Injury prevention - train your wrist?

[Grind]

The last years training have not been kind to me. For about at least 5 years I'm having multiple injury through my whole body. Last year was the worst, I had to stop training my lowerbody because of the pains and later on also my upperbody and arms. I started grip training because of all the pains I had gotten in my arms and hands. Looking back this was not a smart decision, this only lead to more triggerpoints in my body (forearms). After lots of therapie which all lead to nothing I became depressed and had to accept that I had to live the rest of my life with constant pains in my lowerback, knees, shouldesr, forearms and hands. I could not lift 50kg from the floor or hold my two year old daughter in my arms without having to pay the penalty days after. 

About 3 months ago this al changed when I ordered The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook and applied the information in the book on to myself. I realized that I had multiple strength balance problems at the joints. The triggerpoints were preventing that these balance problems would get worse and worse, they just shut down my body. Releasing the primal triggerpoints and restoring the muscle balance around the joints (pelvis and shoulder) are doing wonders at the moment. The pains and stiffness in the muscles are reducing to almost nothing and I'm getting stronger and more stable in a short amount of time.

The only problem that still exist are the pains in the forarms and hands. When I'm pinching something or doing very light gripper work the pain and strains (triggerpoints in the extensors) in the arms are getting worse fast. The triggerpoints aren't releasing with dry-needling either. My therapist focused mainly on the extensors so maybe it's time to also examine the flexors. 

I just started with doing kettlebell bottom up presses and they are doing wonders for my arms it seems. The wrist is in a neutral position and all the muscles in the forearms (flexors and extensors) need to work just as hard to stabilize the joint (wrist). The pains, strains and triggerpoints are getting weaker I noticed. This got me thinking that training the wrist could be the best basic exercise a grip atlete can do for creating a healthy muscle balance around your joints. Like a squat, deadlift or bench are the best basic movements to do for overall body strength. All other grip exercises we do seem to focus mostly on the flexors which leaves the extensors underdeveloped and thereby creates a muscle balance problem in the forearms and hands. 

What do you think about this idea? Should a grip atlete (or specially a beginner) do wrist work as primary exercise and flexor and extensor work as secondary?

[Alawadhi]

Is it this book?

For some weird reasons I still have wrist pain which I want it to go. I dunno what happened exactly but I guess very hard DU bend without preparing for it.

As for people training their wrist. I agree to do this before going heavy.

[climber511]

It really doesn't matter what the weak link is - if you push things too hard that weak link will give problems at some point.  Rehab - Stretch - Strengthen (or whatever is indicated) the problem area - then a new weak link will show up and need work - it's part of the game.  An intelligent and well designed overall program with specific targeting on certain areas will always be the best way to go.  In your case it sounds as if some therapy work is going to be your first step - then move on to the rest.

[Grind]

59 minutes ago, Alawadhi said:

Is it this book?

For some weird reasons I still have wrist pain which I want it to go. I dunno what happened exactly but I guess very hard DU bend without preparing for it.

As for people training their wrist. I agree to do this before going heavy.

Yes that's it, but I have the Dutch version.

35 minutes ago, climber511 said:

It really doesn't matter what the weak link is - if you push things too hard that weak link will give problems at some point.  Rehab - Stretch - Strengthen (or whatever is indicated) the problem area - then a new weak link will show up and need work - it's part of the game.  An intelligent and well designed overall program with specific targeting on certain areas will always be the best way to go.  In your case it sounds as if some therapy work is going to be your first step - then move on to the rest.

I'm already doing that and I'm not looking for advise here but want to share my thoughts here about more focus on training muscle balance than just focus on gaining strength. 

What I'm trying to say is that the way we train (mainly flexor dominant exercises) would it not be wise to focus more on training the wrist because there is a balance in training the wrists. All the forearm muscles are involved evenly when stabilizing your wrists. This would eliminate the danger of a strength balance disfunction around a joint of the body. 

I thought I have read on this board that wrist training is somewhat underrated here. Not many train specific wrist exercises. 

Edited July 18, 2016 by Grind

[wobbler]

I do a lot of extensor bands. Works the pad on the pinky side of your hand, a lot of the small muscles in the hand*, and if you push your thumb down towards the arm instead of out to the side, your thumb pad (start light.) But mostly it keeps my elbows happy.

*Put the band around thumb and pinky only, then ring only, etc. Works interosseous muscles on top of the hand, in between the bones, that otherwise you only hit with dexterity stuff.

[avasatu]

Do you go to failure alot? Do you hit antagonists the same session you hit the respective protagonists?

[Jim Nonnemacher]

One of the best "tools" for working all the muscles of the hand & wrist is a big bucket of rice. I learned about this about 30yrs ago after carpal tunnel surgery, it was given as rehab.

You can do any motion of the hand or wrist; if rehabbing just do for short times, 1 or 2 min. If you want a strength workout go for 5 or 10 min.

Martial arts guys use sand but the rice works really well.