Using powerball for RSI

[JimmyDeemo]

Ok i work as a software enginner, and i'm a big gamer at home, so i use a computer a lot. Recently i've been feeling stiffness and joint aches in my wrist and sholder. I've taken some steps to reduce this problem i.e. Adjusted my position, Use a timer for correct break time. But i remembered i had a powerball sitting at home.

So what i'd like to know is how can i use my powerball for RSI, if possible specifically for computer use issues. I'd like to know;

How longer sessions should i do?
How often should i do then?
What kind of speeds should i try to maintain?

Any help would be great. Thanks.

[redplunger]

Hi Jimmy,

Although I don't feel qualified to answer your questions correctly, I am very sure that physio will be along soon or someone else with more experience than me to deal with them.

In the meantime I can say that reading some of the threads here I have heard some great things about rehabilitation with the Powerball. I'm sure RSI can be reduced with one.

Also Welcome to the forum, I'm positive you will find the answers and support you need here.

Good luck and best wishes

Glenn

[JimmyDeemo]

Hi redplunger, cheers for the welcome. I'm hoping it can help me, i want to minimise the risk to myself now as i'm only young and hopefully will be working as a software engineer for some time yet. So instead of using my powerball as a gadget i might as well get some benefit from it. Hope someone can help me.

[One-Eye]

To help with RSI I don't think high speeds are important.

And you can do low speed spinning with one hand even while you're on your pc.

But, if you have a timer for regular breaks from your pc that would be an ideal time to just spin your Powerball at low speeds in each hand to help relieve stiffness in your hands, wrists and shoulders.

I use a pc a lot at work and I'm a keen gamer (CS:S, although due to personal circumstances I haven't been playing too much since last christmas), apart from some tension in my neck and shoulders I've not suffered too much as I've always done some kind of physical activity. But I think Powerballing helps me also.

I'm off to another i-series lan in August, and you see quite a few players with Powerballs to help them.

Just my own personal observations.

Hopefully physioblue or somebody else more knowledgable than myself will post a more professional response for you soon.

[PaDavid]

Hi Jimmy!

Welcome to a great site with great people. As already mentioned, Physioblue is the man with the answers and will surely stop by and give you some information.

My wife and I also suffered from RSI, among other things, before we started using our Powerballs in December '06. To this day, we have both been pain-free and it has to be the Powerballs because that was all we changed in our routine.

We don't have a set time or length of time we spin. She spins when she can and I do the same and we both spin until we're tired...that's it. We do spin every day and we always spin when we get up in the morning and before we go to sleep at night. Every once in a while during the day, I do like to see how high a score I can get.

The first few days we used the Powerballs, we were a little sore because it was something new, but after that, it has been great fun and a great stress reliever. Here's a link of mine if you want to read more of our use.
http://bugcop.com/wst_page3.html

I hope this helps until you receive more posts on the subject. This is the place to ask.

pa

[Adrena1in]

Hi and Welcome the forums. I don't think I've ever heard of someone suffering from RSI or CTS and saying, "Hang on, I have a Powerball somewhere, I'll try that." Most people who have a Powerball don't have RSI.

I used to get sore wrists, and pains on the backs of my hands, from being on a computer all day. Plus I used to get pains in my elbow joints from racket sports. Granted, I don't play racket sports anymore, but I still spend 7 or 8 hours a day on a computer, yet I never get RSI.

To start with I would suggest using the Powerball for up to about 5 minutes at a time, switching hands every 20 or 30 seconds, and spinning at around 5000 to 7000 rpm. This will be quite gentle, and will help you become accustomed to the action. (How competent were you before?)

After very little time you'll find you can go for a lot longer at these speeds, but in my experience 5000 - 7000 rpm is the ideal rehabilitation speed. It might be a bit more or less for you.

As others have suggested, try to avoid going flat out for now...a Powerball can exert a lot of force over your arms and wrists, and can do damage if not used sensibly. (I've been using them for years, pretty much every day, but I can still hurt myself if I don't warm up properly.)

Good luck, and let us know how you get on.

Tim.

[Enda]

Originally Posted by Adrena1in

After very little time you'll find you can go for a lot longer at these speeds, but in my experience 5000 - 7000 rpm is the ideal rehabilitation speed. It might be a bit more or less for you.

Hi Jimmy,

Welcome to the forum.

As Tim and the others said, Powerball is ideal for use in combatting/rehabilitating RSI.

I would echo Tim's advice in that you should use the Powerball at low/moderate speeds of between 4-8000 rpm depending on your own comfort zone and try to use it for 5-10 minutes once or twice a day initially.

After a while, you can begin to use it for longer periods (I often use mine at 3-6000 rpm for up to 30-40 minutes) while simply walking around the house or watching tv (with the sound turned up a little of course ) and find that this is best for me.

I'm generally on a computer for 14 or more hours a day and have not had any problems with my arms/wrists/fingers, all attributed to my regular use of a Powerball.

Regards

Enda
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[JimmyDeemo]

Wow ok guys, cheers for all your advice.

Most people who have a Powerball don't have RSI.

I haven't used it in a while. Got it for christmas last year and never really go the 'bug' so to speak. I'm defienitly gonna get some regular spinning in now. Hopefully it will help.

Ok so just to summerise i should be looking at low speeds as in 3000-6000rpm, for 5-15mins, switching between my hands. Then i can build up and have longer sessions of a similar speed.

I'd like to do it at work during my rest breaks, but do you think it would disturb my other workers? With the sound and all?

I'm glad that there are some people that have had the same problem and fixed it with the powerball. I tend to get aching in my hand between my little finger nuckle and my wrist. But it seems like it comes from my back, like i've pulled a muscle in it near my sholder blade. Well i'm gonna start my sessions tonight and i'll see how it goes. Any other tips would be much appreciated? Does it matter which way i spin? Clockwise? Anti?

Oh yeah one other thing. I'm very right side dominant, i hardly use my left hand for anything. Can my powerball help me to improve my left arm strength? Is it a bad idea to spin more with my left than my right?

Btw thanks for the warm welcome, been a while since i've a nice welcome on forums.

[Enda]

Hi Jimmy,

You can use the Powerball at 3-6k speeds, and at these speeds it shouldn't be a distraction for yoru fellow workers.. depends on how quiet your office is of course!

I would recommend that you simply kick in a few short breaks with your Powerball and you use both hands.. you should notice an improvement in your RSI within a couple of weeks.

If you are using it for anything up to 30 mins a day in one or more sessions then you should also see a marked change in the definition of your arms and toning of muscle as well as increased strength.

However, if you want to really work on your left arm, you will need to spin the Powerball at higher speeds - please see here for some videos which show the muscle groups work when you spin/hold the Powerball in different ways. Hopefully the will be of some help in determining a workout!

On another note, you should also find that your Powerball will retain its smooth feeling a lot longer if you use it in this manner. At lower speeds with continued spinning you should see a dramatic improvement in your technique which will be of significant importance once you (inevitably) begin to reach for those higher scores.. the lure of the scoreboard is usually to great to resist!

Enda
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[JimmyDeemo]

Enda, cheers for the tips. I think i will just start using it during my breaks, hopefully it won't take me long to get comforable using a computer again!

Hell maybe i'll gain a better tech and start reaching for the hi-score board you never know!

I just saw on the store aswell that there is a foot trainer, that you can use with a started powerball to improve your legs. Has anyone tried this? I play football quite a bit, and it would be great to strengthen my ankles and knees. Maybe get a bit more power.