Dani Marks Presents the Rotating Wrist Stretch
Place one arm straight out in front and parallel to the ground.
Rotate your wrist down and outwards and then use your other hand to further rotate your hand upwards.
Note:Â Place one arm straight out in front and parallel to the ground. Rotate your wrist down and outwards and then use your other hand to further rotate your hand upwards.
Primary Muscles:
Brachioradialis.
Extensor carpi ulnaris.
Supinator.
Secondary Muscles:
Extensor digitorum.
Extensor pollicis longus and brevis.
Basketball. Netball. Cricket. Baseball. Softball. Ice hockey. Field hockey. Martial arts. Tennis. Badminton. Squash. Rowing. Canoeing. Kayaking. Swimming. Athletics throwing field events. Volleyball. Wrestling.
Tennis elbow.
Golfer’s elbow.
Thrower’s elbow.
Wrist sprain.
Wrist dislocation.
Wrist tendonitis.
Carpal tunnel syndrome.
Ulnar tunnel syndrome.
The wrist and fingers do not rotate. It might ‘look’ like they do, but what is happening is not rotation, it is circumduction. This can happen at any condyloid joint, and is a combination of flexion, extension, abduction and adduction. Any appearance of rotary movement in the forearm to the hand is caused by pronation and supination at the radio-ulnar joint, which is not the wrist joint or hand.
The wrist and hand are complicated, yet fragile. The anatomical design of both the wrist and hand is remarkable. This design allows humans to be different from any other primate. As wonderful as it is, its susceptibility to injury is common. Any time someone falls, the hand reaches out to break the impact to the body. This is a natural, neuromuscular response, and one that can lead to sprains, strains, and fractures of the area. Exercises can be done to strengthen the wrist and hand, and can be incorporated into any workout.
The carpal area can be unstable. The eight carpal bones can glide, which means they have a little ‘give’ to them as the palm of the hand is used. With the advent of more people in many sports, athletes are experiencing an increase in injuries to this area, as well as keyboard operators (computers!). More research is needed on how to condition the area, as it is hard to prevent injury here; the tube that the median nerve passes through is narrow and tissue can get irritated, mostly by overuse when the wrist is flexed. The hands are unique. We should take better care of them.