Bent handle or straight for orthopedic issues

[Horton]

I switched to a bent handle 10 or 15 years to alleviate elbow tendon issues. I think it has helped me a lot.

 

This year I started having a lot of wrist issues. Eventually I went back to a straight handle and my wrist is not cured but better.

 

Anyone experience anything similar?

[DonT]

as a related question - do people find that alternating (to a degree) between a bent and straight handle reduces these issues even more?

 

[Rednucleus]

I have found different handle diameters affect my wrists, while bent handles affect my elbows. A larger diameter handle has decreased wrist pain for me.

[DW]

I have been using a bent handle for that very reason for 15+ years and no wrist issues. Similar wrist pain suffered by tennis player, she ended up putting her wrist in a brace when not playing to rest the inflamed tendon. Seems to have helped her. Good luck researching a solution, getting old has its challenges.

[vtmecheng]

Had the same thing happen this year with a bent handle. Tried a partner’s straight and decided to buy one. It helped my wrist some too but I’m now in the off season and desperately trying to get the wrist back to 100%. Older I get, slower things stop hurting.

[igkya]

@horton Is it both wrists or just palm up or palm down?

[scuppers]

Of all the things tried - getting pulled up with both palms down cured my elbow problems, and they healed quickly.

My wrists are OK. I use a .970 diameter handle.

Now here is something interesting. For the last two seasons the back of both legs (hamstrings) have ached day and night.

Pain so bad I couldn’t bend down or squat - bad enough for me to get tested for circulation and to see an ortho. Generally I never seek medical attention. The circulation was fine and the ortho suggested stretches.

I am totally cured in 2 weeks by putting heel lifts in my Radar Vapor boots. What made me think to do that is a long story but it worked immediately.

Point of story - sometimes you just gotta try some different things, including dry land testing to see where the strain is really coming from.

[rfa]

@Horton, almost the exact opposite experience. 67y.o. arthritic wrists. Straight handle for 25+years. Experienced a few outings this summer, where handle torque on the palm up wrist during offside pull made it impossible to ski. Bought bent shaped handle. Skied remainder of summer without the problem. Coincidence? Related? Do not know. Just happy it resolved.

(on that note, I have a brand new, straight 12", 0.888 Intow handle for sale on SIA...ha)

[The_MS]

I used a bent handle for years but always had elbow issues. I switched to a straight handle and elbow pain went away. Never had wrist issues.

[klindy]

Varying the handle diameter and straight/bent will help too. Using different handles, within reason, will change things up to where the issues don’t become chronic. It doesn’t take a lot of difference. I know Masterline can bend the handle to whatever angle you want.

[DW]

@Rednucleus - good points on the 'points of pain' relative to handle choices. Have you noticed a decrease in handle grip strength as you increase the diameter of the handle. My experience tends to trend that direction although it seems to be more of a step function at a certain point. Then there is the round v elliptical discussion and rubber grip level. The level of grip the handle provides, like a race tire, more grip = more speed, more grip = less pain for a handle.

 

As @The_MS notes a contradictory result to mine and a few others, it is obviously a very personal choice and solution to correct the pain issue.

 

Another solution, maybe it ends up alternating handle types being a way to keep some pain at bay. I am assuming Horton is good at swapping out worn handles, I do notice as the handle rubber wears down the sensitivity to pain increases.

[The_MS]

I think @klindy has the ticket with changing the diameter frequently.

[igkya]

Changing ropes before my current one gets stale, bent handle, both palms down on starts, and just went to a larger diameter handle this past season. And of course, reducing the numberr of slack line hitsall have helped reduce or eliminate pain in elbows and wrists.

[Nando]

Had chronic elbow issues for years (had a partially torn biceps tendon this summer and when the ortho went over the MRI with me, I got "you've done a lot of damage to your elbow over the years"- like I didn't know that) and found that a bent handle helped, as well as a slightly larger diameter. Also have a bit of a problem wrist from a break years ago. Best piece of advice I ever got was from a Big Dawg who told me to make sure I hold the handle in my fingers and not in the palm. No serious wrist or elbow issues as long as I don't go back to old habits- also helps reducing callouses.

[wawaskr]

I believe another key component here is if you are using a handle with an anti-roll end caps. I have always used anti-roll handles and while I had golfers elbow on my right arm, my left was good. A couple years ago I switched to a standard end cap handle, and that lit my left elbow up. I also noticed occasional wrist irritation from the rolling of the handle. Of course, throw in my age, and this is all wild-a$$ speculation.

[rockdog]

@rfa a .888 handle is extremely small and surely can't be helping you. I don't have super big hands but a .940 was even too small. A 1" made a difference for me.

[rfa]

@rockdog, yes I hear that a lot. I have been back and forth between .888 and .94. I still prefer the smaller one. My XS glove size may explain a little...

[lpskier]

Over the last few winters I’ve tried a number of skis. One ski that performed well for me made my wrists, elbows and shoulders hurt after riding it for about a month. Switched skis and the problems went away. The handle had nothing to do with it.

[Rednucleus]

So sounds like switching handles or even skis makes you work your old bones differently and gives the sore areas a rest, then the new ones get sore soo time to change again.

[DavidN]

@lpskier

Same here. Never had any elbow issues in 20 Years of skiing.

Switched to a GTR early last season, really loved that ski, skied PB after PB on it and developed skiers elbow after a few months on it.

Switched skis again a few times but the damn elbow pain stuck with me. Bummer.

It won’t go away no matter what I do now. I switch between handles (bent and straight), went one size up in diameter, then another, had multiple sessions with my chiropractor, always start both palms down now, do exercises and all. Only remedy is not to ski. Which is of course not acceptable. Guess I have to live with it.

[scuppers]

Try both palms down

[DavidN]

@scuppers LOL yeah, I meant that. Of course. ?

[Clydesdale]

I was suffering last year and now 100% pain free. A few changes: 1.0 radius handle, palms down getting up and whenever out of the course, and @bracemaker introduced me to the tyler twist. Of all the changes I think it was the tyler twist that did the trick. Use medium or hard twisty stick, and do it over and over.

 

[lpskier]

@DavidN A cortisone shot will clear up that elbow luckily-split.

[KRoundy]

I found changing to a larger diameter handle has had a similar effect for me. Have stayed with straight handles. Up to 1.06 dia in my latest handle from Brenda.

[igkya]

+ tyler twist

[BraceMaker]

@Clydesdale - glad it helped.

 

I have lots of arm and wrist issues. I would say the more bent your elbows the better a bent handle and wide handle is.

 

The straighter your elbows the straighter the bar must be in order to not jack your wrists. Its just simple angles with straight elbows I kind of wish there was a bar with an offset in it kind of like a lightning bolt two grip surfaces at just a few degrees so being left palm up the V bridle would be a smidge shorter on the left, longer on the right with the center of the grips on the midpoint.

 

Otherwise on a straight bar elbows straight both wrists are somewhat cocked towards your thumb.