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Yeah, it's a proper workout if you get it up to high speeds, but I benefit using it at low to moderate speeds – it's like a full body massage for the hand, wrist and arm!
If you've got something that would help I would very much like that.
I've just been diagnosed with bilateral De Quervain's tenosynovitis and some arthritis on top and my hands are killing me.
I’m so bored I might as well be listening to Pink Floyd
Just drop me a PM with your address details & we'll take it from there.
I have arthritis in my thumb joints (as well as everywhere else) so the rotational movement required to work & control the powerball was causing me more pain, so I gave it up.
I don't know if it will help you or not, but this way you can try it & see how it is for you.
https://uk.rpmpower.com/info/cord-start-powerball/
FWIW one of testimonials on the website has De Quervain's Tenosynovitis and got positive results by using it.
Also, like @Esoterick said, it can be tricky to generate the Powerball's rotor with the cord at first. If you have any trouble, they show you how to do it here.
Good luck
I've got 6 weeks of exercise to do before they decide on next steps.
I’m so bored I might as well be listening to Pink Floyd
I've recently started using my Powerball again and it seems to be helping. I also have a spare, so if somebody needs one and don't mind slinging me postage I'll get it to you.
My band, Red For Dissent
I suspect excessive phone use and some unusually long video game stints have contributed, as well as lifting PA etc into gigs and also three or more 2 hour gigs a week all year.
Luckily I spend very little time at a computer so there's that, at least.
PMing you now re the Powerball, I really need to do something. It's been hanging about for 2+ weeks now and the worry that it might not go away is the worst thing given I need to play to eat.
Doctor's e-consult in the morning as well, I think.
I had a physio appointment last week after a self-referral through my GP's online consult portal - turns out my GP won't see me at all for any of this kind of thing.
Before that, @imalrightjack very kindly sent me his spare Powerball but I think I was still in a period where I needed to rest rather than rehabilitate and I think using that actually made it worse temporarily.
Anyway, I was diagnosed with De Quervain's in my right wrist/thumb/tendon/whatever. It's from overuse of the area and muscle/tendon. Physio suspects holding the pick and repeated strumming to be the problem, somewhat unsurprisingly.
I've got a wrist brace with metal supports to immobilise the thumb which he thinks will have helped. Ibuprofen has also been good.
I've had gigs every weekend - last weekend I had 3 in a row - and take the support off to play and, weirdly, have actually felt better after playing. The movement seems to improve things as long as I'm careful. The main thing is to not use my dodgy wrist to carry gear.
The physio says 3 to 4 more weeks and it should be better with rest. Interesting to note he recommended taking off the brace when sitting/resting and to rotate the wrist gently, too. He said use of the Powerball is fine, though I read 3 minutes at a time somewhere and that was definitely too much for me so recommend you do maybe a 3rd of that to start with. EDIT: Just rewatched a video and 3 reps of 30 seconds with a 1 minute break between each EVERY OTHER DAY is where to start!!
If I don't get better in 3-4 weeks then it's a cortizone injection which will mean no doing anything for 4 full weeks. That might JUST be ok as Jan-Mar is usually quiet but ideally I'll avoid that. I've heard the injection itself is pretty gnarly as well.
I've found an NHS De Quervain's rehabilitation guide which outlines 4 exercises to do which I tried last night and seems ok so far. Happy to forward if anyone wants it.
Will update again in 3-4 weeks but since my last post I've definitely seen improvement. I couldn't open a jar before but just about can now. Turning the car key in the ignition needed me to use the other hand it was so painful, but now I can do it, albeit with some minor discomfort still present.
Phone use has switched to my left hand now, too, which is likely helping!
Well done for being proactive and good luck.
My band, Red For Dissent
this is such a frustrating position to be in, there are so many variables in play and the rate of healing can be so slow it can feel impossible to figure out what's helping and what's making it worse.
Something the last specialist I spoke to brought up (and something I think caused my issue to regress a bit last time round): tendon issues can be affected a lot by other muscle groups so you can support the healing of the acute area by building the overall strength of related muscles (in my case, muscle and tendon damage in my forearm would be supported by building strength in my arms and shoulders). Which obviously is easier said than done when lifting some weights exacerbates your main issues.
Anyway they recommended spreading physio treatments out over many more months to account for this (and because of the slow rate of healing for tendons) - so for example, rather than seeing a physio one per week over a 6 week period, see them once every 4 weeks over a 24 week period.
I'm sure every issue is different though, just sharing something that would have helped me out last time round. I hope recovery goes smoothly for you.
It's definitely the same with this but unfortunately I'm still feeling my way around!
Short version: my wrist still isn't 100% but floats somewhere between 80% and 90% depending on activity.
Long version:
Symptoms started in late October. Peaked in mid November. First physio appointment in December.
I booked a second appointment for February. I'd been skiing (and gigging every day at the aprés) in January. You don't ski with your arms, obviously, but there is carrying and general arm activity.
The physio discussed the cortizone injection, especially as I had 3 good weeks without a gig. But he put me off it as it was probably 60-70% better at that point. As it was getting better naturally, he thought it better not to inject unless absolutely needed, though would have done so had I insisted. He sent me away with some exercises.
I'll add that a bass playing mate of mine who had the same diagnosis due to carrying a new kid (a common cause of this issue) had the injection and was better in minutes. He wishes he'd pushed to have it immediately rather than wait weeks to see if he got better first. He's had no issues at all since and plays professionally so isn't exactly going easy.
Every time I'm at the gym I do 3x10 reps lifting 1kg dumbells with just my wrist, so resting my forearm on a flat surface. I've since moved up to 2kg. There's also a thumb-stretching exercise using a rubber band or hair band, a bit like when you make a guitar on your hand.
So here we are in May, more than 6 months later. Playing guitar standing up actually helps - it gets the blood flowing. I'm sure to be careful, though. Playing guitar sitting down is ok at the time but usually results in an ache later/the next day. Luckily the pain is now no more than an ache or annoyance, rather than a sharp pain.
The main issue is my wrist still feels a bit weak. I've been going to the gym since February but completely avoiding arm exercises. I may start with a rowing machine this week and see if I can do that without issues.
I haven't used the Powerball any further, though now might be a good time. Unless jack wants it back, I'm happy to pass it on to anyone else who might find it useful.
It's taken a LONG time but it's getting there.