drummer exercises/stretches (was CARPAL TUNNEL INFO NEEDED!)

[Dale Chavez - 719-593-7377 <http://www.horizonint.com/~dchavez>]

robert wrote:
> 
> Hi.  Did you ever gather any stretches?

Yup...here they are:

Okay, here goes. I got this from my martial arts instructor. It mainly
seems to be a stretching exercise. There are four separate movements. 
 
To start, hold your arms straight out in front of you at about shoulder
height (or whatever's comfortable). You'll keep your arms up while doing
this exercise.
 
1. With your hands and fingers straight, bend your wrists back until
your hands are perpendicular to the floor. Hold for a count of 10.
 
2. Relax your wrists and fingers so that your wrists are relatively
straight, your hands parallel to the floor. Hold for 10.
 
3. Make a fist with each hand, with your thumbs outside your fingers.
You should feel a stretch in your wrists and along the backs of your
hands. Hold for 10.
 
4. With your hands still in fists, bend your wrists forward as far as
you can without pain (you should feel a stretch, but don't push it so
far that it hurts). Hold for 10.
 
Relax your hands and repeat around 8-10 times.
 
It's recommended that you do this a few times a day. I usually do,
because as I said before, I do a lot with my hands and I want to keep
them undamaged.
 
(Btw, if any of this is confusing or unclear, let me know and I'll try
to explain in more detail. I think my instructor found this exercise in
a magazine, but I don't know which one.)
 
Also as I said before, this is mostly a proactive exercise and can also
counter mild symptoms. If you're in severe pain or your range of motion
is impaired, I'd recommend seeing a doctor. Keep in mind, I'm not a
physical therapist or anything. However, I've found that this does help
keep my hands and wrists relaxed. I believe it's also meant to reduce
pressure in the carpal tunnel.
 
This isn't a substitute for good technique, either. You want to use
proper technique no matter how fast you're playing, and work slowly to
increase your speed. Tensing up at fast tempos is a good way to injure
yourself.