How to rehab/strengthen ligaments & tendons.

[Dastardly]

I sprained my wrist about 7 weeks ago and it isnt really showing any signs of getting better. Rip's advice was to train as normal, but I stayed away from deadlifts for a couple weeks then begun training with the aid of a tight boxing wrap around my wrist.

I also stayed away from trying to do heavy cleans as even with the long heavy wrap on the wrist, it felt horrible to rack.

About 2-3 weeks ago, I did lots of 25 rep wrist curls every day like the Starr rehab would suggest. It felt really good while doing them for a few days, but it eventually felt like I was making the wrist too "loose" and straining the ligaments futher. So I stopped.

Another 3 weeks of regular training later, the wrist still feels like shit. It hasnt really improved at all since the beginning.

Also, I am feeling some twinges in my achillies tendon like I did prior to spraining my wrist. Id like to take preventative measures to stop me getting a sprained ankle/ruptured achillies tendon in the near future. Which looks like a probably eventuality.

What kind of stuff can you guys recommend to strengthen/rehab the ligaments/tendons?

[Regin Smidur]

For the forearms you can do rice bucket (google with steven low in the search line), wrist rollers, wrist push-ups (google with gymnasticbodies.com in the search line), first knuckle push ups, push ups on fists, and theres a video online showing one of the top US gymnastic coaches wrist pre-hab series I can dig up if your interested.

Be sure to do as much (if not more) extensor work then flexor work.

[Dastardly]

Im interested, dig it up please.

[Regin Smidur]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2w1PeSR8G4

From this thread: http://gymnasticbodies.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=61

[tertius]

A lot of that work is useful just to prevent desk-jockey wrist pain, which might actually be the seat of your problem, Dastardly. I presume you probably work sitting down, and it involves a computer?

I got to the verge of Carpal Tunnel about five years ago, writing all the time with shitty form. Doing consistent stretching of the wrists and shoulders, and then strengthening them with wrist curls and so forth combined with changing my keyboard layout to Dvorak and reteaching myself to type with proper form fixed it.

But for a while, any activity involving the wrist left me with awful pain, even after I stopped waking up with dull, burning, achy, pain from writing.

[Dastardly]

No, not really.

I dont get arbitary "wrist pain".

I have very thin wrists (about 2x1") so they are inherently a little weak and prone to injury when doing things like cleans where the wrist is bent back when the bar is racked. Thats how I sprained my wrist.

My ankles are also quite thin & girlish.

[Regin Smidur]

No, not really.

I dont get arbitary "wrist pain".

I have very thin wrists (about 2x1") so they are inherently a little weak and prone to injury when doing things like cleans where the wrist is bent back when the bar is racked. Thats how I sprained my wrist.

My ankles are also quite thin & girlish.

I`m not sure if this applies to you, but the only time I get wrist pain when doing cleans is when the bar racks too low and my wrists end up supporting some of the weight. If I squat just the right amount and catch it cleanly on my shoulders it never causes pain. I dont think your wrists should be supporting any weight in a proper clean.