Hand And Wrist Health

[Starkmann]

Many of us started grip training with John Brookfields books. I know I did. One of the things John advocates is hand health. He even covers some of it in his books. I have found my hand health declining recently, specifically my wrists and their range of motion (ROM). I'm familiar with shot rotations and contrast baths but those don't seem to help this kind of thing.

I'm looking for wrist health suggestions. I do the basic stretching (flex and extend) I also work my hand laterally. I notice it the most if I try to get into a push up position, my right wrist pinches in some nasty ways. I recall doing some badness to it about a year ago, I just hadn't realized how much ROM I lost until recently.

Under its own power I can flex it to, what I consider, a pretty normal 90 degrees. Using my extensors, I can only go to about 45 degrees. If I rotate it clockwise (from my perspective) I get some minor tweaking at the bottom right corner of the movement. If I got the opposite direction, I get some real discomfort at that same point.

I don't have fromulator or PEG nor do I have the budget to get one right at this time. I could do wrist curls (forward and back) again, I haven't done those for at least 6 months. Any suggestions for warm ups, stretches, exercise to help the wrists.

I should also mention that i work a computer job and there is avery real possibility that the wrist issues have more to do with my mouse hand than exercise.

[BIKERICH]

I am not sure of proper therapy as the injury itself is unknown except for the symptoms.as always it might be best to consult with a hand MD. to determine what the injury is and the proper course of therapy.could be carpal tunnel,etc. i an not that familiar with wrist injuries as i am with hand inj uries which is due to self experience.

Edited July 28, 2006 by RICHIEC.

[Scott Styles]

Two things I can think of to try:

1. Work some wrist flexion. Maybe use a narrow wrist roller, or build your own leverage wrist curl device. From what I've seen, it's pretty easy to get a tool to train wrist extensions right. I've personally never been able to find the discipline to work barbell / dumbell reverse wrist curls hard.

2. Switch hands with the mouse, see if it helps. I do this to minimize stress on my bad shoulder. You get used to it being on the other side.

The other thing that comes to my mind is your keyboard positioning. Your wrists should be neutral while typing. That means you cannot use those little feet on the bottom back of the key board to angle the back of it up. You may even need to angle the front up the keyboard up.

[TelegraphKey]

Typing & moving the mouse is really, really nasty. It's amazing how insidiously nasty it is. My job doesn't involve using a computer, but I do (obviously) get at a computer a bit nearly each day. Sometimes my hands are fine, but other times, it seems like mere seconds of simply moving the mouse around (even alternating between left & right) & doing a little typing, before my fingers start tingling or some other discomfort. It does seem like the more I've gotten into physically taxing my hands (not just via grip work, but other working out plus physical job, etc.) the worse this happens for me when messing with computers. I try to relieve myself by avoiding computers, wearing Salon Pas or applying menthol rubs to my fingers, etc. I think Scott's tips about ergonomically using keyboards are probably very important.

I would think building a poor-man's formulator wouldn't necessarily be all that difficult if you took 2 12-18" 2-by-4's & bolted them together, leaving enough space for you hands to fit through; then nailed another board then put (say) an eye-bolt on the end of that which you could attach a clip or a rope or a pulley to, which were attached to weights.

Edited July 28, 2006 by TelegraphKey

[El Crab Hands]

I'm currently getting physical therapy on my wrist for a slightly torn meniscus, and luckily for me, he has me do alot of wrist and hand strengthening excercises, one is the powerball, and another is he has me grab a small dumbell, hold on to one of the hex's and rotate it every which way for reps, side to side, up and down, it seems to be helping me regain my rom...

[Starkmann]

thanks to all who responded

Thanks for the office tips Scoot. I have one of those ergonomic keyboards that isn't. My wrist are neutral on my laptop at home but not at work. I'm gonna play with that.

I am working some wrist work with indian clubs that I think will help

I like the dumbell exercise. What kind of weights do you work in?