[nabs-l] Cane grip and hand, wrist, forearm pain

[V Nork]

Hi Jim, As you probably know, it is a good idea to keep your wrist from 
getting overly mobile, I believe but am not sure.  I have carpal tunnel 
syndrome, and wear a wrist splint sometimes when using my cane.  The 
movement of the wrist gets a narrower range with a splint, but you can also 
just be mindful of using your forearm as well as your wrist and see if that 
pain is lessened.  Pain from carpal tunnel syndrome can radiate, too.  But 
since I am far from amedical professional, it is just a notion.  Also, you 
may just be having a temporary reaction to using new muscle groups in a new 
way.  Great reading the installments of your saga, Best of luck, Ginnie
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Reed" <jim275_2 at yahoo.com>
To: "NABS mail list" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:16 PM
Subject: [nabs-l] Cane grip and hand, wrist, forearm pain


Hey all,
The pain in my hand/wrist is not going away, and Now it seems to be 
spreading to my forearm, and even my bicep. Last night, I was ready to call 
it quits after just three blocks. The hand/wrist pain is not so bad that I 
can't or won't use my cane, but it certainly makes it uncomfortable to do 
so. A majority of the pain I experience is in my hand, mostly in the meaty 
section just below the thumb, and just above the wrist. My cane has one side 
of the handle that is flattened, and I've tried three different grips, and 
nothing works to alleviate the pain. Grip 1: make a fist with the cane 
inside the fist, with the thumb along the flat side, on top of the cane. 
Grip 2: Index finger pointed out, resting along the flat part of the cane 
and is on the top of the cane. Grip 3: make fist with cane in the middle of 
the fist, with thumb along the flat part of the handle, on top of the cane, 
while my pointer finger is extended and running along the side of the cane

Additionally, I've been working on trying to keep my cane hand extending out 
in front of me, in the middle of my body, and I feel that that may be 
contributing to the forearm/bicep pain. Also, I find my cane hand drifting 
towards the side of my body (where it would normally be if I wasn't using a 
cane). One problem I have had with keeping my cane in front of me is that 
when the cane gets stuck in a crack or something in the sidewalk, I end up 
taking a poke to the gut. I don't really mind the poke to the gut, what 
worries me is that I will break the cane; with the speed that comes with 
being 6 foot four and having long legs, and with mass, energy, and momentum 
that comes with being 340 pounds, I have put some pretty severe bends into 
my cane via a gut poke, and I am afraid that once I move away from a strong 
aluminum cane, I will snap or otherwise destroy every cane I touch. 
Literally, my cane bent like I was in the process of doing a pole vault. 
After
 the bend, my cane had enough stored energy that the tip of it jumped 3 feet 
in the air without me doing anything. The unstopable force meets the 
immovable object. I pity that cane.

I walked to my campus for the first time last night, and it went flawlessly. 
Prior to having this cane, I never even would have considered walking to 
class after dark. The route was just too dark, for too long.

Any suggestions on the grip and location of the cane would be appreciated

Jim

"From compromise and things half done,
Keep me with stern and stubborn pride,
And when at last the fight is won,
... Keep me still unsatisfied." --Louis Untermeyer



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