Having to work on a computer for school or a job is inevitable for many of us today and this is especially true now that the majority of us are working remotely due to the pandemic. Bad posture, a non-ergonomic setup and prolonged periods of computer usage however, can increase your risk of injury. In an analysis done by health and safety consultants, Arinite, they found that there was a significant increase in work-related musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) in 2020 as compared to 2019. Keyboard work ranked third in the cause of MSD in this study and was responsible for 11.3% of cases. Some common problems that arise from inappropriate computer use include muscle and joint pain, and overuse injuries of thshoulder, arm, wrist or hand. This could lead to more serious problems like osteoarthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome.
PLAYBALL for Hand Injuries
This exercise is great for beginners and gently strengthens the muscles in your shoulders and fingers. Increase the pressure of your squeeze as you get stronger and the PLAYBALL’s Realtime feature allows you to track your performance.
How to: Keep your elbows at your side, gently squeeze PLAYBALL with both hands and hold in this position, relax between each set.
This exercise helps stimulate the co-activation of your wrist extensors and flexors, in addition to wrist motion coordination, for increased global stability of the wrist.
How to: Place both hands on PLAYBALL on a table or against a wall (chest level), exert pressure in a slow and controlled manner while balancing it in its position.
A progression of the ball balance would be ball circles and this trains not only the wrist, but shoulder mobility and stability as well.
How to: Place both hands on PLAYBALL on a table or against a wall (chest level), perform circles in clockwise and counterclockwise motions. Ensure your elbows are straight.
You can perform this exercise with one arm at each time to increase the intensity.
If you are familiar with wall push ups, incorporating the PLAYBALL increases the effectiveness of this exercise by improving scapular (shoulder blade) stability.
How to: Place PLAYBALL against a wall at chest level and make a diamond shape with your hands, keep shoulders at a protracted position (shoulder blades away from spine), perform push ups against the ball.
Resistance Press & Wrist Stretch
This exercise helps with stretching the wrist and relieving strains.
How to: Place PLAYBALL on a table or against a wall, stretch arm out with palm facing down and towards your body, support with other hand and press against PLAYBALL for 1 minute. Rest 20 seconds and flip arm over with palm facing up and away from your body, support with other hand and press against PLAYBALL for 1 minute.
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