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Sore hands – these are my options
Hi all, I don't know that I'm looking for answers (but if anyone has experienced this, please chip in). I guess I'm just sharing.
I've been poledancing for about 2 1/2 years now. I've always been a bit heavier than I should be for my height (5 feet 10 and 180 pounds if I convert from metres and kilograms?), but not drastically so.
In September I tried aerial silks for the 1st time and I've been doing it weekly since. It has much more impact on your hands and mine have been taking strain. They don't hurt when I'm on the silks but every morning when I wake up, they are swollen and frozen into claws, and it takes me a few minutes to get them working again. Then they're fine all day…
My physiotherapist wants to rule out Rheumatoid Arthritis (eek!) but it's probably just overstrain injury.
My reason for raising it here is that when I was telling my pole students, one of the new girls said she had been experiencing it as well? Has anyone else experienced this?
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11 Replies
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Hi Michelle, When I first started to pole I bought a 50mm and I would notice that the morning after I poled my fingers were swollen and achey and I had to wriggle my fingers and work them a bit to feel better, this continued for a year until I bought a 45mm X pole . My hands are on the smallish size and my grip didn't feel as secure on the 50mm, so perhaps I was gripping too hard and overstraining the tendons or joints. I've had tthe 45mm over six months now and my hands are tons better no pain in the mornings anymore 🙂 Hope this helps.
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When I first started silks I had the same thing happen. It's from over gripping. We are so used to a big old pole in our hands, so when we get on the silks and their so tiny, we start death gripping. Try focusing on loosening your hand grip when you climb the silks.
On a similar note, when I first started silks and practicing the foot wrap, I literally could not walk on the wrapped foot for DAYS afterward, the muscles hurt sooo bad!
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I recently purchased a hand grip strengthener and one of the other products they sell is a hand expanding trainer. I didn't buy the trainer, but I go through the movement without one and my hands feel loose and better after. My hands sometimes feel cramped up and like claws after spending all day at the computer, it helped me for that, it might help with your hands.
Bring your fingers and thumb together as tight as you can then slowly move your fingers and thumbs as far apart as you can. Put a rubber band around the fingers and thumb while their together for a harder stretch/workout. The product picture explains it: http://www.amazon.com/IronMind-1376-Expand-Your-Hand-Bands/dp/B00083B79M/ref=wl_it_dp_o_npd?ie=UTF8&coliid=I15D64YKRB4G42&colid=2V1QQPM12AR0C
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Sometimes this can be from gripping the pole too tight with your fingers, rather than trying to grip with your hand. Be concientious about grasping the hand around the pole rather than squeezing with the fingers.
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Hey Mich 🙂
The best thing is to ice your hands after practice – I find this helps me alot. Ice in a bowl of water, no more than 20mins EVER! and keep moving them (your fingers) after practice.
also grab a tennis ball or stress ball and when you sitting in the office keep playing with it to build up strength in your hands and fingers.
One of my instructors has RA and silks and poel ahve actually improved it so it probably not RA.
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i have a 50mm pole and i also have the same problem. before i got my xpole, i was also using a 50mm pole. maybe about 30 min into my practice, my hands start hurting and it messes with my grip and eventually my hands turn red.
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I have only just started poling but i found that i was having issues with my wrists. I have started taking fish oil tablets and they have helped wonders i am using both 45mm and 50mm poles.
I am only 25 but my wirst and hands are weak from when i was younger. Maybe its worth giving it a go? The fish oil tablets will help with arthritis if you do have it too
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Bella – You should work on some hand and wrist strengthening exercises. There are several forum topics on how to do that. Veena has some lessons on them. You can get some grip strengthener tools, etc. That should help. Also, really work on your arm strength. If you are trying moves that put pressure on your wrists that require a lot of upper body strength, and your wrists are hurting, that means you aren't ready for them. Remember to PULL UP with your top arm in all spins. That bottom hand is only to push you away from the pole. If you are putting any weight on the bottom hand, you are putting pressure on your wrist and can injur yourself. Avoid any split grips and the wrist seat until you have strengthened your arms and wrists enough as they are particularly hard on the wrist if done improperly.
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Just a short quick note. Mighty Grip works for silks and no residue.
Joel
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It goes away, don't worry. I have rheumatoid arthritis, and when I started silks my finger joints would hurt so much the next morning. I thought I was flaring up. But I just kept doing it and it doesn't hurt anymore. Took a few months for my fingers to get used to it… I think it's because with silks you're gripping a smaller diamater than pole, so the finger muscles are worked differently. Don't forget to stretch your fingers before and after 😀
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hiya
i had the same thing happen to me but from work and pole. I found that deep massage on my neck,arms and hands worked really well. also get acupuncture done. ask for the baxie hand points. that works really really well. good luck.
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