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Weight Training & Finger Extensor Muscles & Tennis Elbow

2009-11-30T11:05:00.000-08:00

I get this question regularly from weightlifters and bodybuilders: does my weightlifting lead to tennis elbow? if so why? Don't I strengthen finger extensor muscles when I perform reverse wrist curls?

A: Regarding your question: do wrist curls and reverse wrist curls strengthen the finger extensor muscles?, the answer is no. The reason is that the finger extensor muscles are never taken through their full range of motion with resistance. In other words, any time the hand is grasping a weight, the finger extensor muscles are only contracting statically in support. They develop in one static position and eventually become weak and easy to injure. Like any other muscle group, they must be exercised specifically through their full range of motion regularly in order to develop properly. Handmaster Plus allows convenient training of the finger and some extensor muscles anytime anywhere. Yours is a very important question because most athletes that work with weights develop these shortened finger extensor muscles, and eventually develop weakness, extensor tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome and/or tennis elbow. Once you understand the mechanics properly, this imbalance is easy to prevent.

Hand Exercise for Surgeons and Dentists

2009-11-24T10:32:00.000-08:00

I receive questions regularly from surgeons and dentists who develop hand, wrist & elbow problem as part of daily fine gripping and small ROM activity, as well as circulation problems. They want to know more about Handmaster Plus, as they have heard startling anecdotal stories that have changed the lives of others and saved careers!

A: Thank you for your inquiry about Handmaster Plus hand exercise product. Handmaster Plus will definitely maximize blood flow and help with the conditions in your operating room. That said, Handmaster Plus is recommended for all surgeons and dentists for example. Any situation where intricate tools are handled on a daily basis will lend towards shortening and imbalance of the finger flexor muscles and in turn poor circulation.

Handmaster Plus was designed to remedy this inherent professional problem and allow the user’s finger flexor muscles and finger extensor muscles to remain in proper healthy balance and prepare the user for their profession. Because the hands are strengthened through their full range of motion in both closing and opening the hand, the result is also maximum blood flow to the tissues of the area.

I believe that you will be thrilled with the results of using Handmaster Plus regularly, as we have many excited users that are surgeons and dentists. I'm happy to speak to anyone in your profession to make this knowledge more known, as I believe it should be a central tool for all surgeons, dentists, and anyone assisting that is challenged by the same daily mechanics. Just the same as athletes, we must prepare our bodies for the challenges of our particular profession.

Let me know if I can help in any other way.

To purchase, please visit www.HandmasterPlus.com for more information. We may also be contacted regarding bulk purchase orders.

Handmaster Plus vs. Gripmaster/Digiflex for Hand and Grip Strength

2009-11-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

I get many enquiries from people asking about the difference between spring loaded products (Digiflex) and Handmaster Plus. This inquiry happened to be from a rock climber. They are very different hand exercise products.

A: Thank you for your inquiry. I am the developer of the Handmaster Plus. Though I do not spend time critiquing other products I will tell you the reason for developing Handmaster Plus.

I worked with athletes for over 10 years and consistently saw poor training techniques, the belief being that by squeezing or flexing only, proper grip strength is attained. In the short term, this can appear to be correct. In the long-term, it is often a dangerous assumption. The reason is that we all have finger extensor muscles as well as finger flexor muscles. There are nine muscles that close the hand and equally nine muscles that open your hand. These groups of muscles are equally important. The finger flexor muscles and the finger extensor muscles must stay in balance in order to have strong and healthy fingers, thumbs, hands, wrists, forearms and elbows. Chronic imbalance between the two muscle groups are the core cause of instability conditions at all of these areas. As we know, most people train finger flexors only and have no regard to training finger extensor muscles. This is why carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, extensor tendinitis and many other conditions are so common, especially in grip related activities.

Handmaster Plus strengthens all the muscles that close the hand, as well as all the muscles that open the hand, in one continuous exercise. In that exercise, the hands are allowed to move through their full, natural planes of motion leading to proper muscle length, balance, muscle tone and blood flow to all the tissues in the area.

You will see that products like Digiflex strengthen only the finger flexor muscles, yet it is not alone, as this has come to be the traditional way ‘thought’ to train the hand muscles. You can see a study that was done on Handmaster Plus vs. Digiflex at http://www.doczac.com/downloads/therapy_study.pdf

The old days of therapy and hand training included a simple device called a rice box. The athlete would immerse their hand in the rice box and squeeze the rice and then opposingly opened their hand against the rice. This is a proper functional exercise but was of course quite inconvenient to carry.

It is also vital for performance to train the finger extensor muscles because these muscles act in support of finger flexion. So if an athlete only trains the finger flexor muscles, they are still likely to experience great fatigue because the stabilizing muscles of grip (the finger extensor muscles) are not strong. Any time you grip, the finger extensor muscles work just as hard as the finger flexor muscles.

In conclusion, finger flexion only exercises open the athlete to imbalance and therefore injury, and also omit strengthening the grip stabilizing muscles, therefore limiting performance. To not train the finger extensor muscles would be akin to not training your core muscles as a climber. Each are key stabilizing muscles for performance.

Our brand partner in the climbing market is Metolius. Metolius is well-versed in proper hand fitness and general fitness and has been a wonderful partner. Please contact Metolius for more information. Please see www.metoliusclimbing.com for more information.

Culinary School Hand Exercises - Maximize Performance & Strength; Reduce Injury Risk!

2009-11-15T16:16:00.000-08:00

We received a question from a student about to start in culinary school asking about hand strength, reflexes and preventing injury. We are always happy to get questions like this, because at doczac Enterprises, it is important to us to educate our users in order to provide them with a enjoyable work or sports or music experience and thus prevent injuries that are related to their activity. Most repetitive stress injury cases are preventable through proper education and proper exercise.

Thank you for your question. This is an excellent question. When we designed the Handmaster Plus this is exactly the application we desired. We very much want people to understand how to properly strengthen their hands, wrist, forearms and elbows for maximum performance and for maximum injury prevention.

When you train your hands with the Handmaster Plus exercise device, you will strengthen all the muscles that open the hand as well as all the muscles that close the hand. This is important because as you advance in culinary school, there will be great stress on these muscles and because there will be so much gripping asked of you, you will prepare your body for these tasks and will also prevent the repetitive gripping injuries that often go along with these tasks.

Because you strengthen all of the muscles of the hand you will be will to move well in any plane of motion. Opposingly, if the hands are not trained properly, the nature of the repetitive gripping activities will tend to make your hands, wrists, forearms and elbows strong in certain planes but not in others. You are wise to train all of the hand muscles through their full range of motion regularly now in order to have access to reflexes in all directions. Handmaster Plus is the only device that allows you to strengthen all 18 of the hand muscles (nine muscles close by hand and nine muscles the hand) in one continuous exercise. Thus it is very convenient and there is no excuse for you not to do your exercises.

The other main concern is that when you handle heavy pots and pans for example, the finger extensor muscles (which are the muscles on the back of your forearm) contract statically in one position to support the action of gripping. The contract even more when the pots and pans are heavy. This subject alone causes the finger extensor muscles to be chronically shortened and therefore very easily injured. This problem itself leads to extensor tendinitis and tennis elbow. It is a very common condition in people who use their hands daily for work. Many cannot understand why this is. Now that you are educated about the subject, you will find it easy to prevent.

It is a good idea to tell your other culinary school students about this exercise as it will allow them to be performing maximally while at the same time reducing their risk of repetitive stress injuries.

For more information
WWW.HandmasterPlus.com
info@HandmasterPlus.com

Best,
doczac

Mechanic's, Dentist's, Carpenter's, Surgeon's Hands & Injuries

2009-11-13T21:26:00.000-08:00

There are many occupations where the hands are at great risk for injury. Mechanics are among the most at risk. The standard progression of mechanical hand injuries is confusing. Because mechanics use their hands frequently and aggressively in a daily fashion, their flexor muscles become very strong in a short time. This can be very misleading because the flexor muscles are not progressing in relation to the extensor muscles. Therefore, the early and middle stages of the mechanics career are generally uneventful.

While the flexors are quite strong through the early and middle stages of the mechanics career, the finger extensor muscles are different. The two roles of the finger extensor muscles are 1) to extend or open the fingers and 2) stabilize the hand during finger flexion. Obviously the mechanic does not open the fingers very often during his career, so the fingers are not actively moved through their full range of motion. Thus, the finger extensor muscles are never properly strengthened or developed. On the other hand, the finger extensor muscles do contract regularly to stabilize the fingers and hands when the mechanic is using his finger flexor muscles. The problem with this function of the extensor muscles is that the extensor muscles only contract statically, in one position. Therefore, they become shortened muscles that are very easy to injure. As well, because the finger flexor muscles are allowed to contract regularly and the finger extensor muscles do not fully contract to oppose that, the finger flexor muscles become inflexible, and shorten over time.

So the common problem that most mechanics will experience at some point will relate to either 1) shortened finger flexor muscles, or 2) shortened, static finger extensor muscles. Two examples that result from the first scenario are carpal tunnel syndrome and palmer fasciitis. Two examples that result from the second scenario are tennis elbow and extensor tendinitis.

All workers that are dependent on gripping with their hands throughout their career should be preparing their hands properly to avoid these injuries. We developed Handmaster Plus so that people with these types of careers can do their best to avoid injuries and maximize the function of their hands. There are many examples of these types of careers, mechanics being only one. Carpenters, laborers, truck drivers, heavy equipment operators are all in the same category. Surgeons, dentists, and dental hygienists are examples of careers using the fine muscles of the hand repetitively as well. All of these workers would benefit greatly from using the Handmaster Plus at any stage of their career as this will give them the greatest chance of avoiding injury. It will also maximize the function of their hands during their careers.

The reason is that Handmaster Plus strengthens all of the 9 muscles that open the hand as well as the 9 muscles that close the hand, all in one continuous exercise. The result is strength, balance, and healthy blood flow to all of the tissues of the hand, wrist, forearm and elbow. Because the Handmaster Plus allows the user to exercise their hand through a full range of motion, the user will experience elongated muscles, muscle balance and maximum circulation, all of which lead to healthy tissues.

It is sad to see when a person has had a full career only to find that they are debilitated for their retirement years, if not earlier. Proper exercise to offset the imbalanced nature of jobs such as mechanics is the best insurance policy against these debilitating repetitive injuries.

Visit www.doczac.com for more information about the Handmaster Plus including how to purchase. E-mail us at info@doczac.com for more information about how to prevent debilitating repetitive injuries at your workplace.

Best,
doczac

Tennis Elbow - Fretting Guitar Doesn't Hurt, Lifting Milk Bottle Does. Why?

2009-11-10T14:56:00.000-08:00

Firstly and most importantly, understand that whenever you perform a regular gripping or a finger flexing activity such as music and very specifically guitar, the fingers flex, as in fretting, and the extensor muscles of the fingers contract statically to support that action. By 'statically' I mean that the extensor muscles contract in one position. They become very static and shortened in that one position. This is also one of the main reasons why guitar players get so much tennis elbow. A shortened and static group of finger extensor muscles as well as wrist extensor muscles are very inflexible and become easy to injure. This is why we urge guitarists to exercise their finger and wrist extensor muscles through full ranges of motion so that the muscle stays strong, long and flexible. Properly strengthened finger and wrist extensor muscles will also maximize strength, stretch, speed and stamina.

Secondly, this muscle group (made up of finger extensor and wrist extensor muscles) will also be trained in one very specific plane based on what is necessary for the activity. In other words, if your left hand was in exactly the same position with the milk as when you fret the guitar strings, you would likely be very strong. By the way, this point has its limits, because after some time of repetition it is common to become weak even in that plane. In other words, it is good to address this problem now.

Thirdly, the outside of the elbow is most isolated when the hand is in a position where the thumb is basically pointed straight up to the sky. When there is a weight being held on top of that, milk carton, now you have the added weight and this becomes a situation where the injured elbow acts like a fulcrum and is isolated. If the weight rested on the forearm it would cause less isolation and therefore less pain. Yet, when the weight is in the hand it is as far away from the elbow as possible and increases the stress. The other point in this regard is that you are grasping the milk carton and therefore the extensor muscles of the fingers and the wrist are contracting and further isolating the outside of the elbow. A certain small movement will now cause extreme & sharp pain. That's when you know your outside elbow is most isolated. That's why people drop the milk in these situations.

The point is when we properly strengthen the hand wrist forearm and elbow, we must strengthen all of the muscles (extenors & flexors) in balance through full natural ranges of motion. This is how we prepare for our main activity (music, sports, work, craft, etc.) as well as other daily activities and still remain strong. Musicians must learn these proper hand wrist and forearm strengthening principles!

Go to www.handmasterplus.com and for one small investment you can reduce your chance of ever have tennis elbow or carpal tuneel syndrome to nearly zero! And you will know more about exercising the hand, wrist and elbow than most therapists.

Trained properly today to be healthy tomorrow!

Tennis Elbow Treatment

2009-11-10T10:59:00.000-08:00

We recently received a question about tennis elbow exercise. The issue was regarding exercising during a symptomatic tennis elbow condition or episode.

Q: Hi doczac,
ref tennis elbow vid. The three step exercise with the sqeezeball I find would find very painful - would I not be exercising muscles which have already been over-exercised?

A: Thank you for your question. It is a very important one.

The video that you are referring to about tennis elbow is only an explanation of what tennis elbow is, the symptoms of tennis elbow, and how to prevent tennis elbow. When tennis elbow is active symptomatically, whether acute or chronic, exercise is often not indicated. Exercise in this situation can only be recommended by a Health Care professional upon examination and/or treatment.

I think it is a vital for athletes, musicians, and workers to fully understand the mechanics of tennis elbow into adress the strengthening, balancing and stabilizing of the elbow. If you have an active tennis elbow, please see the video to follow that includes my recommendations for the course of treatment, but also know that carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow are very preventable. The reason I say this is that when the symptoms are gone, people often forget about the importance of proper body preparation for their skill or job. Then they are in the same situation as before and their habits are likely to once again lead to tennis elbow. They haven't adjusted their habits and their training to prevent the cause.

Please refer to the video explaining tennis elbow and how to prevent it occasionally as these exercises are easy to perform in the future when your tennis elbow symptoms are gone. It will also help to maximize performance in any skill that requires hand and finger dexterity, strength, flexibility and stamina.

Please view the following video for my recommendations of proper and complete treatment of an active tennis elbow condition:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QQDDHKuJIU

If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

All the best,
doczac

Finger Extensor Exercise During Hand Exercise -Why?

2009-11-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

The basics of the hand exercise have been relatively known for some time yet have never been emphasized in exercise, therapy or rehabilitation. Traditionally, the rice box exercise satisfied the needs of all of the hand muscles. In the rice box exercise the patient or athlete submerced their hand into a box of rice, squeezed against the resistance of the rice, and then opened the hand also against the resistance of the rice. The problem with the rice box exercise is that it was very immobile. This marked the eventual extinction of the rice box exercise. What a shame!

Since the extinction of the rice box exercise, finger extension exercises have been largely overlooked in place of flexion only exercises. As we eventually find out, nature never makes a mistake. The finger muscles play a very important role and cannot go ignored, or problems will develop.

So what is the role of the finger extensor muscles?

The finger extensor muscles play two very important roles. Obviously their first role is to act to extend of the fingers. Notice that there are not a lot of activities where we are required to extend our fingers, especially in comparison to the amount of activities that require us to flex our fingers as in gripping or holding. This creates the tendency for an inherent muscle imbalance. This imbalance alone reminds us to exercise our extensor muscles in order to simply prevent imbalance. Flexion vs. extension is a common imbalance throughout the body and the hands are no exception.

The second and vital and a mostly unknown role of the finger extensor muscles is in the role of support. Each time the finger flexor muscles contract to perform a function or motion, the finger extensor muscles contract equally and cooperatively to stabilize the finger flexion actions. This is a why we can feel tension at the outside of our elbow when we make a fist or simply perform any finger flexion action.

The Handmaster Plus hand exercise product of was designed to recreate and improve the exercise of the rice box, yet to allow mobility. The Handmaster Plus device can be carried anywhere as it is small and a portable. It will allow the patient or athlete or worker to exercise almost anywhere.

The Handmaster Plus exercise product allows the user to strengthen their finger and thumb flexor and extensor muscles naturally through three dimensions with the resistance leading to strength, muscle balance and maximum blood flow to the tissues involve. Nine of muscles close the hand and nine muscles open the hand. Handmaster Plus allows the user to strengthen all hand muscles through their full range of motion in one exercise. And, unlike are rice box, it is fully portable!

Whether you are an athlete, a musician, a worker who uses their hands daily, or just a hobbyist who uses their hands daily, it is vital to learn about proper hand exercise and preparation. Repetitive injuries and performance problems inevitably result from imbalance without knowledge of the hand muscles.

To learn more about the Handmaster Plus hand exercise product, go to www.doczac.com or to www.handmasterplus.com and contact us if you have any questions regarding hand, wrist, forearm or elbow strengthening, balancing for rehabilitation.

www.doczac.com
info@doczac.com
www.handmasterplus.com
info@handmasterplus.com

Hand Exercise for Golf - Why Grip Strength Gives You More Distance & Better Control

2009-11-04T08:48:00.000-08:00

It amazes me how golfers continue to invest big dollars on their golf equipment to gain more distance and get better control and forget about their main equipment - improving themselves and their strength and fitness! As strength throughout the body is an advantage to the golfer, there are four reasons why grip strength to be a better golfer is no exception. Let me explain:

Firstly, for a light grip! In order to have maximum control on the golf club and to play better goal, a golfer must actually have a light grip. This appears as a paradox, yet holds true. A light grip strength allows the golfer to a relax the forearms and arms and generate not only great power, but a consistent swing plane as well. Yet, to have a light grip, the golfer must be very strong. A weak person with a light grip cannot control the golf club. A strong grip strength is required in golf to enable the golfer to be light with his or her grip and still control the golf club.

Secondly, in order to hit many specialty shots, the grip strength must be varied. This is mostly the case at higher levels of performance yet is a function of having access to a stronger grip potential.

Thirdly, over the length of the 4 to 5 hours that it takes to play a round of golf, fatigue is often a factor, especially for the weaker conditioned player. To have strong hands and forearms is a huge advantage, especially as the golfer plays later into his or her round. As the hands and forearms fatigue, a golfer must grip more aggressively leading to tense hands forearms and shoulders, in turn leading to loss of translated power and to loss of consistency in their swing plane.

Lastly and very importantly, when a player hits his or her golf ball into the rough, he or she must have an access a consciously much stronger grip pressure in order to square the club face through the resistance of the rough. When the rough is long or wet, this principle applies that much more.

As a former professional golfer, I have seen the many poorly understood approaches to grip strength training, even amongst the professionals. Most golfers address grip strength (finger flexor or closing muscles) only with no regard to the muscles of the forearm that stabilize the grip strength. These stabilizing muscles are the extensor muscles (muscles that open) of the hand and forearm and are equally as important as the muscles that grip (the finger flexor muscles). The finger extensor muscles are just as active as the grip muscles. In fact, it is my contention that when a golfer experiences fatigue in the hands and forearms, it is most often the fatigue of the finger and wrist extensor muscles that are causative. They are the weak link in grip strength because they are so often over looked!

As I have witnessed the continuous presence of repetitive grip injuries such as tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, extensor tendonitis and DeQuervain's Syndrome, I saw the vital need for proper education and training for proper grip, and thus the genesis of the Handmaster Plus.

Handmaster Plus is a cutting edge training device that uniquely strengthens all of the muscles of the hand in full natural ranges of motion. The hand is allowed to move naturally in three dimensions enabling proper sculpting of all of the muscles. The device also ensures that the user not only strengthens, but balance all of these muscles. Because the hand moves through its full range of motion, both in closing and in opening, the exercise guarantees that the user will establish maximum blood flow by utilizing the exercise. Checked to see if the device that you are using allows your hands to move through full natural three dimensional ranges of motion. If not, you are not training properly.

Handmaster plus is affordable complete and convenient and should be in the bag of every golfer who desires to improve their performance. At the same time, proper grip training using the Handmaster plus will reduce the risk of common repetitive golf injuries.

For more information and to purchase the Handmaster Plus , please visit www.handmasterplus.com.

Take proper care of your hands, wrists and forearms and watch your enjoyment of the game and your performance soar.

Good golfing,
Dr. Terry P. Zachary
doczac enterprises Inc

Why tennis causes tennis elbow

2009-11-02T10:19:00.000-08:00

Tennis can indeed cause tennis elbow, but it is only one of many grip activities that can cause tennis elbow. This is the key to why tennis elbow occurs. It is also a key hint as to how the hand and wrist muscles work when we grip, stabilize and use our wrist, whether in sports, music, the workplace, or in everyday activities.

The greater the degree of tension on any mechanical part, the greater risk of injury. In physics, this is a law. In medicine and health care, this is greatly overlooked. Tennis elbow always occurs in situations where an item is gripped and then an action is required by the wrist. This is clearly displayed in tennis, golf, hockey, baseball, racquet sports in general, and other sports. In music, guitar, violin, drums, piano, bass, wind instruments and other string instruments, this is the case. This is also clearly displayed in the many workplace activities such as carpenters, mechanics, computer workers, cashiers, assembly line workers, dentists and dental technicians, etc. All activities mentioned above require grip and wrist action simultaneously. This causes tension at the elbow exacerbated by action at the elbow. In otherwords, grip tenses the elbow, wrist movement adds mechanical load to an already stressed elbow.

To understand this, we must understand the action relating grip to the elbow. Whenever we grip an item, our finger extensor muscles as well as our wrist extensor muscles contract to stabilize the action of the finger flexor muscles. This is how we hold things. The extensor muscles attche at the side (lateral epicondyle) of the elbow (where tennis elbow pain is very localised). Gripping things alone is not the problem. The problem occurs when we move our wrist while gripping things, especially violently or repetitively. When we grip an item and use the wrist violently or repetitively, we isolate the attachments of the muscles involved and risk micro injury or macro injury. Micro injury goes unnoticed until repetitive scarring creates instability; and injury becomes very likely even after a seemingly small trauma or small physical event. Macro injury is an injury that is noticed immediately and is usually the result of previous micro injury.

So how do we remedy tennis elbow? And why do professionals dismiss a cause of tennis elbow in place of focusing on its Treatment? The fact is that the true cause of instability in tennis elbow is not well known. At doczac enterprises, we have analyzed the role of all finger extensor muscles and the wrist extensor muscles as a grip is applied followed by a wrist action. We have identified that these extensor muscle groups are as vital or may even be more vital than the finger flexor muscles. They are as active if not not more active than the finger flexor muscles. Their tendons are as challenged as the tendons of the finger flexor muscles. Therefore, in any grip related activity, both finger flexor muscles and the finger extensor muscles MUST be strengthened properly in order to attain maximum performance and maximum injury prevention. Trainers and therapists, PLEASE STUDY AND COMMUNICATE THIS FACT. IT IS SIMPLE, SUPPOSEDLY WELL-UNDERSTOOD AND YET INGORED. LET'S START PREVENTING THESE NEEDLESS INJURIES!!!

Handmaster Plus is designed to strengthen all of the muscles of the hand in one simple exercise, allowing athletes, musicians, workers and hobbyist to prepare their hand, wrsit forearm and elbow properly for their given activity. Tennis elbow is very preventable through education and activity. Tennis elbow is very common otherwise. The lack of our system to educate patients about tennis elbow is a crime.

See www.handmasterplus.com for more information on training hand and wrist muscles properly.

www.handmasterplus.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dqAAveeCmM

Best,
Dr. Terry Zachary

Baseball Pitcher, Tommy John Surgery Rehabilitation & Handmaster Plus

2009-10-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Here is an important discussion regarding baseball pitching, proper training and exercise and Tommy John surgery rehabilitation and Handmaster Plus for recovery:

Q: Dear Handmaster Plus:

I had Tommy John Surgery (UCL reconstruction) about ten weeks ago. I saw your product online and was wondering if it would beneficial for baseball players and other throwing athletes? If so which exercises would be the most beneficial? Thanks.

Thank you for your q. Yes, I have a strong belief that all baseball players (pitchers especially) should be using Handmaster Plus as a standard training tool. Definitely, as you rehabilitate from your Tommy John surgery, strength, balance and blood flow through exercise will be vital in your complete recovery.

The reason I am so adamant about Handmaster Plus for pitchers is that all pitchers are in an imbalance situation when we consider flexor muscle tone vs. extensor muscle tone (grip vs. open hand). Repetition (gripping a ball), training (weights gripped etc) and even daily activities (grasping) lead to shortening of the muscles on the flexor side of the wrist and forearm and thus lead to elbow imbalance. Handmaster Plus easily allows any athlete to strengthen and balance these muscles (flexor v. extensor muscles of hand and wrist) properly through full ROM’s.

If the flexor muscles of the fingers and wrist are tight, the leading (medial) portion of the elbow is easily injured during the throw due to accumulation of force, similar to the right elbow of a right handed golfer during a golf shot. The medial elbow must be both strong and supple to absorb the force - which only comes with proper balance between flexor and extensor muscles of the forearm.

Note that the extensor muscles also support the grip, so they must be strong for your grip control on the ball and for reasons of fatigue.

To summarize, the best exercises for pitchers to train OR to rehabilitate from Tommy John surgery will be 1,2 to begin and 1,2 and 3 once you are very strong. See http://www.handmasterplus.com/downloads/exercises.pdf . Note: Make sure you are cleared by your health care professional to begin exercising.

Pitchers can also grip the ball according to pitch type (finger & thumb position on the ball) and squeeze, followed by complete extension (opening of the hand) to offset imbalance and strengthen extensors that stabilize these grip positions… this exercise is for when you are completely rehabilitated and ready to train specifically using exercise. But they will give you great finger and pitch grip control.

Best,
doczac

Jiu Jitsu Exercise For Strength - Arm Bar Rehab Exercise

2009-09-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Kenneth:

Thanks for your inquiry. I have been very interested in working with more Jiu Jitsu athletes and let me tell you why. As per your question, I have worked with athletes of almost all pursuits and have come to realize that proper, complete & convenient hand wrist and elbow training is virtually impossible and very much misunderstood.

The key to strength stability and injury prevention is to address all of the muscles that stabilize each joint (fingers, thumb, hand, wrist, forearm & elbow). To do this, athletes must strengthen finger and thumb flexion (gripping), abduction (spreading) & extension (opening) as well as wrist flexion & extension, which traditionally required multiple exercises and devices.

Handmaster Plus is designed to remedy this problem. Athletes can easily carry Handmaster Plus with them and quickly & conveniently exercise & strengthen their hands, wrist and forearms via combined finger flexion extension and abduction exercises as well as a specific elbow exercises that will help to rehabilitate an arm-bar injury.

I think that every Jiu Jitsu athlete should have a Handmaster Plus in their work out bag. Additionally if striking is involved, the Handmaster Plus stimulates maximum blood flow for hand tissue repair, as the product allows athletes to move through full natural ROM’s with resistance, thus stimulating maximum blood flow and repair.

Hope that helps, KK. Let me know if I can assist you further. Handmaster Plus can be purchased online @ www.handmasterplus.com. We deliver same day for your convenience.

Best,
Terry

Dr. Terry Zachary
doczac Enterprises Inc.
1-360-630-9937
www.doczac.com

I found your great therapy gripping exerciser "Handmaster Plus". But I have a sport specific question.I have had my injury examined by two doctors and have found I basically had my elbow joint sprained due to an arm bar in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition. Ice, compression, rest, time and eventually exercise is my prescribed road to recovery. I plan on visiting with my sport therapist in the coming weeks to work out my joint and get it back in competitive shape.I'd like to know if you feel Handmaster Plus is an appropriate tool for me? I compete regularly in submission grappling and this sort of injury is common with athletes in my sport. My goal is to strengthen my joint once again post trauma but also work flexibility back into my joint as well. I cannot yet fully flex or extend my joint but I'm making positive daily progress.Would you mind commenting on my issue and letting me knkow if your tool is applicable to athletes like me?Thank you for your help.Best Regards,KK

Guitar Hand or Grip Strength Exercises & Training - How Often?

2009-09-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

Q: I was recently asked by a guitar player how often they should use Handmaster Plus per day to strengthen hand and grip strength, as he was experiencing fatigue. Handmaster Plus strengthens not only the finger flexor muscles but also the extensor muscles both of which are crucial to hand and grip strength for guitar players and injury prevention.

A: Use Handmaster Plus 1 - 3 times per day until you experience a comfortable fatigue. Each session length will be different for each user as 'comfortable fatigue' is an individual goal. I suggest the Handmaster Plus 3-pack as it is on special right now and includes all 3 strengths. You can start with the soft product and progress at your own pace, depending on your level of fatigue. Visit www.handmasterplus.com for more information.

Best,doczac

Hand Strength & Kinetic Chain Stabilization

2009-05-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

This is a segment I sent to one of our writers who asked about hand and finger strength and how to stabilize his hands...

Kinetic chain stabilization is a term that is not popular yet because most people think segmentally, not of the 'whole.'
When I tell you to strengthen finger & wrist extensor muscles, it is because they contract statically (in one position) to support finger activity (as in gaming). If they are never trained properly (Handmaster Plus) thru full ROM's, they become static and injure easily (cramping, tendinitis, tennis elbow, etc.). The finger extensor muscles are the first (or the last depending on perspective) of the kinetic chain to stabilize the activity of gaming.
Remember also that the biceps/triceps stabilize the lower arm, then the shoulder girdle stabilizes the upper and lower arm, then the torso muscles stabilize the shoulder and arm, then the core muscles (stomach, back & pelvic) stabilze the torso, shoulder and arm.
See that there is a kinetic chain that acts to stabilize computer and gaming activity, just like any other activity. Anywhere where the kinetic chain is weak, there is more responsibility placed somewhere else and more likely chance for injury.
People think it is strange, but it is not... if you are a gamer, or work at the computer alot, it is important to have hands, arms, shoulders, torso and core in strong balanced condition. This makes finger activity stronger, quicker, & less chance of injury.
Handmaster Plus addresses the important kinetic chain component of hand, wrist forerarm & elbow better than any other product, but keep in mind that it is only part of your training if you expect to remain strong and injury free.
Make sense?
Pass it along...
Best,doczac

Hand Soreness In Gamers - Handmaster Plus Training

2009-05-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

Hello Doczac. I like to ask you something. I just like ask you a few things. I still been using your product and may hands still have some soreness or small aches in my hands. I like to ask you a few questions to hear your thoughts. 1. I like to play games a lot but I am always aware of the time in my own unique way. I know when I feel a confortable fatique or the type of game i play, i know when to take a break. Of course the way my hands have bother has made it where I feel small aches. I like to ask you this to make sure i'm using hte product right in your opinion. If I used hte product before I played, then after an hour, i stop, use the product, give my hands a 10-15 minute break, then i continue to play for another hour and then use the product again, would that be ok. I have it where I usually play games for at least two hours but wondering if this would work without overdoing on the product. I like to say its hard for some games to stop completely and save. I play a lot of RPG games like final fantasy . Does that sound good in your opinion

Hi:
Thanks for your q. I have to say firstly, that I am not a gamer, nor have treated gamers in particular. I have done gamer sEMG studies and compare the activity to a dentist or a surgeon in that it appears to be small range of motion, low force movements, with finger extensor muscles (back of the hand and forearm) being very active to 'support' any action where the finger flexors (front of the hand and forearm) are active (in gripping the stick or pressing a button = scalpel, drill, etc.).
The finger extensors must be trained properly through regular, full range of motion (ROM) exercise. Otherwise, they will eventually develop into a tight, static, adhesed muscle bunch (easy to injure) because they contract only in one static position when you play or use your hand in any way. They stabilize in one position. This extensor muscle problem happens over time and then seemingly unrelated injuries (to the hand, wrist, forearm & elbow) start. Handmaster Plus ensures that these muscles stay healthy, toned and elongated - very important for performance and injury prevention.
The flexor muscles can be injured from direct repetition activity and is usually easier for most people to understand. Because they are used through small ROM's they have a tendency to shorten repetitively, in turn adhesing, cramping & reducing blood flow.
So, in training, regular use (hourly) of Handmaster Plus is acceptable and will stimulate circulation, as well as elongated, balanced, toned muscles (between both finger & thumb flexor and extensor). If you use your hands, you must exrcise them through full ROM regularly if you expect to maximize performance & prevent injury.
One thing to add is to only use Handmaster Plus until you feel a comfortable fatigue each time. You appear to be using your hands a lot. They do need time to recover, so your Handmaster Plus sessions should be comfortable, not exhaustive.
Make sense?
Also, if your hand discomfort does not subside completely, you may have already developed adhesions from previously gaming & repetition. It is possible that this will subside after more time using Handmaster Plus. If not, I recommend ART therapy (see www.activerelease.com to find a therapist in your area), the experts in muscle adhesion and release.
Best,doczac

Hand Grip Strengthening & Body Building

2009-05-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

A grip strength supplier contacted me with a common question that I get from athletes that are bodybuilders and strongmen. I wanted to post my answer to better educate anyone wanting to train grip strength properly.

Thanks for your q's...
Your q regarding finger extensors is a good one; and vital issue for anyone pursuing high grip strength and/or repetition. The reason that finger extensor muscles are so vital is that they are 'stabilizers' for any finger flex activity, especially grip. They contract statically (in one static position) anytime the fingers are flexed. The harder the flex, the harder they contract as well.
In using standard grip strengthening items (coiled grip strengtheners), grip strength will improve, until a point of eventual plateau (the stabilizer muscles are not strong because they have not been trainined through full range of motion (ROM)). Or the user will run into injury, because traditional grip strength items strengthen the finger extensors in a static position (in other words, when I grip with a coiled grip strengthening item or by gripping a barbell or dumbell, as in the video, I am training the finger extensor muscles to simply conract in one static position). Muscles that are trained in a static position are not strong, are hugely open to injury and are non-flexible. People are not educated about this fact because it is not well known. We have studied the finger extensor muscle fire pattern for many years and are eager to educate distributors. The athlete may train improperly for years and never notice a problem. Most body builders are strong in the other stabilizer muscles (upper arm & shoulder especially, as the fellow in the video). But once they develop 'tennis elbow,' they will be debilitated. All from improper education regarding training. It is very sad to watch. And difficult to rehabilitate. Make sense?
People pursuing grip strength may not understand why they need to training finger extensor muscles, but the fundamentals are not complicated, especially because 'core muscle training' has become such a popular phrase. Finger extensor muscles are the first core muscles that stabilize the grip, as are the upper arm muscles (second), shoulder muscles and, to some extent, torso muscles. It is a kinetic chain. If one of the chain is weak/unhealthy/injured, grip strength will be compromised & injury will be likely.
I am not saying that using coiled grip trainers is super-bad, especially as they are the standard for grip strength competition. I don't recommend a lot of coiled grip strength training for other athletes, because these items train the body to move in one plane only, which usually does not lend to natural balance...but some training is okay. I use Handmaster Plus exercises because it trains the body to move through full ranges of motion, and in natural 3-dimensional planes (the same as using free weights versus machines).
For athletes that do pursue high grip strength (the fellow in the video is an animal! Very impressive strength focus), I do not see any problem with this pursuit if it is their passion. For body-builders of any type, they must use Handmaster Plus to strengthen finger extensor muscles properly though full ROM. Repetitive use of dumbell grip, barbell grip, coiled grip strengthener will train the finger extensors into a very unstable static position. They will be much stronger & have much less chance of injury if they simply add a finger extensor exercise to their regular routines (Handmaster Plus is the standard for full ROM finger extensor training).
Hope that helps...
Best,
Dr. Zachary

Guitar Fretting Hand & Pick Hand Fatigues Easily

2009-05-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

I am not posting the question, for privacy reasons, but this is a question from one of our professional guitarist regarding the common problem of fatigue, something we see all of the time from our GHS musicians. Understanding the body's performance principles - in this case, kinetic chain stability - is key.

Here is my reply:

Guitarist X:

The issue of weakness and fatigue in the fretting hand is more common than you think - and is very much related to the idea of ‘core stability’. This is a term that is common in general exercise, relating to strengthening the abdomen/lower back/flank, thus stabilizing the center of the body to prepare the body’s base for any type of movement movement.

The same is true for the finger muscles & finger muscle activity, as in fretting or picking. The stabilizers of the fingers are (in order): 1) the finger/wrist extensor muscles, 2) the biceps/triceps (especially triceps), 3) the shoulder musculature, 4) the commonly referred to ‘core stabilizing’ trunk musculature (including latissimus dorsi). It is all one big kinetic chain… when one link of the chain is weak, fatigue WILL occur, performance will be compromised, and injury is likely. The finger/wrist extensor muscles check out weak on almost all musicians that we test, because these initial stabilizer muscles fire statically (especially the finger extensors) when a musicians plays or practices. They contract in one position and are not moving, like the finger flexors. This results in muscles that become stronger for a while, eventually plateau in strength, and then weaken.

Handmaster Plus strengthens these HUGELY important finger extensor muscles through their full ROM (range of motion), not statically like most so-called ‘grip strengtheners.’ The traditional ‘grip strengtheners’ that you probably were using in your ‘manic’ exercise stage improve grip strength, plateau, and then are ineffective because they make the finger extensors contract statically, and thus pay no proper attention to the first chain of finger stabilizing (the finger extensors). Make sense?

Most trainers understand 2)-4) of this kinetic chain, but have little understanding of 1). This is where Handmaster Plus stands alone. You can buy one through the internet (www.handmasterplus.com) or in Canada at any Shopper’s Home Health location. Follow the 3 exercises that are available at http://www.doczac.com/downloads/basic_exercises.pdf. You will notice a vast improvement in 3-4 weeks of exercise. As well you will notice vastly improved circulation to and from the hand/wrist/forearm area. This is vital to all musicians as, just like athletes, musicians must learn to prepare the body for activity. This means warming up and cooling down. Use Handmaster Plus for both. Cooling down is especially important for recovery as it stimulates venous blood flow and lymphatic drainage, thus removing toxic end-products relating to constant muscle contractions (which can lead to tissue damage) from the muscles. It is a basic exercise principle that MUST be adapted to and adopted by musicians (what is adapted is adopted).

Musicians: Why Train Extensor Muscles? Handmaster Plus vs. Gripsaver

2009-04-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

I get this question all of the time regarding finger & wrist extensor muscle training. Years ago, we used to neglect core training for posture and body health, and now it is all the rage; and getting more well understood. The same principle is true for the hand, wrist & forearm. Core muscles stabilize all hand actions, improving performance & preventing injury. The idea of squeeze products are becoming archaic, and with that change, extensor tendinitis is becoming a 'thing of the past.' Why?

Hi there. I'm a guitar player and am considering buying this product, but I was just wondering in what ways your product is superior to the gripmaster which isolates individual fingers? Thanks.

The #1 music injury is finger/wrist extensor tendinitis. Why overuse of these extensor muscles?Finger/wrist extensor muscles work JUST as hard as flexors in music, but a different role. These muscles support finger flexors. If they didn't, your hands would collapse (why most fatigue happens). They are the 'core muscles' of the hand/wrist. Train them to max performance & min injury. Gripmaster does not train extensor muscles thru full ROM, causing static extensor muscles. One must also consider muscle tone & balance issues between the 9 closing muscles of the hand and the 9 opening muscles of the hand, and how this will affect the hand, wrsit, forearm and elbow.

see http://www.doczac.com/downloads/semg_music.pdf

Best,
doczac

Gamer Thumb, Finger and/or Wrist Injuries Are Common and Preventable

2009-04-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

Injuries from gaming are far more common than most of us can imagine. It is yet another of the many examples of the many repetitive flexion activities that are common in our society today. Here is an example of the questions we receive...

SF:Hello doctor zac, i am a passion gamer and plan to get involved with games as a career. A while ago i had it where i felt some sore under my wrist by my thumb and on the other side of my hand. At first i believe it was because of the way i used my laptop at first which laid down and my hands pushing above and immediatly stopped working like that. I still have some soreness under and sometimes feel a tension down my arms a bit. Now i do play a lot of games but i made sure i keep an idea on how long and sometimes it just an hour or two and then i take a break. I see how i weaken my hands that time and since i enjoy playing games why i feel that. It seems that it just might be tenden i ss. sorry couldn't spell it right. I bought your product and hoping it helps my hand. Should i just do the basic excersice for this. I will like to say that i'm cooling off for my games for a while but like to be able to enjoy without feeling a soreness. I have used these heating wristbands that have helped out. Also I have it where I worked out at a gym three times a week and have a trainer. My trainer mention it was tenden iss. Sorrry to bother you but just wanted to ask about the product and feel like this will help me out.

Hi SF:
Thx for your email. Regarding any soft tissue injury (muscle, tendon and/or joint), the first step is to understand the cause. I get lots of emails from gamers asking about hand, wrist & elbow pain. Many people make fun of exercises for gamers, but, upon injury, it is anything but funny, as you know. Gaming injuries are common and here's why: repetitive small range of motion (ROM) activity using fingers, thumbs and wrist. When an activity is done over & over thru a small ROM (gamers, surgeons, dentist, hygienists, computer, golfers, tennis, crafts, sewing/stitching, etc.), the body adapts by shortening and thickening the muscles in use. Eventually tiny adhesions occur within and between the muscles and eventually blood flow is decreased. All nutrients are received via blood flow, so now we have a tissue health problem.
That may seem like a long explaination, but the solution is now easy to understand. Handmaster Plus was designed so that people who must do regular repetitive motions (gripping, flexing, etc.) with their hands can easily offset the eventual muscular imbalance. Use the main exercise as well as the wrist & elbow exercise (http://www.doczac.com/downloads/basic_exercises.pdf) daily, as well as before and after gaming (warm up/cool down). Follow instructions. In doing these exercises, you will begin to re-establish healthy blood flow, muscle strength and balance, the keys to the health of all tendons, muscles and joints. BTW, tendinitis is simply an inflammation of a tendon (-itis = inflammation). Do not exercise if there is pain. Heat is helpful if the injury is chronic. Moist heat is best. Bracing is a good idea until you can properly restrengthen.
This experience will make you an expert in soft tissue (muscle, tendon, joint) health. Pass the word to your gamer friends. There are far too many needless gamer injuries. Proper understanding of the potential problem is all that is needed to prevent almost every gamer injury.
Hope that helps.

Best,
doczac

Handmaster Plus - Baseball Pitcher/Pitching Exercises

2009-02-28T10:13:00.000-08:00

We get a lot of emails regarding baseball pitchers and elbow injuries. It is my strong belief that traditional training is harmful to pitcher's elbows as they neglect half of the muscles that affect the hand, wrist & elbow...especially the elbow, that is so greatly stressed on most pitches. Proper training exercises are a must to ward off micro-tears and adhesions that chronically make the elbow less flexible & weak. Here is an example of one of our emails...

Q: I was wonderIng If any stores carry the hand master plus I belIeve u call It, I mIght be wrong, anyways I was wonderIng that. Im a pItcher and Ive had problems wIth my elbow when I was 14 I hyper extended my elbow and just about 5 months ago I threw and I started to feel paIn the next day. I had x rays done but nothIng showed up just InflamatIon. I dont beleIve Its anythIng too bad that I dId to It cause Ive been doIng some excersIses lately and Its starIng to feel a lIttle better. I belIeve Its got to do somethIng wIth tennIs elbow. any recomendatIons would be great. thank you please reply!

Reply: Thanks for you q. The best place to buy Handmaster Plus Is onlIne at www.handmasterplus.com, as you can buy the 3-pack for under $20, just a bIt more than the prIce of 1. As for elbow strength, health & performance, we have been workIng In baseball for 7 years. It Is vItal to strengthen the stabIlIzer muscles (whIch are fInger & wrIst extensor muscles) thru full ranges of motIon. By strengthenIng extensor muscles, the athlete gaIns maxImum balance & blood flow (both are vItal for elbow strength/performance/health/rehab) at the hand, wrIst & elbow. Handmaster Plus Is portable & makes these exercIses very easy to do (see InstructIons http://www.doczac.com/downloads/InstructIons.pdf). Also, as a pItcher, you can mImIc ur grIp for varIous pItches, then flex, then extend. ThIs traIns the actIve muscles & supportIve muscles & allows you to control grIp pressure wIth least effort. All pItchers would greatly benefIt from Handmaster Plus In theIr traInIng, addressIng modern prIncIples of grIp, grIp traInIng & muscle balance.

Let me know If I can assIst further.

Best,
doczac

Pole Fitness - A New Exercise Trend

2009-01-18T16:42:00.000-08:00

I have received questions regarding a new fitness trend, pole fitness; a great for health & vitality, but prepare your body properly... injuries can occur. Here is one example...

I just received my HandMaster set yesterday and I love it! I do pole fitness and was told that I have golfer's elbow. The poles I use are 2" in diameter, so it's not as closed as the grip on a club. He gave me a cortizone shot and told me to stretch and do forearm curls. He wanted me to work up to 3 sets of 15 reps at 25lbs. I can do the weight but my elbow doesn't feel 100%. I feel like I'm getting more out of your ball. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks, V

Thanks for your feedback. Your are definitely involved in a wonderful program for fitness, but it is a repetitive gripping activity. These activities lead to hand, wrist & elbow imbalance because the finger & wrist flexor muscles eventually dominate the extensor muscles. Hand, wrist & elbow problems are common when there is no effort to learn about the muscular & prepare properly for your activity. Handmaster Plus will strengthen & balance both the flexors and the extensors & maximize blood flow to all tissues.Visit www.doczac.com & download 'Instructions (5 languages). Read the instructions, then focus on 'Hand and Wrist:" AND 'Wrist and Forearm:' exercises. Only exercise until comfortable fatigue each day. Be consistent. For therapy, I suggest contacting an ART practitioner (www.activerelease.com), who are wonderful dealing with extremity problems.

Wrist Fracture Rehabilitation

2009-01-14T11:39:00.000-08:00

We get questions from our YouTube video presentations. This one is near and dear to my heart & super important... I've seen family, patients & close friends heal improperly after they had wrist/finger/thumb fractures... it is one reason we developed our soft version of the handmaster Plus... to provide proper & convenient rehabilitation after a finger, thumb, hand or wrist fracture...

Q: would this work for a wrist fracture?

A: Handmaster Plus is the item of choice in rehabilitating a wrist fracture.
Note first that, after a wrist fracture, stability is most important, blood flow is next important, then strength and balance is next...
Firstly, get approval from your surgeon/therapist/health care practitioner that it is safe to begin rehabilitation. The injured area must be stable enough to handle resistance, even small resistance. Be patient. Allow your body to do its initial healing job.
Once your practitioner recommends rehab, make sure that they plan/approve your method. They will consider not only strength, but also muscle balance & blood flow. Many wrist fracture patients are left on their own & use a grip ball (flexion only). The result is a chronic imbalance between flexor/extensor muscles, limited blood flow & limited joint range of motion (ROM). Handmaster Plus allows any patent to address strength, balance & blood flow, all in a few easy, complete & convenient exercises. See http://www.handmasterplus.com/ for more infomation.

Musician Recovering From Tendonitis

2009-01-14T11:04:00.000-08:00

Hey, Im just recovering from tendonitis and was wondering if your product could be helpful in keeping it from coming back.

Thanks for your q. The answer is, absolutely. Once cleared for rehabilitation from your health care professional, your goals should be 3-fold (for any injury rehab): Re-establish 1. strength, 2. balance, & 3. blood flow (blood flow gets nutrients & oxygen to the site of the injury & removes waste products of the repair & rehab process). Handmaster Plus accomplishes this for any hand, wrist & elbow injury using only a few simple exercises (that can be done almost anywhere). Before Handmaster Plus, these hand & wrsit exercise rehab routines were awkward & incomplete, used many items & required the patient to memorize many different exercises. The result was often non-complance. The other problem with conventional hand, wrist & elbow rehab & exercise programs is that they only addressed flexion (gripping) & ignored finger & thumb & often wrist extension. Handmaster Plus allows easy access to complete rehabilitation protocols for finger, thumb, hand, wrsit & elbow injury recovery. Visit www.handmasterplus.com for more information.

Guitar Soloist has Questions

2009-01-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

I've been playing a piece Solfeggetio #3 by CPE Bach which requires some wide extension (in order to preserve the economoy picking pattern). These extension arpeggios have caused my Lefthand fingers to regularly go numb in the tips and whole finger. Will this product cure this issue? Do i have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? I'm 33 and have never experienced anything like this no matter how crazy the speed or extensions were in my playing. Thanks for your help Dr here's me playing it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZzOg_yiVjU

Reply:
Firstly, impressive playing. We work with bands through GHS Strings (our brand partner in music) and numbness is a common issue that we deal with.
There are two reasons why.
The first, of course is the carpal tunnel (and carpal tunnel syndrome). The carpal tunnel is at your wrist, is a passage about the size of your thumb and through it passes 9 flexor tendons, including the flexor tendons you require to play guitar. Through the tunnel also passes the median nerve, which supplies sensory information from 3 ½ of your fingers (pinky to medial half of index finger) back to your brain. When these flexor tendons inflame from intense use (or over-use), the tunnel space is compromised and the median nerve is affected, causing numbness. The strain on the flexor tendons through the tunnel is worse when the wrist is also in flexion (as in intense guitar solos or bass guitar methods. Anyone who uses their fingers for regular flexion is at risk for eventual carpal tunnel problems. Carpal tunnel problems are worse if the finger extensor (hand opening) and wrist extensor muscles & tendons are not trained properly. These are the muscles that support any flexor tendon action (the extensor tendons are working just as hard as the flexor tendons (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er8Rd1VKnF0)). If the extensors are strong, there is less stress on the flexor tendons.
The second reason is blood flow & lymph drainage. Guitarists do not move their hand regularly through maximum ranges of motion (meaning fully open & fully close their hands) while playing/practicing etc. Therefore, they establish less than max blood flow (the body responds equivalent to regular requirements). Blood flow to and from the body’s tissues is what keeps the tissues healthy.
Okay, a lot of babble, but here’s what regular use of Handmaster Plus (See www.handmasterplus.com) does: 1. Strengthens and balances all hand, wrist forearm muscles 2. Establishes maximum blood flow to the tissues of the hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, keeping these tissues as healthy as possible.
Music injuries are so common and yet few musicians understand the mechanics involved. I’m glad to see musicians such as you taking interest. Please educate others. Guitar especially is an intense physical activity and challenge to the body. We must train guitarists and musicians properly!