This is a great segment on techniques focused locally. In my case, however, I've had phenomenal success w/stretch & hold techniques in the neck, shoulders & back & some routines learned via Alexander technique. I'm trying to post my story on any site, forum, etc. related to de Quervain &, specifically, to surgery & Cortisone shots. Went through everything except surgery & after speaking to a sports physiologist realized, in my case, was too focused on the hand/wrist. More later, if interested.
Oh My Goodness! Thank you! I had suffered for over 18 months with this a couple years ago. Finally I started Yoga again and to my dismay, began noticing the tightness again. 3 minutes of the first massage and the tightness was gone. WOW!! Why didn't my rehab person or doctor tell me about this years ago. You're amazing. Thanks for this video.
You can buy from Painreliever (.com) as they ship to Europe. I hear that a big new distributor in Europe will be selling Flextend soon, but I wouldn't wait as I've heard that before. Painreliever (.com) is also one of the cheapest dealers. Good luck!
hey man, I'm doing pretty good with out the glove, I find really interesting ways to compensate, and im slowly fixing my hand. When is the best time to stretch, and what do you mean by "extra rehab"
I'm glad you implemented techniques that bettered your hand position, posture etc. to help reduce your symptoms. The "extra rehab" is that people get so frustrated about getting better that they "do" and "use" way too many techniques and treatment devices which ultimately end up irritating the heck out of the injury, not making it better. It is best to implement one or two things at a time to see if they actually help, before moving onto some other technique or device.
After buying the glove and many months of doing the exercises properly and religiously I didn't have any success, as a guitarist. I've noticed a lot of soreness and tightness all up my forearm, on the underside as well as on top and near the elbow, so you guys might want to massage that. I also started using my right elbow to massage my hand and forearm since my right hand and thumb was getting sore trying to massage it. I hope you guys have better results.
That is too bad, as you certainly should have noticed vast improvement by now. I' still concerned that you are doing too much extra "rehab", aside from Flextend, which can completely stop all progress. I would like to see you perform the exercises via video again (If you have time), too see if you are still missing something, I was addressing a similar situation a couple weeks ago and as soon as all of the additional "rehab" was stopped and he used Flextend only, he got better,
@URehab i just did the program you recommended with no other rehab. when that failed after many months you have to start thinking there's some other problem/solution I've stopped doing the glove at this point. I really appreciate the effort to help though, but it is frustrating
dude if this fixes my hand I will be in your DEBT FOREVER. I have had this for two years and it destroyed my martial arts career. which also happens to be one of my only passions... so you can imagine how sad i have been. THANK YOU for the information, I have no health insurance so no doctor will see me.
Thank you SOOOO much. I've been in agony for about a week. Had enough started checking here diagnosed it thanks to another vid and then found yours. Sharp pain to minor dull ache in under 5 minutes from the massage alone. I can't thank you enough!
I'm a guitarist who has been struggling with hand pain for over a year. The pain is at the base of my thumb, but it's on the palm side, not the back side like you're showing here. Does it sound like I have deQuervain's Syndrome, or is it something else?
Pain can be on either side of the joint with DeQuervain's Syndrome. The pain in the thenar eminence, the pad at the base of the thumb, is from trigger points in the tight muscles. The pain on the backside of the thumb joint is from being under tensile strain due to its weakness, thus causing pain and spasm.
@URehab K, there's no pain on the backside of the thumb joint, just the palm side. Also, is the Finkelstein test (making a fist with the fingers closed over the thumb and bending the wrist toward the little finger) a reliable test for deQuervain's syndrome? There's a little bit of pain for me when I do the test, but not much.
I've been suffering with DeQuervain Syndrome for roughly 3 years and as a professional guitarist it has been a huge frustration. I purchased the exercise glove and am 3 weeks into the training program. I no longer experience shooting pains or tingling in my hands and will be using the glove regularly to maintain my hands. Great product.
Great to hear! So many musicians, like your-self, deal with a variety of hand injuries and disorders that often put an end to their career. I'm glad to be able to help! I'm sure the manufacturer would like to hear about your success, as their repetitive-strain.om website has a list of testimonials and celebrities, some of which are musicians. Good luck and keep up the exercises!
@AVIDASBAND OMG....3 years? I was treated in the ER for de Quervains 2 weeks ago, and have a gig next week! I've been wearing a brace 23 hours a day (off to shower and apply heat) with 800 mg. Advil. I've tried my guitar for 4-5 minutes at a time.....can play open chords with thumb wrapped around the neck, but bar chords hurt.....esp. low on the neck (F bar chord). I thought I had it tough with 3-4 weeks...I can't imagine what you've gone through. Advise? My hand hurts to exercise.
Respond to this video... Probably the most informative vid on this topic. Thank you so much. I will start with massage and stretches, but hand still hurts too much to do any exercises. I, like other, play guitar.....very discouraged! *you look like you've done some Powerlifting in your time!
Thank you for the video. I would like to ask how many set should I do this exercise a day. Also I stoped riding my motorbike and stop going to gym since I get this problem, is that helpful or you recommended me to do my day activities as usual.
Thank you very much for the helpful information. I am doing the massages and stretches, but I am quite afraid to start the glove exercises, because the thumb joints hurt when I try doing the exercises without the gloves, so I can't imagine how much it will hurt when I'll try with the gloves. Would you recommend the glove exercises in this case?
You would need to let it settle down enough to where it does not hurt to perform the extension/abduction exercises. There are different ring settings on the glove that allow for minimal resistance. When the lower level rings are used, it puts pressure low on the finger joint so there is much less stress to it compared to using the top level rings. Good luck!
I am so grateful to you for posting these videos. I currently believe I have DeQuervain's Syndrome. I have tried all sorts of different exercises while following this posted program with the massage, stretch, and then exercise. They have not worked though, so I have just purchased the flextend. I was wondering if you would be able to give me an exercise program, i.e. how many sets and whatnot. Thanks so much for your time!
I am a long time bartender/server and have developed a brutal case of DeQuervain's over the previous 5 months, aggravated by the "hustle" button in NHL 11 on xbox 360 - thank you so much for making this video - my doctor gave me instructions on exercises, however i have had serious 'compliance' issues with doing my own physio - now i am still out of work and unable to do the things i love, like swing a baseball bat. i am going to begin your program - thank you very much!
@URehab i am already experiencing relief and a reduction in inflammation and the 'clicking' and 'popping' as the tendons extend..
today i have mainly focused on heat, massage, icing and stretching, as i don't want to do too much and re-aggravate it - do you recommend doing the exercises each day? multiple times per day? i just figure due to the areas involved they may require less strain to reinjure, etc.
@URehab i am 4 days in and i am loving life again - THANK YOU - my landlord's son is a physiotherapist with a B.Sc in Kin. - he brought me a jar of physio putty - i can't afford the glove but this seems to work. i can't say thank you enough. everyone who has any problems in their hands and arms should be checking out your site - i am posting it everywhere - hope you have all the success you want in the future, thank you thank you thank you. i was so depressed.
Right on! I'm glad that you are doing better; keep up the program through the 12-weeks, even though you may feel better as often people stop doing he exercises as soon as the pain goes away. Do not do this as you may only need to correct your imbalance by 30% to relive the pain factor, but the remaining 70% of the imbalance still needs to be corrected for the problem to be truly eliminated at the root source. Keep us posted!
I believe it is cheaper in the U.S. than Europe from what I've heard. Try bannertherapy, enablemart, painreliever or repetitive-strain. These are all .com's. Good luck and keep me posted. Yes, the product is good for prevention and as well as post-surgery rehabilitation. Hand surgeons use it for many conditions post-surgery.
Do you have any idea where I could find the flextend in Europe. Or which website would deliver to italy? I just got de Quervain surgery. Could the flextend be useful for postsurgery recovery?
I'm a scientist who pipettes A LOT and I've gotten painful bouts of DeQuervain's (at work we just call it "pipetter's thumb"). This video has been the single most helpful thing i've found to help ease the pain. Thanks so much for posting and helping us all out.
Hi there, I've had dequervain's tendonits for over three years. I have been on the flextend website, but am not sure whether to purchase thefull TFT kit or just the standard one. Could you recommend which one to purchase?
The TFT Kit makes the single thumb exercises a lot easier and that is what I prefer, easy. It is called "patient compliance", and anything that increases this is a good thing. It is hard enough to get people to do their rehab when it is easy, let alone when the program or products used are time consuming and difficult. Good luck!
I really glad i found this video. You did a great demonstration and lesson on the subject. Do you recommend getting one of those exercise gloves? Or can i do something else for strengthening?
Rubber bands, Theraband, etc., just does not give full range of motion so they really don't work too well, especially for carpal tunnel, due to the inability of being able to completely splay the thumb and little fingers completely apart; so instead they actually increase pressure on the median nerve. You can try using your opposing hand (I used to until Flextend), but still, Flextend is easy to use and that is what I prefer for both myself, and my clients.
Do you recommend wearing a brace if you are having considerable pain and popping of the tendon with movement of the thumb. Thank you so much for these instructions. I'm finally hopeful that I can get some relief.
It can help in the acute phase, but you need to be sure you address the problem, not mask it, as over time the problem will only get worse. After a week or two, you really need to start strengthening the thumb extensors / abductors. As tolerable, take the brace off, perform your exercises and put it back on. Still, you need to wean yourself off the brace and increase the level of strengthening exercises in order to correct the condition.
Some of these exercises look like they would be beneficial but unfortunately you have to have one of those mitts with the bands to do them. Do you have any exercises people who do not have those mitts?
You can try and use your opposing hand as resisitance for some of the exercises. I just use what is most effective for my clients, and this system makes it the easiest.
my fingers are never numb nor tingling..my Dr. says I might have reversable peripheral neuropathy which sounds horrible,but at least it doesn't stop me from playing...he says the numbness caused by it might have diverted my attention from signs of pain in my tendons thus overworking them a little..I'm stil confused but finally I'll have a ENG scan ...thanx a lot.
I get the pain and numbness all the way down to my wrist, all over the upper side of the arm and it's outer side...I've been giving my arms some rest and massage lately, and the muscle seems to be softer, though the numbness and pain persist intermitently...not necesarily when I'm playing guitar,it could happen any time,even if I'm at rest,,,thanks a lot.
Hi there,I'm a bit confused since my fingers have no problem mooving and never get numb or have pain.though the outer side of both my forearms go totally numb and the muscles tighten up,after which I get little bursts of tolerable pain untill the numbnes dissapears....do you think it's guitar related tendinitis or just a couple of pinched nerves like my Dr. says?
So if your hands are in the palm-down position on desk / table, it is on the outside of the forearms that you experience numbness and intermitent pain? How far below the elbow joint and on the outside of the forearm do you get the symptoms?
PM through YouTube is best. I'll look at the separate account and get back to you. Sorry for the delay as I haven't looked at it for some time as it is normally reserved for video uploads, etc.
As you know I'm a guitarist and have been working on this for a few months without much result. I discovered that when I put my left palm against a wall or table at 90deg it's very tight/tender/sore compared to right hand. Does this indicate anything (common for DQ, some other condition, etc) and is it a good stretch to do?
Yes, that stretch is fine. I don't think the program is enough to counteract what you already have let alone the additional stress that is being applied. I want you to bump the program up to 3x daily and decrease your rest time to only 20-seconds between each set. Contact me privately, there is not enough room here to discuss, and it is an ongoing issue that we have been addressing for some time. Thanks!
I am so glad I found this. I had it bad before and had surgery 4 years ago - never really thought it would reoccur. I am in so much pain (on cortisone now, getting thumb splints in 2 days) - and now I am willing to try anything to prevent another visit to the surgeon.
Thank you for posting this! I have a question: should I wait for the pain to completely disappear to do these exercices, or should I be doing them as I recuperate?
Do not do them if you feel pain WHILE performing the action. If you can move through a partial range of motion without pain, then move through that range of motion. Over time, it will increase without pain. Post exercise soreness is fine.
Do not do them if you feel pain While performing the action. If you can move through a partial range of motion without pain, then move through that range of motion. Over time, it will increase without pain. Post exercise soreness is fine.
I noticed you show radial deviation (thumb cocks upward) but in the program you provided me the ulnar deviation (thumb cocks down).
For other guitarists, I've had some severe issues as I let this go for months/years with lots of chord grips for jazz. Right after doing the exercises I feel the tension subside but it comes back. I've been doing this for about 4 weeks and will keep doing them.
I noticed that in the printed program as well and will bring it to their attention. I suggest the Radial Deviation exercise as that is the joint that is weak. Pain exists here because the joint is not stable and is being pulled into flexion and abduction; so radial deviation of the thumb joint would strengthen the abductors and extensors of the base MP joint of the thumb and the radiocarpal joint, thus providing stability and reduction of pain and other related symptoms.
Thanks again for the video and advice. Been doing the exercises for about 2 months and it's really the only thing to have helped my problem.
Just to add for any others. I lost some feeling in my hand because of the nerve irritation, but after doing these excercises, I'd say 90-95% of the feeling is back in my thumb/hand area.
Thanks again, you are someone who has really helped improve the quality of my life...especially beign a musician.
I'm glad that you are doing better! Musicians, especially guitarists and drummers have a lot of wrist / finger problems, which is why it is critical to perform these stretches and exercises. They not only rehabilitate existing injuries / disorders, but help prevent them from occurring in the first place. The stretches and exercises are also important to utilize as a warm-up before playing and then to be used again afterwards to counteract the excessive finger / wrist flexion.
I'm not sure if you know this, but if you are performing the Flextend exercises, run the resistance band from the thumb ring to the palm ring and then through the wrist ring, it increases the tension on the thumb, thus increasing its ability to become stronger.
I've been playing guitar seriously for 29 years and do a lot of gripping during jazz guitar chording. My hand starts to ache in the thumb area and when I outstretch my fingers and in general I feel a lot of tightness. My PT thinks I may have arthritis. I have some pain when I do the finkelstein test a couple inches from my wrist. I have sore spots all over my forearm and even in the armpit. I've tried stretching and massage, ice, antiinflammatory cream and nothing's working. Any advice?
I've played guitar 27 years (I'm 40 now) and just got this damn thing 6 months ago. These exercises were the only thing that really helped me. I used ice, anti-imfalmitories and rest, but really you need to stretch out the tendon (resting it didn't really help out much at all after doing that for 4 months).
I have arthritis in my family history so what I've started to do with music is just push past the limit it then take it easy a little. 2 steps forward, 1 step back.
@vindikation thanks, yeah I rested it for weeks and nothing happened. I even did some stretches and massages in the hand and arm. But I think the key is the thumb, mine is so thick and overdeveloped as he says. The stretch is tough because you feel pain in the joint compressing or something but I was able to stretch it yesterday and more aggressive focused massage. I will report back.
Ease into these stretches. Be sure to, strengthen the finger/wrist extensors and finger abductors as it will help the extensor tendon slide out of the way (Because it becomes short and tighter), thus providing increased joint stability and a reduced feeling of impingement on the back of the joint. Make sure you stretch first and then immediately follow up with exercises shown in the video. Do not stretch again afterward...unless you are going to follow up with the exercises again.
If you perform the same movements day after day, year after year, a serious muscle imbalance develops. You need to stretch and lengthen the overused finger/wrist flexors and finger adductors as well as strengthen the opposing finger/wrist extensors and finger abductors. The hypertonicity of the finger flexors can lead to osteoarthritis as there is so much pressure on the anterior portion of the finger joints that they wear out. For relief, perform both the stretches and exercises.
Thanks! Been dealing withDe Quervain's Tendinitis and some mild nerve damage for months, so great advice to try out:
1). massage
2). stretching
3). flexing
How about icing the joint after the exercises, is this ok?
I've also tried topical and pill anti-imflamatories, but they don't really seem to help much at all. Stretching out the tendon seems to really be the only way to help it out (how ironic is that?).
Just those shown in the video as you need to perform pure extension, not extension with gripping as these two motions combined (flexion/extension) are counterproductive to correcting the cause of the disorder..
Strengthen the thumb joint with extension and abduction exercises as they will tighten up the joint thereby reducing pain and laxity within the joint. Strength equals stability, and strong, stable muscles/joints rarely hurt...and are re-injured much less often.
Thumb-Up Isolated and Supination Isolated as these all strengthening the Thumb abductors and extensors, therefore helping to take pressure off the anterior portion of the Thumb's MP joint and the Radial side of the CMC joint.
Hi, my physician told me today that I have nerve adhesion on my little finger side of the wrist, and possibly the top side of the wrist as well. Would any of the exercises help to release the adhesion?
I have made my own flextend by using stretchable resistent string and a glove for doing the exercises.
I cannot really address your question as that is something that you and your physician will have to discuss. In regards to making your own exercise system...that may be the reason you have experienced limited results. Good Luck!
I've been doing some of your exercises on for carpal tunnel for about a month (but not always consistent) but I have not felt much fix to my wrist being able to make little movements.
Could there be anything else that is causing the problem? such as this DeQuervain's sydrome? When fold my thumb inside other fingers and bend my wrist down, I do feel a pain running on the thumb side of the wrist.
How or with what are you performing the exercises? Please note that I cannot diagnose your condition. Once you receive a physician's diagnosis, I can help you address your condition if it is associated with some form of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Thanks!
When I write, there is this werid feeling on my pinky as if it is acting as a resistent with the whole movement of my hand, espcially when writing letters such as "s" "m" "r".
Hi, i've been doing some research on the types of sydrome that i may be suffering on my right hand after a bike accident.I've visited alot of doctors and one of them said it could be carpal tunnel sydrome.
The symtoms I am suffering includes; slightly less hand grip,especailly when writing, stings around the wrist but at different sides different time(left right to). When I use a mouse, sometimes its difficult to perform small left and right movements,eg, highlight a few letter width on ms word
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome causes pain, numbness, tingling paresthesia, (pins and needles) in the thumb, index, middle and sometimes one-half of the ring finger. The symptoms you list sound more like a basic RSI but be sure to consult your physician.
The sets, repetitions days per week and everything else needed come with the Flextend system. Here is a discount code that will save you 20%. PainFree2010
This is a great segment on techniques focused locally. In my case, however, I've had phenomenal success w/stretch & hold techniques in the neck, shoulders & back & some routines learned via Alexander technique. I'm trying to post my story on any site, forum, etc. related to de Quervain &, specifically, to surgery & Cortisone shots. Went through everything except surgery & after speaking to a sports physiologist realized, in my case, was too focused on the hand/wrist. More later, if interested.
toonerschooner 3 weeks ago in playlist De'Quervains Tenosynovitis
Oh My Goodness! Thank you! I had suffered for over 18 months with this a couple years ago. Finally I started Yoga again and to my dismay, began noticing the tightness again. 3 minutes of the first massage and the tightness was gone. WOW!! Why didn't my rehab person or doctor tell me about this years ago. You're amazing. Thanks for this video.
norcalmommy07 1 month ago
@norcalmommy07
You are very welcome and I'm glad we could help!
URehab 1 month ago
what a cool device
bilbo317 1 month ago
@bilbo317
I agree - very simple yet eliminates thousnds of so-called "complex" imjuries and disorders.
URehab 1 month ago
Thank you for your reply URehab. I have ordered the glove, a DVD and Kit.I look forward to receiving the order.
haneadino33 1 month ago
@haneadino33
Good; let me know how things go for you!
URehab 1 month ago
I live in Europe (Denmark), - but you only sell these glove in USA. Where in Europe can I buy this glove?? I look forward to hearing from you!!
haneadino33 2 months ago
@haneadino33
You can buy from Painreliever (.com) as they ship to Europe. I hear that a big new distributor in Europe will be selling Flextend soon, but I wouldn't wait as I've heard that before. Painreliever (.com) is also one of the cheapest dealers. Good luck!
URehab 1 month ago
hey man, I'm doing pretty good with out the glove, I find really interesting ways to compensate, and im slowly fixing my hand. When is the best time to stretch, and what do you mean by "extra rehab"
thestrange101 3 months ago
@thestrange101
I'm glad you implemented techniques that bettered your hand position, posture etc. to help reduce your symptoms. The "extra rehab" is that people get so frustrated about getting better that they "do" and "use" way too many techniques and treatment devices which ultimately end up irritating the heck out of the injury, not making it better. It is best to implement one or two things at a time to see if they actually help, before moving onto some other technique or device.
URehab 3 months ago
After buying the glove and many months of doing the exercises properly and religiously I didn't have any success, as a guitarist. I've noticed a lot of soreness and tightness all up my forearm, on the underside as well as on top and near the elbow, so you guys might want to massage that. I also started using my right elbow to massage my hand and forearm since my right hand and thumb was getting sore trying to massage it. I hope you guys have better results.
wkriski 3 months ago
@wkriski
That is too bad, as you certainly should have noticed vast improvement by now. I' still concerned that you are doing too much extra "rehab", aside from Flextend, which can completely stop all progress. I would like to see you perform the exercises via video again (If you have time), too see if you are still missing something, I was addressing a similar situation a couple weeks ago and as soon as all of the additional "rehab" was stopped and he used Flextend only, he got better,
URehab 3 months ago
@URehab i just did the program you recommended with no other rehab. when that failed after many months you have to start thinking there's some other problem/solution I've stopped doing the glove at this point. I really appreciate the effort to help though, but it is frustrating
wkriski 3 months ago
@wkriski
I understand your frustration and am sorry that you were one of the few that it failed to help!
URehab 3 months ago
Where can I get the glove for the exercises?
DeathWish1331 3 months ago
@DeathWish1331
painreliever (.com) has them (FLEXTEND / RESTORE) the cheapest.
URehab 3 months ago
dude if this fixes my hand I will be in your DEBT FOREVER. I have had this for two years and it destroyed my martial arts career. which also happens to be one of my only passions... so you can imagine how sad i have been. THANK YOU for the information, I have no health insurance so no doctor will see me.
thestrange101 4 months ago
@thestrange101
Just make sure that you follow the stretches immediately with the corrective exercises. Good Luck!
URehab 4 months ago
Thank you SOOOO much. I've been in agony for about a week. Had enough started checking here diagnosed it thanks to another vid and then found yours. Sharp pain to minor dull ache in under 5 minutes from the massage alone. I can't thank you enough!
bensonrecon 4 months ago
Any advice on how often to perform the exercises? How many times a day and how many sets/reps? Is it good to take rest days?
JordanBornholdt 4 months ago in playlist JordanBornholdt's favorites
@JordanBornholdt
PM me and I'll give you the program.
URehab 4 months ago
I'm a guitarist who has been struggling with hand pain for over a year. The pain is at the base of my thumb, but it's on the palm side, not the back side like you're showing here. Does it sound like I have deQuervain's Syndrome, or is it something else?
JonathanDrachenberg 4 months ago in playlist JonathanDrachenberg's favorites
@JonathanDrachenberg
Pain can be on either side of the joint with DeQuervain's Syndrome. The pain in the thenar eminence, the pad at the base of the thumb, is from trigger points in the tight muscles. The pain on the backside of the thumb joint is from being under tensile strain due to its weakness, thus causing pain and spasm.
URehab 4 months ago
@URehab K, there's no pain on the backside of the thumb joint, just the palm side. Also, is the Finkelstein test (making a fist with the fingers closed over the thumb and bending the wrist toward the little finger) a reliable test for deQuervain's syndrome? There's a little bit of pain for me when I do the test, but not much.
JonathanDrachenberg 4 months ago
I've been suffering with DeQuervain Syndrome for roughly 3 years and as a professional guitarist it has been a huge frustration. I purchased the exercise glove and am 3 weeks into the training program. I no longer experience shooting pains or tingling in my hands and will be using the glove regularly to maintain my hands. Great product.
AVIDASBAND 6 months ago
@AVIDASBAND
Great to hear! So many musicians, like your-self, deal with a variety of hand injuries and disorders that often put an end to their career. I'm glad to be able to help! I'm sure the manufacturer would like to hear about your success, as their repetitive-strain.om website has a list of testimonials and celebrities, some of which are musicians. Good luck and keep up the exercises!
URehab 6 months ago
@AVIDASBAND OMG....3 years? I was treated in the ER for de Quervains 2 weeks ago, and have a gig next week! I've been wearing a brace 23 hours a day (off to shower and apply heat) with 800 mg. Advil. I've tried my guitar for 4-5 minutes at a time.....can play open chords with thumb wrapped around the neck, but bar chords hurt.....esp. low on the neck (F bar chord). I thought I had it tough with 3-4 weeks...I can't imagine what you've gone through. Advise? My hand hurts to exercise.
guitarkis49 4 months ago
Respond to this video... Probably the most informative vid on this topic. Thank you so much. I will start with massage and stretches, but hand still hurts too much to do any exercises. I, like other, play guitar.....very discouraged! *you look like you've done some Powerlifting in your time!
guitarkis49 4 months ago
Hi
Thank you for the video. I would like to ask how many set should I do this exercise a day. Also I stoped riding my motorbike and stop going to gym since I get this problem, is that helpful or you recommended me to do my day activities as usual.
thnks
marwanwg 6 months ago
Thank you very much for the helpful information. I am doing the massages and stretches, but I am quite afraid to start the glove exercises, because the thumb joints hurt when I try doing the exercises without the gloves, so I can't imagine how much it will hurt when I'll try with the gloves. Would you recommend the glove exercises in this case?
hwnnn 7 months ago
@hwnnn
You would need to let it settle down enough to where it does not hurt to perform the extension/abduction exercises. There are different ring settings on the glove that allow for minimal resistance. When the lower level rings are used, it puts pressure low on the finger joint so there is much less stress to it compared to using the top level rings. Good luck!
URehab 7 months ago
Hi Sir,
I am so grateful to you for posting these videos. I currently believe I have DeQuervain's Syndrome. I have tried all sorts of different exercises while following this posted program with the massage, stretch, and then exercise. They have not worked though, so I have just purchased the flextend. I was wondering if you would be able to give me an exercise program, i.e. how many sets and whatnot. Thanks so much for your time!
Jon
jonthemusicman 7 months ago
@jonthemusicman
Contact me via PM and I will give you the entire program.
URehab 7 months ago
Can i do this program witouth that glove ? Couse i do not have it . Can i still do weightlifting if i decide to do this program ?
garioldwin 7 months ago
@URehab:
I am a long time bartender/server and have developed a brutal case of DeQuervain's over the previous 5 months, aggravated by the "hustle" button in NHL 11 on xbox 360 - thank you so much for making this video - my doctor gave me instructions on exercises, however i have had serious 'compliance' issues with doing my own physio - now i am still out of work and unable to do the things i love, like swing a baseball bat. i am going to begin your program - thank you very much!
gadaffiable 8 months ago
@gadaffiable
You are welcome, keep us posted on your progress!
URehab 8 months ago
@URehab i am already experiencing relief and a reduction in inflammation and the 'clicking' and 'popping' as the tendons extend..
today i have mainly focused on heat, massage, icing and stretching, as i don't want to do too much and re-aggravate it - do you recommend doing the exercises each day? multiple times per day? i just figure due to the areas involved they may require less strain to reinjure, etc.
gadaffiable 7 months ago
@gadaffiable
Just follow the program as it is outlined in the manual week by week. If you don't have the program, contact me via PM and I'll send it to you.
URehab 7 months ago
@URehab i am 4 days in and i am loving life again - THANK YOU - my landlord's son is a physiotherapist with a B.Sc in Kin. - he brought me a jar of physio putty - i can't afford the glove but this seems to work. i can't say thank you enough. everyone who has any problems in their hands and arms should be checking out your site - i am posting it everywhere - hope you have all the success you want in the future, thank you thank you thank you. i was so depressed.
gadaffiable 7 months ago
@gadaffiable
Right on! I'm glad that you are doing better; keep up the program through the 12-weeks, even though you may feel better as often people stop doing he exercises as soon as the pain goes away. Do not do this as you may only need to correct your imbalance by 30% to relive the pain factor, but the remaining 70% of the imbalance still needs to be corrected for the problem to be truly eliminated at the root source. Keep us posted!
URehab 7 months ago
I believe it is cheaper in the U.S. than Europe from what I've heard. Try bannertherapy, enablemart, painreliever or repetitive-strain. These are all .com's. Good luck and keep me posted. Yes, the product is good for prevention and as well as post-surgery rehabilitation. Hand surgeons use it for many conditions post-surgery.
URehab 8 months ago
Do you have any idea where I could find the flextend in Europe. Or which website would deliver to italy? I just got de Quervain surgery. Could the flextend be useful for postsurgery recovery?
ulleks 8 months ago
I'm a scientist who pipettes A LOT and I've gotten painful bouts of DeQuervain's (at work we just call it "pipetter's thumb"). This video has been the single most helpful thing i've found to help ease the pain. Thanks so much for posting and helping us all out.
gildagardon 8 months ago
@gildagardon
Suffering with any type of injury is aggravating, to say the least, so I'm glad that the video was helpful!
URehab 8 months ago
Thanks, I appreciate your comments and am glad I could help!
URehab 8 months ago
U are the best, Thank you so much , your video helped me from my pain , cheers.
Lumixster 9 months ago
Hi there, I've had dequervain's tendonits for over three years. I have been on the flextend website, but am not sure whether to purchase thefull TFT kit or just the standard one. Could you recommend which one to purchase?
many thanks.
minaminaku2 9 months ago
@minaminaku2
The TFT Kit makes the single thumb exercises a lot easier and that is what I prefer, easy. It is called "patient compliance", and anything that increases this is a good thing. It is hard enough to get people to do their rehab when it is easy, let alone when the program or products used are time consuming and difficult. Good luck!
URehab 9 months ago
I really glad i found this video. You did a great demonstration and lesson on the subject. Do you recommend getting one of those exercise gloves? Or can i do something else for strengthening?
FlankinspanK 9 months ago
@FlankinspanK
Rubber bands, Theraband, etc., just does not give full range of motion so they really don't work too well, especially for carpal tunnel, due to the inability of being able to completely splay the thumb and little fingers completely apart; so instead they actually increase pressure on the median nerve. You can try using your opposing hand (I used to until Flextend), but still, Flextend is easy to use and that is what I prefer for both myself, and my clients.
URehab 9 months ago
Do you recommend wearing a brace if you are having considerable pain and popping of the tendon with movement of the thumb. Thank you so much for these instructions. I'm finally hopeful that I can get some relief.
2653ID 9 months ago
@2653ID
It can help in the acute phase, but you need to be sure you address the problem, not mask it, as over time the problem will only get worse. After a week or two, you really need to start strengthening the thumb extensors / abductors. As tolerable, take the brace off, perform your exercises and put it back on. Still, you need to wean yourself off the brace and increase the level of strengthening exercises in order to correct the condition.
URehab 9 months ago
How does one get one of those gloves that you use for the excerises?
potts1286 9 months ago
@potts1286
bannertherapy, flextend, enablemart or painreliver. These are all .com's. Good luck!
URehab 9 months ago
Some of these exercises look like they would be beneficial but unfortunately you have to have one of those mitts with the bands to do them. Do you have any exercises people who do not have those mitts?
1320trail 9 months ago
@1320trail
You can try and use your opposing hand as resisitance for some of the exercises. I just use what is most effective for my clients, and this system makes it the easiest.
URehab 9 months ago
my fingers are never numb nor tingling..my Dr. says I might have reversable peripheral neuropathy which sounds horrible,but at least it doesn't stop me from playing...he says the numbness caused by it might have diverted my attention from signs of pain in my tendons thus overworking them a little..I'm stil confused but finally I'll have a ENG scan ...thanx a lot.
cyberflea07 10 months ago
@cyberflea07
You're welcome. Let me know what they find.
URehab 10 months ago
I get the pain and numbness all the way down to my wrist, all over the upper side of the arm and it's outer side...I've been giving my arms some rest and massage lately, and the muscle seems to be softer, though the numbness and pain persist intermitently...not necesarily when I'm playing guitar,it could happen any time,even if I'm at rest,,,thanks a lot.
cyberflea07 10 months ago
@cyberflea07
What is odd is that it does not affect your fingers. What about the sensation on the backside of your fingermails, do have any numbness / tingling?
URehab 10 months ago
Hi there,I'm a bit confused since my fingers have no problem mooving and never get numb or have pain.though the outer side of both my forearms go totally numb and the muscles tighten up,after which I get little bursts of tolerable pain untill the numbnes dissapears....do you think it's guitar related tendinitis or just a couple of pinched nerves like my Dr. says?
thanks
cyberflea07 10 months ago
@cyberflea07
So if your hands are in the palm-down position on desk / table, it is on the outside of the forearms that you experience numbness and intermitent pain? How far below the elbow joint and on the outside of the forearm do you get the symptoms?
URehab 10 months ago
PM through YouTube is best. I'll look at the separate account and get back to you. Sorry for the delay as I haven't looked at it for some time as it is normally reserved for video uploads, etc.
URehab 11 months ago
As you know I'm a guitarist and have been working on this for a few months without much result. I discovered that when I put my left palm against a wall or table at 90deg it's very tight/tender/sore compared to right hand. Does this indicate anything (common for DQ, some other condition, etc) and is it a good stretch to do?
wkriski 11 months ago
@wkriski
Yes, that stretch is fine. I don't think the program is enough to counteract what you already have let alone the additional stress that is being applied. I want you to bump the program up to 3x daily and decrease your rest time to only 20-seconds between each set. Contact me privately, there is not enough room here to discuss, and it is an ongoing issue that we have been addressing for some time. Thanks!
URehab 11 months ago
@URehab ok. i sent a few emails to your ymail acct and haven't heard back so I tried here...sent 2 recent emails you can please check out
wkriski 11 months ago
I am so glad I found this. I had it bad before and had surgery 4 years ago - never really thought it would reoccur. I am in so much pain (on cortisone now, getting thumb splints in 2 days) - and now I am willing to try anything to prevent another visit to the surgeon.
eedgan 11 months ago
@eedgan
Always try conservative therapy first. Let me know if you have any further questions.
URehab 11 months ago
Thank you for posting this! I have a question: should I wait for the pain to completely disappear to do these exercices, or should I be doing them as I recuperate?
Thanks,
Pete
ploschad 11 months ago
@ploschad
Do not do them if you feel pain WHILE performing the action. If you can move through a partial range of motion without pain, then move through that range of motion. Over time, it will increase without pain. Post exercise soreness is fine.
URehab 11 months ago
@ploschad
Do not do them if you feel pain While performing the action. If you can move through a partial range of motion without pain, then move through that range of motion. Over time, it will increase without pain. Post exercise soreness is fine.
URehab 11 months ago
I noticed you show radial deviation (thumb cocks upward) but in the program you provided me the ulnar deviation (thumb cocks down).
For other guitarists, I've had some severe issues as I let this go for months/years with lots of chord grips for jazz. Right after doing the exercises I feel the tension subside but it comes back. I've been doing this for about 4 weeks and will keep doing them.
wkriski 1 year ago
@wkriski
I noticed that in the printed program as well and will bring it to their attention. I suggest the Radial Deviation exercise as that is the joint that is weak. Pain exists here because the joint is not stable and is being pulled into flexion and abduction; so radial deviation of the thumb joint would strengthen the abductors and extensors of the base MP joint of the thumb and the radiocarpal joint, thus providing stability and reduction of pain and other related symptoms.
URehab 1 year ago
Thanks again for the video and advice. Been doing the exercises for about 2 months and it's really the only thing to have helped my problem.
Just to add for any others. I lost some feeling in my hand because of the nerve irritation, but after doing these excercises, I'd say 90-95% of the feeling is back in my thumb/hand area.
Thanks again, you are someone who has really helped improve the quality of my life...especially beign a musician.
vindikation 1 year ago
@vindikation
I'm glad that you are doing better! Musicians, especially guitarists and drummers have a lot of wrist / finger problems, which is why it is critical to perform these stretches and exercises. They not only rehabilitate existing injuries / disorders, but help prevent them from occurring in the first place. The stretches and exercises are also important to utilize as a warm-up before playing and then to be used again afterwards to counteract the excessive finger / wrist flexion.
URehab 1 year ago
@vindikation
I'm not sure if you know this, but if you are performing the Flextend exercises, run the resistance band from the thumb ring to the palm ring and then through the wrist ring, it increases the tension on the thumb, thus increasing its ability to become stronger.
URehab 1 year ago
how many reps/sets for the exercises?
wkriski 1 year ago
@wkriski
Contact me privately and I'll send you the complete program as I cannot fit it all into the space provided here.
URehab 1 year ago
I've been playing guitar seriously for 29 years and do a lot of gripping during jazz guitar chording. My hand starts to ache in the thumb area and when I outstretch my fingers and in general I feel a lot of tightness. My PT thinks I may have arthritis. I have some pain when I do the finkelstein test a couple inches from my wrist. I have sore spots all over my forearm and even in the armpit. I've tried stretching and massage, ice, antiinflammatory cream and nothing's working. Any advice?
wkriski 1 year ago
@wkriski
I've played guitar 27 years (I'm 40 now) and just got this damn thing 6 months ago. These exercises were the only thing that really helped me. I used ice, anti-imfalmitories and rest, but really you need to stretch out the tendon (resting it didn't really help out much at all after doing that for 4 months).
I have arthritis in my family history so what I've started to do with music is just push past the limit it then take it easy a little. 2 steps forward, 1 step back.
vindikation 1 year ago
@vindikation thanks, yeah I rested it for weeks and nothing happened. I even did some stretches and massages in the hand and arm. But I think the key is the thumb, mine is so thick and overdeveloped as he says. The stretch is tough because you feel pain in the joint compressing or something but I was able to stretch it yesterday and more aggressive focused massage. I will report back.
wkriski 1 year ago
@wkriski
Ease into these stretches. Be sure to, strengthen the finger/wrist extensors and finger abductors as it will help the extensor tendon slide out of the way (Because it becomes short and tighter), thus providing increased joint stability and a reduced feeling of impingement on the back of the joint. Make sure you stretch first and then immediately follow up with exercises shown in the video. Do not stretch again afterward...unless you are going to follow up with the exercises again.
URehab 1 year ago
@wkriski
If you perform the same movements day after day, year after year, a serious muscle imbalance develops. You need to stretch and lengthen the overused finger/wrist flexors and finger adductors as well as strengthen the opposing finger/wrist extensors and finger abductors. The hypertonicity of the finger flexors can lead to osteoarthritis as there is so much pressure on the anterior portion of the finger joints that they wear out. For relief, perform both the stretches and exercises.
URehab 1 year ago
Where can I find a glove like that?
crewzm 1 year ago
@crewzm
Do a search online for Flextend, Flextend / Restore or Flextend Orthotic glove. Good luck!
URehab 1 year ago
Thanks! Been dealing withDe Quervain's Tendinitis and some mild nerve damage for months, so great advice to try out:
1). massage
2). stretching
3). flexing
How about icing the joint after the exercises, is this ok?
I've also tried topical and pill anti-imflamatories, but they don't really seem to help much at all. Stretching out the tendon seems to really be the only way to help it out (how ironic is that?).
vindikation 1 year ago
Thanks for the video.
In lieu of having the glove you use later in the video, what would be exercises you'd recommend?
markcsinclair 1 year ago
@markcsinclair
Just those shown in the video as you need to perform pure extension, not extension with gripping as these two motions combined (flexion/extension) are counterproductive to correcting the cause of the disorder..
URehab 1 year ago
@tampasux
Strengthen the thumb joint with extension and abduction exercises as they will tighten up the joint thereby reducing pain and laxity within the joint. Strength equals stability, and strong, stable muscles/joints rarely hurt...and are re-injured much less often.
URehab 1 year ago
what would be the best exercise for some one with thumb cmc osteoarthritis, non operative.
Ezjunx 1 year ago
@Ezjunx
Thumb-Up Isolated and Supination Isolated as these all strengthening the Thumb abductors and extensors, therefore helping to take pressure off the anterior portion of the Thumb's MP joint and the Radial side of the CMC joint.
URehab 1 year ago
you are very good!!!!! thank you.
julieannemichelle 1 year ago
@julieannemichelle
Thanks, I appreciate the compliment!
URehab 1 year ago
Hi, my physician told me today that I have nerve adhesion on my little finger side of the wrist, and possibly the top side of the wrist as well. Would any of the exercises help to release the adhesion?
I have made my own flextend by using stretchable resistent string and a glove for doing the exercises.
Thanks
sky42856 1 year ago
@sky42856
I cannot really address your question as that is something that you and your physician will have to discuss. In regards to making your own exercise system...that may be the reason you have experienced limited results. Good Luck!
URehab 1 year ago
I've been doing some of your exercises on for carpal tunnel for about a month (but not always consistent) but I have not felt much fix to my wrist being able to make little movements.
Could there be anything else that is causing the problem? such as this DeQuervain's sydrome? When fold my thumb inside other fingers and bend my wrist down, I do feel a pain running on the thumb side of the wrist.
Thankyou
sky42856 1 year ago
@sky42856
How or with what are you performing the exercises? Please note that I cannot diagnose your condition. Once you receive a physician's diagnosis, I can help you address your condition if it is associated with some form of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Thanks!
URehab 1 year ago
When I write, there is this werid feeling on my pinky as if it is acting as a resistent with the whole movement of my hand, espcially when writing letters such as "s" "m" "r".
sky42856 1 year ago
Hi, i've been doing some research on the types of sydrome that i may be suffering on my right hand after a bike accident.I've visited alot of doctors and one of them said it could be carpal tunnel sydrome.
The symtoms I am suffering includes; slightly less hand grip,especailly when writing, stings around the wrist but at different sides different time(left right to). When I use a mouse, sometimes its difficult to perform small left and right movements,eg, highlight a few letter width on ms word
sky42856 1 year ago
@sky42856
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome causes pain, numbness, tingling paresthesia, (pins and needles) in the thumb, index, middle and sometimes one-half of the ring finger. The symptoms you list sound more like a basic RSI but be sure to consult your physician.
URehab 1 year ago
This helps. Have had pain for years. seen doctors taken x-rays....useless. Now I know. Result. Thank you...
onenought 1 year ago
@onenought
Glad the stretches and exericses helped - Now be sure to stay on top of it so you can keep doing the things you want...pain-free!
URehab 1 year ago
What are you wearing on your hand, and how can I get one?
cygnus8595 2 years ago
It is called Flextend. Do a search on Google to find the cheapest place you can to buy it.
URehab 2 years ago
best for massage this tiny muscles is computer mouse ball
there is no information about sets, reps a day?
cyclingoo 2 years ago
The sets, repetitions days per week and everything else needed come with the Flextend system. Here is a discount code that will save you 20%. PainFree2010
URehab 2 years ago
very good!
asdf37587 2 years ago
I'm glad you like the video - Thanks for watching!
URehab 2 years ago