in sports medicine:
Unload and Calm: Short-term activity modification, ice after activity, and occasional NSAID use to quiet inflammation. Avoid complete immobilization — gentle motion maintains tendon glide and circulation.
Restore Mobility: Begin with gentle wrist flexor and extensor stretches, then progress to controlled tendon-glide exercises to restore normal movement patterns.
Rebuild Strength: Add eccentric wrist extensor strengthening with light dumbbells or elastic bands. Research on lateral epicondylitis shows that eccentrics improve tendon quality and pain scores faster than rest alone.
Reintegrate and Prevent: Re-introduce baking or manual tasks gradually. Use periodic micro-breaks and maintain neutral wrist positioning.
Adjunct therapies — such as soft-tissue mobilization, ultrasound, or guided corticosteroid injections — can help in select cases, but most recover fully with disciplined pre-hab. The long-term key is to maintain forearm endurance and tendon capacity proportional to your workload.
Pain doesn’t mean you must give up what you love. It’s a signal to recalibrate. With evidence-based strategies and an understanding of anatomy, bakers can sustain their art for decades without compromise — moving, creating, and living with form and function intact.