(Wrist and Hand Pain Continued)

There is a distinct relationship between length and tension in muscles. For example when you curl your bicep there is a completely different length-tension than when your arm is extended outward or at rest. If you were to try to hug yourself with your right arm and used your left arm feel all the tension in the muscles used to make that motion, you would get a clear idea of Tammy’s circumstances. The different length-tension between her left side and right side was an imbalance. Such an imbalance causes the joints to not function properly, which results in a lot of stress in those certain areas.

Tammy completely followed the logic of what I told her and was eager to get started, so I created an exercise program that was tailored specifically for her deviations. The objective was to activate the muscles in her right shoulder blade and release the tension so that it would no longer be pulling away from the spine. Doing this would cause her hand and right forearm to rotate outward into the natural position. By the end of the session, the routine was already having a noticeable effect. Standing in the mirror, Tammy was amazed at the difference in her hand and arm position. Motivated by the initial progress, it was easy to stick to the daily regiment I assigned her until our next visit. In fact, when she came in for the next visit she wasn’t wearing the wrist brace. She felt she no longer needed it and she also reported that she looked forward to the exercises and enjoyed them so much that she was even doing some on her lunch break. And over the next month she continued making progress and even referred friends.