Western therapeutic techniques are generally not as defined as Chinese and Japanese methods when it comes to stretching the hands and wrists. Aikido's many wrist stretches may be a bit painful at first, but with a slow and gentle application aimed at grading the intervention, these stretches should give some immediate relief to the RSI wrist patient. The therapist can demonstrate the stretches on the patients and then instruct the patient how to do these exercises routinely and daily. What makes aikido stretches different from a general stretch for flexibility is that they should be done slowly and deliberately. This slowness is very similar to the way t'ai chi movement is performed.
Relaxation coupled with stretching is helpful in reducing anxiety as well.
There are wrist stretches in performing t'ai chi movement as well. Movements such as t'ai-chi Basic's Embrace Tiger and Return to Mountain 2 are gentle and slow and use soft rotational motion with several repetitions to gently stretch the wrists. Chi flow may be focused at the wrists in aikido stretching and in many t'ai chi movements. This differs from acupuncture that too often focuses only on the meridians. Ki-pressure is simple and direct pressure to the affected area.