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Ruphus -> RE: Exercises for Tendonitis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (Aug. 8 2011 12:30:43)
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Hello Steve,
Thank you for your PM.
As you describe you are going through some hefty pain from complex issues. I am sorry to hear that and wish you healing as soon as possible.
Causes seem uncertain and from what comes to mind could include numerous indications apart of muscular ones, like defficiency of encapsuled joints liquid, inflammation of pouch or bone skin ( for lack of proper termini on my side ), neuronal or metabolism background etc., or a partial mixture of thelikes.
Yet, I am sure that it shouldn´t be detrimental to try and see what muscle prolongation can do, as it can only easen the situation. Especially with determined isometric approach that should avoid challenging anything other than muscles, and that as efficiently with muscle growth as practically possible.
Prolonging muscles actually won´t change the distance between muscle ends, but it will mean growing muscle cells lengthwise and replace tendon cells of shortened muscles with muscle cells. ( = lesser tendon, more muscle )
Muscle cells work sorts of like pistons in cylinders. And with shortend muscles a smaller number of cells will have to execute what otherwise a greater number of cells would be doing over the same total distance. Thus the cells of shortened muscles are forced to working outside the cells idle range, whenever the muscle can´t start out from bended state. In other words: With shortened muscles you will be weak outside of the optimal range. ( Thinking of bizeps = Only strong with arm bended / weak when extended.)
Also, as said above, shortened muscels mean constant pulling / entangling of tendons respectively joints which tends to produce susceptibility and secondary issues.
For tackling preconditions and status of carpal tunnel snydrom ( and developing strongest hands you ever had, even if you are a body builder ):
We start out with the exercise for the extending muscle groups of the lower arm, even if to those sensing CTS it might be appearing paradox at first .
I have digged out some of my old drawings, scanned and uploaded below to help envision postures.
Knee down like in picture 21.
Apply the back side of hands on the floor, keeping the hands close to each other. Place your hands as far ahead of your body as you can, provided that:
# the whole of the hands back side resting flat on the ground.
# your ellbow being stretched out / not bended.
You will feel a fierce stretching of the wrist and of the lower arms extendors.
A.
Now concentrate on letting go the unconscious resistance against the stretch / hence relaxe despite the discomfort.
When done, you´ll find that you can stretch a little bit further. Do so by slowly pushing your butt side further backwards / towards your feet.
B.
Now, stretched to max ( always within the yellow range of your red light of pain, but not further than that!), targetly and strongly contract your lower arms extensors as if wanting to push your hands backside through the ground / straightening out.
Do so for at least 6 seconds, ideally for 8 seconds. ( And exhale while you do.)
However, strictly watch out to not give way ( seek comfort ) by bending ellbows / moving forward rear side, whilst contracting.
After contracting, relax. ( Again, without in the least giving way in the posture. Only relax the muscles, without any outer move.)
After having made sure that you really relaxed, you´ll find that there has come up more room fro stretching now. Move your rear side further backwards to have the wrist bended a tad more once again.
Then repeat as in paragraph "B".
The stretch, contracting and relaxing should be done three times in a raw before you are finished with the exercise.
When done, while releasing off the posture, take care to let go only very slowly and evenly ( not abruptly!)
Then shake your hands lose very gently for a couple of seconds, as if it were dead extremities.
Execute this exersice once or twice a day, every second day over the course of 10 to 14 days, before you start training the antagonists ( flexors ) too as shown in picture 22.
You should then alternate these two exercises daily, like today ex. 21, tomorrow ex.22, next day 21 ... etc.
I have seen people´s surgery appointments for CTS scratched after them having started these exercises for just a couple of weeks, but naturally it remains recommendable to continue doing these regularly, especially if you are a work station employee, secretary, tennis player etc. with habitual one-sided daily excutions.
Don´t hesitate to ask if there remain questions on how to do.
Ruphus
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