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#1 2007-08-30 12:05:21

Adrian
Member
From: Kent, England
Registered: 2006-12-06
Posts: 13

Power Balls...

I have just bought a power ball, the gyroscopic exercise ball for musicians and sport people. See http://www.powerballs.com/benefits_rehab.php.

I am getting used it now and can feel it strengthening my arms and hands. It is recommended for carpal tunnel sydrome, RSI etc.

Has anyone else used one of these balls? Have you found it helps with hand/wrist tensions etc? Any thoughts anyone?

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#2 2007-08-30 15:39:45

Tairaku 太楽
Administrator/Performer
From: Tasmania
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 3226
Website

Re: Power Balls...

Looks interesting. Do you feel like it is strengthening AND making your muscles more flexible? Because some things strengthen but the downside is your muscles get knotted up.


'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari

http://www.myspace.com/tairakubrianritchie

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#3 2007-08-30 15:47:47

Adrian
Member
From: Kent, England
Registered: 2006-12-06
Posts: 13

Re: Power Balls...

I have problems with my thumbs while playing the shakuhachi and am trying different methods of holding it (and often squeeze too hard anyway). I hadn't realised until I started the shakuhachi that my thumbs curve backwards at the joint when I use pressure - very odd! It causes a lot of pressure and I am sure it will cause me problems in later years, so I am trying to analyse and adjust. I have only just started with the power ball, so it is not conclusive, but in a week it does seem I am holding the shakuhachi more easily and with less stress. I need to see how it goes over a longer period though, until I can say with any conviction. I'll keep people posted.

Last edited by Adrian (2007-08-30 15:48:51)

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#4 2007-08-30 18:04:30

Ambi
Member
From: Leeds UK
Registered: 2006-06-22
Posts: 108

Re: Power Balls...

Hi Adrian. I've noticed the same thing with my thumbs too and have pretty bad arthritic aches in my hands too - which I blame on too many grip exercises when Bass playing was my Thing. I don't seem to have much problem with holding a shakuhachi (mainly 1.8 and some time on a 2.4) though, partly because I've managed to avoid too strong a grip (Tai Chi goes a long way in teaching minimum effort); but mainly because I compensate by balancing the shakuhachi on the Side of the lower thumb so that the back bend is not an issue.
I've flirted with powerball, but I bought a cheap copy which wore out quite quickly. Strength improvements sure, but it felt like mainly in the wrist and hand rather than in the extension of the fingers\thumb.
I'd also suggest the traditional Chinese exercise balls, I've not really got the hang of spinning lots of them, but I have one large heavy one and I find it quite soothing, and good for mobility rather than increasing strength, any one else tried these?


"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."

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#5 2007-09-01 05:48:26

Adrian
Member
From: Kent, England
Registered: 2006-12-06
Posts: 13

Re: Power Balls...

Hi Ambi. Interesting using the side of the lower thumb...I will try that. As for the power ball, there are some different exercised to (supposedly) exercise the hand/wrist, fingers/thumb/grip, lower arm, upper arm etc...I will see if they do any good...it's an amazing piece of equipment though. I bought the new 350Hz metal one and it is very powerful...amazing energy from it.

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#6 2007-09-02 19:06:54

Riley Lee
Moderator
From: Manly NSW Australia
Registered: 2005-10-08
Posts: 78
Website

Re: Power Balls...

I highly recommend both the power balls and the Chinese exercise balls. The sound of the latter is possibly more 'soothing', but the power balls are very effective.

Having said that, sore thumbs and fingers are primarily caused by holding the flute too tightly. You will probably learn to caress your instrument instead of strangling it after holding it during a couple of thousand hours of practice. As long as you hold your flute with an iron grip, you'll have sore thumbs and fingers no matter how much you practice with power and Chinese exercise balls.

Cheers, Riley

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#7 2007-09-02 22:17:34

ENLIGHTED-ONE
Member
Registered: 2007-09-02
Posts: 4

Re: Power Balls...

Power balls, hand springs, and other type devices are good for strenghtienng the hands, wrists, and for the most part both upper extremities.
I do not see how they could help in any way with carpal tunnel, tendonitis, or tennis elbow. If you have one of the problems using these type of devices will cause more harm. The reason Doctors order splints for these problem is to stop the patient from over working the areas, there by allowing the tendon to relax, inflammation to subside, and muscles to heal. Over use of the power balls will also cause the above problems, so just be careful not to over do it. Even one if testomials on the Web site for Power Ball has a comment that the guy had gotten his power balls the day before and played with them alot that day; the next morning he could not even make a fist or hold a cup. That is a repetative injury!
Have fun, but don't over do it.
PS. I deal with this type of injury every day in my clinic

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#8 2007-09-03 11:17:54

edosan
Edomologist
From: Salt Lake City
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 2185

Re: Power Balls...

There is another aid in reducing the 'iron grip' problem. It is unorthodox, and may elicit some cries of 'heresy':

The idea is to fashion a 'stop' or 'thumb rest' just above the thumb on the lower hand, thereby greatly reducing the tendency
of the flute to slide downward in the lower hand, thus requiring a looser grip on the flute by that hand.

A method of doing this (there are also other good ones):

Get some Sculpy modeling clay or Sticky Putty (which is a two part epoxy product--may cause skin reactions) and fashion the 'rest'
to your liking (if using the epoxy product, be sure to protect the bamboo with waxed paper when shaping the 'rest' to it--otherwise it
could adhere to the boo). The Sculpy can then be baked as per its instructions. The finished product can then be harmlessly fastened
to the bamboo using rubber cement (available in any art or stationery outlet). Be sure to wipe the mounting area on the bamboo with
alcohol to remove oils there before gluing the piece on.

This method is especially useful for heavy flutes; I have seen it used by pro's, such as the estimable David Wheeler, to good effect.

The only drawback I can see is that, as a crutch, this solution may inhibit the development of the 'feather grip', but it may be very
helpful for some players.

Email me if you'd like further details.

eB


Zen is not easy.
It takes effort to attain nothingness.
And then what do you have?
Bupkes.

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#9 2007-09-03 13:47:13

dstone
Member
From: Vancouver, Canada
Registered: 2006-01-11
Posts: 552
Website

Re: Power Balls...

Cool idea with the clay.

Along similar lines...  I've also seen shakuhachi with a small piece of fine sandpaper (maybe 1x2cm) stuck to the underside (exactly where the lower thumb will rest comfortably) with double-sided tape.  Grit side out, against the thumb pad.  The friction will hold the flute from slipping and allow the player to release their grip.  Seems like it would be safe enough to try (for the flute & player) if one is a deathgripper.

-Darren.


When it is rainy, I am in the rain. When it is windy, I am in the wind.  - Mitsuo Aida

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#10 2007-09-04 09:37:09

Jeff Cairns
teacher, performer,promoter of shakuhachi
From: Kumamoto, Japan
Registered: 2005-10-10
Posts: 517
Website

Re: Power Balls...

I know of a player here who uses one of those cell phone straps that abound, adjusted to a suitable length, strapped around his neck with a fashioned hook on the lower end that hooks into the bell of the shakuhachi thus eliminating shakuhachi slippage and the need for an iron grip.  What ever works.  Necessity is the mother of invention.


shakuhachi flute
I step out into the wind
with holes in my bones

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#11 2007-10-29 15:29:27

Adrian
Member
From: Kent, England
Registered: 2006-12-06
Posts: 13

Re: Power Balls...

I've tried adding a strip of rough material for the lower-hand thumb. It helps a little. I am having success by stopping regularly while playing and examining how I am holding the shakuhachi. It is helping as I can adjust instead of battling through the aches and pains and complaining at the end. Slowly my body is "remembering" the better position. :-)

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#12 2008-10-26 16:12:38

robert n.
Member
Registered: 2008-09-21
Posts: 7

Re: Power Balls...

when i was studying recorder many years ago my teacher showed me how to make a thumb rest from
plasticine. i wouldn't recommend it for bamboo but it should be okay for anyone using a "yuu".

rob

Last edited by robert n. (2008-10-26 16:13:21)

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#13 2008-10-27 03:41:12

Justin
Shihan/Maker
From: Japan
Registered: 2006-08-12
Posts: 540
Website

Re: Power Balls...

Hi Adrian
What length of shakuhachi are you using? Could it be due in part to having a shakuhachi which is too heavy? Some of the longer jiari shakuhachi can get really heavy, and a jinashi or specially made light jiari can help that.

Justin
http://senryushakuhachi.com/

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#14 2008-10-27 06:52:45

Justin
Shihan/Maker
From: Japan
Registered: 2006-08-12
Posts: 540
Website

Re: Power Balls...

fouw wrote:

This thread is bit old but still.......

Having a problem with painful hands / wrists it seems wise to try and determine if the pain is from tension in muscles or a tendon problem, or on the other hand caused by the condition of joints.
Powerball won't do a lot of good in the case of arthritic joints. Nothing really will, but to prevent things from deteriorating further keeping things moving without stress is a good idea. The Chinese ding-dong balls are helpful in that way.

K

Ah, I thought this thread (I just replied to) was made yesterday but as you point out, it is old, from last year.
I have heard that drinking apple cider vinegar is supposed to be good for arthritis. Tastes good too when watered down.

Justin
http://senryushakuhachi.com/

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#15 2008-10-27 08:30:30

Safiya
Member
From: Paris
Registered: 2006-01-20
Posts: 25

Re: Power Balls...

Interesting, Justin, that you introduce the diet bit concerning arthritis and other joint/tendons problems.
I was thinking since a while to give some light concerning some other causes of hands and joint problems, that is nutrition, as rarely it was mentioned here.
Recently I made a diet of red grapes (organic), that was the moment in the year to find them, started with just one meal of grapes and drinking plenty of water, then, when I was accustomed, 4 full days just eating grapes (and drinking just water), then back to one meal with grapes, and naturally wanted to eat lighter stuff, more natural fresh and vege, and reduced dratically cereals. My hand sores disapeared. Also, drinking a lot of water out of digestion time, like before eating and 2 hours after meals (a liter and half or more) really help the joints. Dehydratation is cause #one of joint problems. Drinking tea, cafe, softies, juices, won't help dehydratation, just pure H2o will, as other kind of fluids are received as food, not water, by the body.
I know of a lady in her eighties that couldn't make a fist with her hands. She was eating then a lot of cereals. She tried a diet from a french doctor, that is to eat mainly fruits and vegetables and patatoes (no cereals, no animal products, even no soja/lentils). She recovered fully her joint ability as well as she cured other problems, keeping a good vital strenght.
When I hear of such things, I just try to correct some part of my sometimes unbalanced diet, to go towards a more balanced one, more water (and less of other drinks), no excess of cereals and animal products, and much more of vegetable and fruits. And mainly, to try to find your real nutriment needs, versus your food habits. Body is the first docteor when you listen to it.
One thing to experiment: sometimes you feel hungry, but in fact you are thirsty. Now, when I feel hungry in the course of the day, first, I drink water, doesn't hurt to do so, then most of the time, my thirst starts to reveal itself and I drink some more. Then, if I'm stull hungry, I will eat, but at least, I will have honored my (hidden) thisrt.
The idea is finding and fullfilling your real needs, and it gives allmost instant rewardings. Making the graped diet was fun and delicious. I felt my body was really needing this nutriment at that time, and I had a good energy and state of mind, and beautifull joint/arthritis results.
But I will try the powerballs anyway, they look fun!
Bon appétit !
Dominique


Through conscious beings, the universe has generated self awareness

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#16 2008-10-27 23:02:19

Justin
Shihan/Maker
From: Japan
Registered: 2006-08-12
Posts: 540
Website

Re: Power Balls...

Hi Dominique
Your results sound great! Yes, diet is extremely important, and food can be seen as a main medicine. All substances we take have physiological properties - not only "official" medicines. Also I think it is worthy to note that there is no "best" diet for everyone, despite what some people might try to sell you. All food has different properties, just like medicines do, and I think the best way that works is to get the best interaction between the balance of energies/properties in our food and the balance which is inside of us. So different imbalances will benefit or worsen from particular balances in our foods, so that one diet will be good for one person and bad for another. Luckily, there is knowledge about which foods are good and bad for people with arthritis (I am no expert but I think traditional Indian and Chinese doctors are quite knowledgeable about that.)

I was quite shocked when a friend was in a London hospital with a burst stomach ulcer, and I asked the specialist dealing with him, "What foods should he avoid and what foods will benefit him?" This would just be standard medical practice to advise patients where I had been living (in the Himalayas), but this doctor looked at me in bewilderment, seeming to have no idea that food had any effect! Poor patients!

Justin
http://senryushakuhachi.com/

Last edited by Justin (2008-10-27 23:05:11)

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#17 2008-10-28 08:58:24

Rick Riekert
Member
Registered: 2008-03-13
Posts: 100

Re: Power Balls...

Dominique's belief that dehydration is the primary cause of joint problems does not hold water. The causes of joint pain are many, including traumatic injury, overuse, various kinds of arthritis, viral infection, bursitis, and hundreds of others. I do, however, applaud his decision to drink more water and less of those "other" liquids, eat more vegetables and fruits, and avoid ingesting "excessive" animal products. Clinical trials conducted a few years ago by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration showed that omega-3 fatty acids could help arthritis patients sharply reduce or even eliminate their use of anti-inflammatory medication. Omega-3s are found in fish, especially salmon,  tuna, and mackerel, as well as nuts and leafy green vegetables. Saturated fats promote inflammation and should be markedly reduced in the average diet. Ginger and tumeric can be useful for their anti-inflammatory properties.


Mastery does not lay in the mastery of technique, but in penetrating the heart of the music. However, he who has not mastered the technique will not penetrate the heart of the music.
~ Hisamatsu Fûyô

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#18 2008-10-29 09:04:23

lowonthetotem
Member
From: Cape Coral, FL
Registered: 2008-04-05
Posts: 529
Website

Re: Power Balls...

Dominique's belief that dehydration is the primary cause of joint problems does not hold water. The causes of joint pain are many, including traumatic injury, overuse, various kinds of arthritis, viral infection, bursitis, and hundreds of others.

The causes of hand pain, or joint pain in general, can be many and varied.  If traumatic injury is involved, physical and occupational therapy are the best modes of action.  However, diet and dehydration should also be considered for more chronic pain issues.  The bursa that form between bones at joints are made of a high percentage of water.  Since water is so primary to survival, the body will take water from these structures if it is needed to purge the kidneys.  So, staying hydrated is always good; however, there is no need to over-do it.  Just drink when you're thirsty.  Flushing the body with large amounts of water removes other nutrients that help the body maintain healthy water levels in structures like bursa.  Purging these makes it harder to maintain water where it is needed and illicits a diueretic response.

I do, however, applaud his decision to drink more water and less of those "other" liquids, eat more vegetables and fruits, and avoid ingesting "excessive" animal products. Clinical trials conducted a few years ago by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration showed that omega-3 fatty acids could help arthritis patients sharply reduce or even eliminate their use of anti-inflammatory medication. Omega-3s are found in fish, especially salmon,  tuna, and mackerel, as well as nuts and leafy green vegetables. Saturated fats promote inflammation and should be markedly reduced in the average diet. Ginger and tumeric can be useful for their anti-inflammatory properties.

Many arthritic conditions, especially rhuematoid arthritis, can be linked to diet.  Refined sugars, flours, and oxidized fats can cause a sort of allergic response in joints, causing them to enflame.  The joints are geared to a specific stucture and physics.  If part of the structure changes size/becomes enflamed, it will not work correctly and can even damage itself.  I wouldn't suggest fasting, or eating just one food for any period of time, but minimizing foods that can cause inflammation and maximizing foods that reduce it, foods high in antioxidants (like red grapes), healthy oils (including Omegas but others too, including most "raw" oils, that is never heated or "cold pressed"), magnesium, and b-vitamins, can go a long way in treating SOME joint problems.  The thing is that the specific foods in question will vary from person to person.  Osteo-arthritic conditions, on the other hand, should be addressed in a more orthpedic manner, as has been suggested.

Do you feel like it is strengthening AND making your muscles more flexible?

Flexibility is always an issue of concern.  Strength training of any kind should always be balanced with a flexibility routine for the same and opposing muscle groups, and every strength training routine should train muscles in either a functional manner or if they are trained in isolation, the opposing muscle group should also be strengthened as well.  I think the powerballs work the wrist in a cirular motion, without much manipulation of the fingers.  The Chinese balls (which can also be used as an effective marital aide big_smile) seem to work the fingers, but not the wrist much.  Using both in concert, would seem to be the best course of action.

And here are some pretty sweet hand and wrist stretches.  Sorry, the hand fitness models don't hold a candle to the butt and thigh fitness models.

http://www.ergocise.com/wrists.html


"Turn like a wheel inside a wheel."

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#19 2008-11-04 00:58:32

Justin
Shihan/Maker
From: Japan
Registered: 2006-08-12
Posts: 540
Website

Re: Power Balls...

lowonthetotem wrote:

don't hold a candle to the butt

big_smile

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#20 2008-11-06 14:10:30

lowonthetotem
Member
From: Cape Coral, FL
Registered: 2008-04-05
Posts: 529
Website

Re: Power Balls...

I just read up on Salba and Chia seeds.  They both seem to have alot of stuff in them that could ease inflamation in joints and elsewhere.  They may be worth a Google for some of you.  High in magnesium too, which is great for high BP.


"Turn like a wheel inside a wheel."

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