Muscle “Imbalances” and Injuries | Mark Rippetoe
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I irritated my hand several weeks ago. I kept using it because there wasn’t much choice and now it’s mostly better except my ring finger won’t straighten out under its own power. I’ve been putting that fist against the palm of my other hand and straightening the fingers out using that hand as resistance. It’s helped but progress has been slow. Is there any better exercise you’d recommend?
I feel a little dumb making this my first post but honestly your article was timely for me.
This is called "Trigger Finger" and I have no experience with it.
Sounds like trigger finger for sure but could be Dupuytrens Contracture.
I had Dup in my mid 20s and fixed surgically. It’s almost always pinky or ring but it’s also almost always for old men. So much for “typical”...
This video is surprisingly useful and should get the OP on the map.
Trigger finger versus Dupuytren's contracture: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? - YouTube
I've had trigger finger and while it was annoying and only a little uncomfortable, it didn't seem to affect my grip too adversely. That said, once my general practitioner diagnosed it I got the surgery. The procedure was painless under moderate anesthesia and it left no discernable scar on my upper palm. The surgeon recommended a 3-4 week recovery. Which I only adhered to when heavy pulls were involved. Now, the finger works just fine.
After reading about both of those things I’m not sure I described it correctly. The finger isn’t stuck, it just lacks the strength to straighten all the way on its own. I can use my other hand or fingers to straighten it completely. That’s where the muscle imbalance connection came in. Gripping works perfectly normal.
It had been this way for a couple weeks. Tuesday I started straightening all of the fingers on that hand against the resistance of the other hand. It’s gotten a little better every day.
When you grip both the deadlift and the chinup bar, your wrist flexors and extensors are in contraction.
FWIW, my own finger didn't get "stuck" exactly. It would get to a particular angle when I'd try to extend it and it would hang up a little. This was where the discomfort came, at least for me. With enough concentration and a little effort, I could get it to extend all the way to normal. But the problem stems from the tendon hanging up in the sheath around it. The surgery consists of nicking that sheath enough to let the tendon move freely. It's not a muscle imbalance thing.
I might be way off base and this might or might not help at all, but I've experienced similar grip issues before off and on. My last job was working for a city Parks & Rec as grounds maintenance. There were some days I had the unfortunate task of running string trimmers for 8 hours straight, "brush-hogging" heavy growth on slopes and ditches I couldn't mow. The constant gripping and vibration would cause my fingers to do exactly what you say, you had to open them by pushing them open with the other hand. Essentially the muscles were cramping without the associated pain. This went on for a month or so until I figured it out. Since it only happened in July and August, I came to realize my problem was that I was dehydrated, but it wasn't quite that simple. If I drank nothing but water during the day to hydrate or rehydrate I seemed fine, but if I drank any kind of sports drink or pre-workout (for the electrolytes) it made the joints and muscles in my hands act up. But just plain good old water is fine. Rip and others here can ridicule me for saying this, but I'm convince to this day that sports drinks do not fully rehydrate the body as they claim.
You've never seen me advocate Gatorade. Primarily, fat people drink Gatorade, so they can be Athletes.