Stretching Anatomy-2nd Edition (10 page)

Execution

1. Kneel on the floor.
   
2. Flex both wrists and place the palms of your hands on the floor, hands shoulder-width apart.
   
3. Point the fingers toward the knees.
   
4. While keeping the elbows straight, lean back (buttocks to the heels), keeping the palms flat on the floor.
   

Muscles Stretched

• Most-stretched muscles:
  Brachioradialis, flexor carpi radialis, flexor carpi ulnaris, flexor digitorum profundus, flexor digitorum superficialis, palmaris longus
  
• Less-stretched muscles:
  Flexor digiti minimi brevis, flexor pollicis longus, pronator teres, brachialis, biceps brachii
  

Stretch Notes

The flexor muscles easily become tight from repeated use of the arm or wrist in an awkward position or by bending the wrist while typing, using the phone, or operating a machine. Additional problems arise from working with the arm held away from the body or playing sports. This tightness causes pain on the medial elbow, often referred to as golfer’s elbow. The longer a person does any of these activities, the greater the risk of tightness and the greater the need for stretching these muscles. Unfortunately, the beginner-level exercise provides only limited stretch. As you increase your flexibility, you need to move to a more intense stretch, such as this intermediate one.

The closer the hands are to the knees, the easier it is to keep the palms of the hands touching the floor.
The farther the hands are away from the midline, the greater the stretch.

VARIATION

Wrist Radial Deviator and Flexor Stretch

If you change the direction that the fingers are pointing, you alter the stretching emphasis being placed on the forearm muscles. To stretch both the wrist flexor muscles and the radial deviator muscles simultaneously, assume the starting position by kneeling on the floor, with the wrists flexed and the palms of your hands on the floor. Second, instead of pointing the fingers toward the knees, rotate the hands so the fingers point laterally (fingertips point away from the body on a line perpendicular to the midline of the body). Finally, stretch the desired muscles by leaning back (buttocks to the heels) while keeping the palms of the hands on the floor.

VARIATION

Wrist Ulnar Deviator and Flexor Stretch

By changing the direction the fingers are pointing, you change the stretching emphasis on the forearm muscles. For instance, both the wrist flexor muscles and the ulnar deviator muscles can be stretched simultaneously. First, assume the starting position by kneeling on the floor, with the wrists flexed and the palms of your hands on the floor. Second, instead of pointing the fingers toward the knees, rotate the hands so the fingers point medially (fingertips point toward each other). Finally, stretch the desired muscles by leaning back (buttocks to the heels) while keeping the palms of the hands on the floor.

Wrist Radial Deviator Stretch With Dumbbell

Execution

1. Stand upright with feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing straight forward.
   
2. In your left hand, grasp a dumbbell with a weight plate attached to one end only, with the weighted end sticking out past the thumb.
   
3. Stick your left arm out in front of you at shoulder height, with the elbow straight and forearm rotated so that the thumb side of the hand points up.
   
4. Bend the wrist down so that the weighted end of the dumbbell points more forward, away from the body rather than up.
   
5. Repeat these steps for the opposite arm.
   

Muscles Stretched

• Most-stretched muscles:
  Left abductor pollicis longus, left flexor carpi radialis, left extensor carpi radialis longus, left extensor carpi radialis brevis
  
• Less-stretched muscles:
  Left brachioradialis
  

Stretch Notes

Many activities that require using the wrist in repetitive actions for many hours each day, such as extended work on a computer or tennis, golf, baseball, bowling, and mountain biking, force the wrist joint to the extremes of its range of motion and make the area vulnerable to tightness or hypertonicity. If done without adequate rest and recovery, the limited, repetitive motions involved in playing the violin or piano can also cause tightness. Also, the wrist may be damaged in simple, mundane activities such as scrubbing a pot, pushing up out of a chair, or lifting a small object in an awkward position. Much of the tightness, pain, and injury associated with these activities can be relieved through stretching the wrist radial deviators.

Be careful not to use a weight that is too heavy. Start with a very light weight plate on one end of the dumbbell, and gradually increase the weight as you become more used to the stretch. In fact, to do this stretch you do not need to use a dumbbell at all. Any object with a weight attached to one end of a handle, such as a hammer, will work just as well. Also, this stretch can be done either sitting or standing, with the whole arm lying on a flat surface and the wrist and hand extended past the edge of the surface. If you do use a support, try to keep the shoulder angle near 90 degrees.

Wrist Ulnar Deviator Stretch With Dumbbell

Execution

1. Stand upright with feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing straight forward.
   
2. In the left hand, grasp a dumbbell with a weight plate attached to one end only, with the weighted end sticking out past the thumb.
   
3. Stick your left arm out in front of you at shoulder height, with the elbow straight and forearm rotated so that the thumb side of the hand points down.
   
4. Bend the wrist down so that the weighted end of the dumbbell points more toward the body rather than down.
   
5. Repeat these steps for the opposite arm.
   

Muscles Stretched

• Most-stretched muscle:
  Left extensor carpi ulnaris
  
• Less-stretched muscle:
  Left flexor carpi ulnaris
  

Stretch Notes

Many activities that require using the wrist in repetitive actions for many hours each day, such as extended work on a computer or tennis, golf, baseball, bowling, and mountain biking, force the wrist joint to the extremes of its range of motion and make the area vulnerable to tightness or hypertonicity. If done without adequate rest and recovery, the limited, repetitive motions involved in playing the violin or piano can also cause tightness. Also, the wrist may be damaged in simple, mundane activities such as scrubbing a pot, pushing up out of a chair, or lifting a small object in an awkward position. Much of the tightness, pain, and injury associated with these activities can be relieved through stretching the wrist ulnar deviators.

Do not use a weight that is too heavy. Start with a very light weight plate on one end of the dumbbell, and gradually increase the weight as you become more used to the stretch. In fact, to do this stretch you do not need to use a dumbbell at all. Any object that has a weight attached to one end of a handle, such as a hammer, will work just as well. Also, this stretch can be done either sitting or standing, with the whole arm lying on a flat surface and the wrist and hand extended past the edge of the surface. If you do use a support, try to keep the shoulder angle near 90 degrees.

Finger Flexor Stretch

Execution

1. Sit or stand upright.
   
2. Flex the elbow at a 90-degree angle, and extend the wrist as far as possible.
   
3. Point the fingers upward.
   
4. With the right hand, push the fingers on the left hand toward the elbow.
   
5. Repeat these steps for the opposite arm.
   

Muscles Stretched

• Most-stretched muscles:
  Left flexor carpi radialis, left flexor carpi ulnaris, left flexor digiti minimi brevis, left flexor digitorum profundus, left flexor digitorum superficialis, left palmaris longus
  
• Less-stretched muscle:
  Left flexor pollicis longus
  

Stretch Notes

Tightness and hypertonicity of the finger flexors usually arise from making a fist or curling the wrists into flexion. Sleeping with the hands in this position causes the flexor muscle group to become even tighter and shorter; causing impingement and damage to the median nerve within the carpal tunnel. The finger flexors also become tight from repetitive work in which the hand is grasping something for a long period of time, such as when hammering or rock climbing. A person can also develop what is called trigger finger by overworking the index finger. Also, some of the problems of the forearm such as golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylitis, are the result of tight finger flexor muscles. Finally, improper hand position in piano playing—wrist not relaxed, using a pushing action rather than a freely rebounding gravity stroke for the key stroke—can lead to finger flexor stiffness.