Push Ups

[Yaristock]

This is a way way off topic question, but here it goes. I am 20yrs old and had surgery on my left wrist for a ganglion cyst, the cyst has not come back. The doctor predicted it would, but after initial swelling it has never come back. Unfortunately it appears to have migrated to the other wrist. I do not wish to have surgery performed on my dominant hand. I can not afford to have it rendered useless either by a doctors mistake or my own. Assuming that the range of motion on a wrist is a 90 degree angle up or down I am in bad shape. I have less than a rough guess 65 degree range of motion before it hurts like crazy. Even without weight or pressure it will hurt. I use a computer all day which does not help, I usually wear a brace or use a support for my wrist so not to have it in an improper position. My question for you is what is an alternative push up I can do which does not involve movement in my wrist. I have tried doing it with a fist, but it hurts my knuckles so much I barely get past 10(I haven't been able to do push up is nearly 5-6yrs without pain so I don't get much practice) I have tried using freeweights as a base I grip so that my knuckles are not on the ground, but I fear that I may injure my wrists. Any ideas or suggestion. Sorry for the long windedness. Yes I know that you may not be a certified doctor or anything like that thus you are not liable for any suggestions given. Jees everything practically has to have a disclaimer these days.

[blueflame]

Salute to the sun

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Lwi1zGqkdA

is a very good exercise you can try instead of pushups. Repetitive sports like golf can aggravate or even cause ganglia. Maybe pushups too....

[i_am_socket]

Pretty much anything that is a substitute for pushups is going to put pressure on your wrists unless you find a way to support the pressure on your forearm above the wrist (not likely). On the knuckles on some kind of padding (yoga mat, carpet) or using dumbbells (like you have been) should help with the range of motion issue.

Freeweight chest presses (dumbbells or barbell) is another alternative for building up tolerance to full weight pushups and beyond.

[bikin' Ed]

My question is why do you want to do push ups? With minimal free weights you could isolate and workout every muscle involved in a push up.

If you simply must do push ups, I saw an ad on TV over the holidays that featured basiclly, a handle on a swivel base allowing you to turn your wrist while doing the push up helping to eliminate strain. I think it was called PERFECT PUSH UP.

As a side note: I would advise seeking the services of massage therapist trained in sports techniques. Because of your occupation, the muscles in your fore arms get very tight. Stretching those muscles will give you less pain, greater range of motion, and may keep you from having carpal tunnel surgery someday. eek:

Ed Korres, LMT

[Christ]

When I worked in freezers, there was a series of excersizes that we were required to do before we were allowed into the freezers, and also required to do after our shift, before clocking out for the night/day (whichever.)

Mostly bending/stretching the wrists/hands/fingers area, some involving fists, etc. They are mostly (anaerobic) exercises, where you're forcing one part of your body to work against another part. Not meant to regain strength, but range of motion and flexibility. Also, helps with repetitive motion jobs like typing and stuff like that. People doing this type of exercise are far less likely to end up with arthritic joints or carpal tunnel/tennis elbow type ailments, according to doctors.

Oh - my wife is training for Massage Therapy. Yay Me!

[blueflame]

If your using a computer all day as you say....you might want to get an expert to set up your seating and keyboard position and correct any bad habits, you may be surprised and also get results...

[captainslug]

^blueflame is on to something

Why do you think exercise would help? Ganglion cysts are pockets of escaped synovial fluid and don't have anything to do with the flexibility of your ligaments, the toning of your muscles, or stabilizing action of your tendons. They can't "migrate", and are only removed if they get large enough or painful enough to restrict normal activity. I have a tiny one on my ankle that doesn't affect anything, but can sometimes get itchy, or pinched when I laced up shoes.

If you are getting joint pain in a normal range of motion, then you SHOULD NOT BE EXERCISING THAT JOINT.

A normal healthy wrist has a range of movement between 100 and 160 degrees. The symptoms you describe are classic carpal tunnel.

Your seating posture, desk position, and computer chair are probably NOT setup in an ergonomically sound manner. A wrist brace will not help correct those problems, and in fact may make secondary problems worse through restricting the circulation of blood to your hand and wrist.

Is your back upright and straight when you are sitting at your computer desk?
When sitting up straight, is the surface your keyboard is on at the same height (or close to) the height of your belly-button?
Or is the height of the surface your mouse is on level with your elbow when your upper arm is at your side?
Fix your working setup, or see an occupational therapist for help.

Originally Posted by Christ

They are mostly (anaerobic) exercises, where you're forcing one part of your body to work against another part.

I think you mean isometric. Anaerobic is exercise done in a state of mild oxygen depletion (your muscles get a burning sensation from lactic acid buildup).

[Sideblinder]

Hey Yaristock, I also suffer from ganglionic cysts, on the outside of my right wrist, at the base of the connection of the bones running to my first and second fingers. Mine were never as bad as you've reported yours, and I have never been to surgery for them, they have always burst on their own. I got my first one when i was 13. The docter told me they are caused by joint stress and repetitive motion. Dear reader, I know what just popped into your head, and you may be right, lol. This was about a year after I started playing the pipe band snare drum (similar to DCI style drumming) regularly as well. Whatever the cause, the first was by far the largest, growing to protrude perhaps 1/3". Wrist movements past about about half my range of motion were painful to impossible depending on the size that day. The pushup position was painful, but doable, then one day while doing a pushup, the thing burst. It was moderate-high pain for 1-2 seconds mixed with surprise, followed by complete relief of any symptoms. They have reoccurred 5 or 6 times since then, (I'm now 25), each time less severe, and bursting at a smaller size. I still play the pipe drum, and am now in the military so I still do my share of pushups. I haven't had one in at least 3 years.

I've read the treatment for these things used to be to strike them with a bible to burst them, that they usually resolve themselves and that simply draining them with a syringe is often effective. I hope your doctor tried these things before the surgery (not the bible). Feel free to message me if you think I may know anything of interest to you.