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| Hello. Does anyone know good exercises for the wrists? I have several beginner students who are massage therapists. I am looking for some counter-positions for the wrists which are used all day while massaging. My students complain of acute wrist pain and even have swollen ligaments and fingers at times, especially at the end of their day and also when they first wake up. We do wrist rotations and I have told them to be more conscious of how they use their body during massages and we work on breathing. They aren't in pain while we do yoga. Any suggestions are welcome!
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| The rheumatic half of the Pawanmaktasana (sp?) series as described in the Sivananda 'bible' include exercises for the wrist joints :
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/8186336141/026-8036617-6218066?v=glance&n=266239
I have RSI from working in IT and have found practising yoga in general has helped (about for 4 years now).
Fee
Edited by Orbilia 2006-07-13 9:37 AM
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| I have a few.
My best stretch, which is one I learned when I was feeling the beginnings of carpal tunnel (hmm, another I.T. "victim" here), is to utilize a chair seat and place the palms face-down, with the fingers pointing towards me. Then gently press down and tilt my arms back towards me, so that I feel a good stretch in the tendons and/or forearms. Obviously don't bear down too hard with the bodyweight, so as to avoid straining the wrists. It's also good to experiment with hand positions, and some people will find other angles more appropriate. I sometimes like to turn my hands so the fingers face eath other, heels out to my left and right sides; or an angle in between the two. I used to do this stretch multiple times a day, and still do when my hands start to bother me; I highly recommend it.
I recently got some stretches from my yoga teacher (also Sivananda affiliated), which are fairly basic. Hands together and up, like namaste. Then press the backs of hands together, and down. Then do some hand flexing up and down with arms out in front -- "Stop In the Name of Love" hands, and down. The best (for me) is then to hold one hand out in the same traffic-stopping position, grab the outside of that hand with the other so that it is covered, palms both face away, and gently pull back. Then reverse the traffic-stopping hand so that palm is up and facing self; put other hand behind it (palms both facing self) and pull away. The pull for both of these is more a rotation than a tug.
I realize those might be hard to visualize from the description, but I did my best! And they do feel good for me. I got this last bunch when I was having wrist trouble doing updogs, but probably stemming from my computer work. They really did seem to help me.
I have a Pilates-based book that includes good descriptions of these sorts of therapeutic stretches, but I can't for the life of me remember the name at the moment. I'll check when I get home from work.
edit: I remembered the book, it's Pilates Body Power by Lesley Ackland.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0007106971/104-6341314-3476733?%5Fencoding=UTF8&s=books
Edited by riftweaver 2006-07-13 10:31 AM
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| I also found switching to an ergonomic keyboard and use of a trackball instead of a mouse helpful, Riftweaver.
Fee |
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| Orbilia - 2006-07-13 10:22 AM
I also found switching to an ergonomic keyboard and use of a trackball instead of a mouse helpful, Riftweaver.
Fee
Thank you. I tried the trackball, as well as a pen tablet, but I found moving the mouse to my left hand worked best.  Also, being more aware of my general posture helped me.
I think a problem for me was also typing too hard -- I have a fearsome typing rate, but when I get going I sure can bang on those keys! Heh.
--Jason |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| Funny - my first reaction is "who trained those MT's?!" Occupational health is absolutely key in a job like that and it MUST be included in any training program. Actually, not just included but stressed. And after they have been trained to take care of themselves, workers (all workers...) need to take responsibility and do the work on themselves to stay healthy. End of rant  |
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| Try this
http://www.yogicarts.com/photos/video/videos/video05.html
Duncan has a video now that has more to it and is a bit longer. |
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Location: London, England | This is the wrist strengthener which I mentioned before-actually it doesnt just strengthen, but helps with wrist awareness, so that it doesnt end up in bad posture so easily
http://www.handgrippers.co.uk/powerball/
Nick |
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| And of course, there is ice :-).
I can strap on a blue pack with an ace bandage & go on about my tv watching (or whatever). Three cycles of 20min on / 20min off in the evenings will help alot.
I recently bought an ultrasonic. I have been experimenting using it for deep heating/massage, and for driving anti-inflamatories into the body. Seems to be working well - I think that ultrasound on the wrists might also be a useful modality, especially when used with aspercream or similar.
btw, if you mix in a teaspoon or so of oil of wintergreen in a 4oz aspercream (or shatever) it boosts the active ingredient (mathyl salicilate), which is the main component of most topical analgesics that are intended to ease muscle/connective tissue pain.
If you are going to boost the aspercream, start gradually, because the amount of skin irritation increases as you increase the concentration. Ouchy! |
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