Has anyone tried the new "Healthy Hands" DVD?

[all i need is an answer]

I recently learned about a DVD developed by massage therapist, Martin Gray. It's called "Healthy Hands, Wrists and Forearms". He developed a self-care program to heal his own pain from "overuse syndrome". It's also recommended as a regular protocol to prevent hand pain. The DVD contains six sections:

1. Stretching Exercises
2. Strengthening Exercises
3. Dexterity & Coordination
4. Self Message Techniques
5. Hot & Cold Water Therapy
6. The Body Mind Approach to Pain

I was wondering if anyone has tried this DVD yet and whether you found it helpful?

Here's a link to more information:
http://www.ergopro.com/index.cfm?obj=prodDetails&pID=445

 

[krissstybee]

Healthy Hands DVD

Hi there:

I'm only a student, so your mileage may vary, however... I am 43 years old, have ALWAYS used my hands a LOT, have had bi-lateral carpal tunnel release surgery, and also have lupus, which, in my case, manifests itself in arthritis and recurring tendonitis (among other things! :roll: ), so I try to be VERY careful of my hands and arms, especially now that I'm learning MT.

I bought the DVD right before I started school (first of November), and I really do find the exercises very helpful. My oldest son, who spends most of his free time rock climbing also really likes it, and feels it has increased his dexterity significantly.

Hope this helps!

Grace and peace,

Karissa
http://www.jessfarms.com

 

[Fertility Q]

Healthy Hands DVD

Thank you, Karissa. That's very helpful. I average about 20 hours of massage per week, and although I'm blessed with strong hands, I do occasionally experience pain. Until now, I addressed the pain when it happened (through contrast therapy, herbal ointments, self-massage and stretching.) However, I've never done any kind of preventative program. I ordered the DVD today and look forward to using it. It also seems like it would be great for many of my clients who work on the computer all day.

Update 2/27/06:

OK. I bought the DVD and viewed it last night. Here's my review:

I'm hypermobile (I have more movement in my joints than most people. When I was a kid, they called it double jointed). For me, the stretching and strenghtening exercises hurt my wrists. However, my husband (who has normal joint movement) also did the exercises, and he thought they felt great. He said he felt the work happening in the muscles, as intended by the DVD instructor. This is the same thing that happened to me in massage school. Our clinical instructor led us through a series of hand and arm stretches at the start of class. Me and one other woman (also hypermobile) found the stretches painful and had to modify. The rest of the class loved the stretches. So, I think the stretching and strengthening exercises are great for the majority of the population, but not good for people with hypermobility.

The dexterity exercises, on the other hand, were very cool and not painful for me at all. They were difficult, though! Watching the DVD instructor, he makes each isolated movement look so easy that I thought it would be easy for me, too. Not so! I'm definitely interested in practicing those!

The self-massage techniques were good. They're similar to what I already do, but for someone who isn't a massage therapist, they are well-explained.

The hot & cold water therapy section is also good. Simple techniques explained very clearly.

The Body-Mind section was very weak. It was short and vague. You'd have to pursue other resources to address pain from this philosophy.

Overall, it's a good DVD. Although it wasn't what I was hoping for myself, I will keep it in my lending library for clients. I plan on lending it to a client this week, who sometimes needs to wear wrist braces due to arm pain. One good thing about the DVD is that the exercises don't take long to do (once you learn them) and the instructor only recommends doing them 2-3 times per week. This makes it an excellent home-care program, because it doesn't require a huge time commitment.