Monday, March 23, 2009

The Benefits of Using the Perfect Pushup with Wrist Injuries

Guest blogger: Dr. Scott Calzaretta

The wrist is an amazing joint. Fifteen bones articulate and create motion at the attachment of the forearm to the hand. It can develop enough strength to break through cinder blocks yet for the average person, it can easily be injured while typing on a keyboard. The great thing about the Perfect Pushup is that wrists love it.

The standard pushup causes your wrist into forced extension (bending backwards). This can be a painful position for many people due to various causes, from shortened forearm flexors, sprains or strains, repetitive stress (keyboarding and mousing all day) to Carpal tunnel syndrome.

The ability to grip the Perfect Pushup and keep your wrist in a neutral position (not flexed or extended) allows for more comfort during the pushup motion. This allows you to train, even with certain wrist injuries, which would otherwise preclude you from the pushup motion. The additional benefit, which is huge, is that you can strengthen your grip, wrist and forearms by squeezing the device as you exercise. The rotational component of the forearm motion also adds to the development of stability in the wrist and shoulders. This also increases the intensity in your nervous system and gives you even more benefits (increased strength being the major result) then the standard pushup.

Workout Tip: The next time you go to use the Perfect Pushup, try to alternate gripping loosely and then focus on tightly gripping the handle with every other rep. You should notice an increase in strength as your nervous system gets a boost from the focused increase in intensity.

Continued use of the Perfect Pushup can help to reduce the stress on the wrists while it increases stability and strength. It also allows you to train with many of the common wrist injuries, as the neutral grip that rotates is the key to training in a pain free position.

I look forward to answering your questions about the benefits of using the Perfect Pushup with Wrist Injuries!

Dr. Scott Calzaretta

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Dr. Calzaretta is the director and founder of the Chiro-Medical Group. He has been in practice since 1985, and has successfully pioneered the design and operation of a multi-disciplinary health care facility. He has traveled extensively both nationally and abroad treating professional and world class athletes.

Dr. Calzaretta was a founding board member of F.I.C.S (World Governing Body of Sports Chiropractic). His knowledge and experience in treating athletes was a key factor in his appointment as a team doctor in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea. He is a State Appointed Qualified Medical Evaluator and Certified Industrial Disability Examiner. Dr. Calzaretta has taken his experience in sports and rehabilitative medicine and has successfully integrated them into the comprehensive health care approach offered by the Chiro-Medical Group.

7 comments:

John said...

What about forearm and elbow pain? I workout about 6 times per week and recently my forearm started hurting a little and now my forearm and elbow hurt pretty bad while trying to do curls especially when you add a twist into it. I am resting the arm this week by not lifting. I have not tried doing the perfect pushup since it started hirting how do you think it will effect it. It has a lot of pain if you try and swing a hammer to drive a nail. Tried that this past weekend as well.
John

Alden Mills said...

Comment from Dr. Scott

The general guideline for the amateur athlete is if it hurts while you do it then don't. As a sports Dr., I always try to find a plan B so the patient can continue to work out. Your complaint is a common one, and the only way to tell if you will be able to do use the Perfect Pushup is to try it. Also, vary your grip pressure and attempt to control the degree or eliminate rotation based on tolerance and see if that helps.

If it is a case of overuse/overtraining, you may need to rest your forearms a bit and/or use a "tennis elbow" brace for support. You may want to visit a Sports Medicine Specialist who can diagnosis you and make some treatment recommendations so you can heal quickly. Treatment such as Active Release Technique is great to assist in freeing up adhesions in the muscles, therefore improving function and expediting healing.

Let me know how it goes.

Dr. Scott

John said...

Thanks for the info.
I beleive it is from over training and I am resting it this week. No lifting other than day to day stuff for the week. I will see how it goes next week.

Thanks,
John

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Dr. Scott sir:

How much pressure is put on the wrists when doing Super Slow Perfect Pushups?
I did something to my wrists when shooting .45(S&W) when I was in a Guard unit.

Drive on Perfect Pushup, DRIVE ON!



MMA MAX
NyMMAnews.com
TheNHBshow.com

Alden Mills said...

Post from Dr. Scott --

Ballerina Barbie asked, “How long does an injury from force stretching take to heal?

Answer: Depending on the injury, there are multiple answers. I agree with not forcing the issue or trying to push through this. I would suggest you follow-up with a sports medicine doctor(orthopedist or chiropractor) or a physical therapist to get a more specific diagnosis(muscle v. tendon v. ligament and degree of tear) and then you can get a more specific answer.

It is my experience that the sooner we start a patient on active rehab the faster they get better(for what you are describing).

Alden Mills said...

Comment from Dr. Scott

MMA Max asked, "How much pressure is put on the wrists when doing Super Slow Perfect Pushups? I did something to my wrists when shooting .45(S&W) when I was in a Guard unit."

Answer: This is another situation where you will have to try variations of grip position and pressure to see what is amenable to your injury. That is the great thing about the Perfect Pushup.