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"Cubewrist"... Injuries etc???

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Frazer

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Apr 6, 2009
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I have been speedcubing for a while and average ~45s. Sometimes when I practise a lot my wrists start to hurt. Does this happen to other people too? I really need to be able to use my hands for other hobbies (motorcycling, breakdancing) so I wouldn't like to suffer from any form of... whatever may happen when you speedcube a lot :p
 

brunson

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I switched my H perm practiced it a few thousand times pushing D' with my left ring finger. Two weeks of that combined with typing for 8 hours a day was enough to give me tendonitis.

Wrist pain can have several causes, if it gets extreme you should see a doctor. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can cause permanent nerve damage if not treated.
 

panyan

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i have large hands and if im practicing the trigger groups, my hands cramp up because a standard cube is so small for my hands
 

Tyson

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I don't like to take my best cubes around me everywhere, so usually I keep a store bought unlubed cube with me should the need arise that I need to solve the Rubik's Cube. (actually a legitimate business/networking tool) Anyway, if I do too many solves on that cube, I do feel a bit of pain and discomfort. Which leads me to believe that in addition to rest, a good moving cube can reduce injuries significantly.
 

brunson

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Funny you should mention, Tyson. I switched back to one of my storeboughts around the same time as the alg change I mentioned. I think it probably had something to do with it, also.

A week in a wrist brace, an ergo keyboard and 10,000mg of Naproxin (not all at the same time) fixed my tendonitis. Plus, I gave the storebought to the little girl next door.
 

abr71310

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i'm USING a wrist brace right now, brunson. -- I messed up my wrist pretty bad (no fracture, thank Carlin) playing badminton, and my dad suspects its a tendon damage or some nerve / muscle damage, since whenever i take off the brace I feel massive pain when i even do simple wrist rotations.

Hopefully it'll go away after a while, but right now i'm just taking a lot of Aleve (Naproxin, essentially) and trying NOT to use it (which is impossible, since i'm right handed for writing and a lot of other stuff, and i have to drive / write every day, with my right hand...).
 

holypasta

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i've never had cube-related pain in my wrist/hand.
however...
once upon a time, while i was innocently executing an algorithm, i felt a shooting pain in my right forefinger. i tried to continue cubing, but my finger twinged every time i did a U turn. after 15 seconds of rest, i was fine.
 
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i've never had cube-related pain in my wrist/hand.
however...
once upon a time, while i was innocently executing an algorithm, i felt a shooting pain in my right forefinger. i tried to continue cubing, but my finger twinged every time i did a U turn. after 15 seconds of rest, i was fine.
Was it because you removed the splinter?
 

noblsheep

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Jan 20, 2009
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yeah i use a wrist supporter sometimes for extended cubing, not only to reduce stress but also to force myself to use my fingers more...
 

Kian

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I cubed for about 14 hours straight, a few days later I was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Carpal tunnel is a result of continued stress and (usually) a genetic predisposition to the condition. While I'm sure the 14 hours didn't help (and frankly, I would never suggest that you cube for anything close to that in a day), it is not as if that incident immediately led to this diagnosis.

CTS is VERY OFTEN misdiagnosed for those with activity related wrist pain. I would keep that in mind.
 

toast

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I cubed for about 14 hours straight, a few days later I was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

I've also had CTS, not from cubing though, from gaming all day. I couldn't clench my left fist hardly able to move a finger. My doctor kept complaining at me, saying I was too young to have Carpal Tunnel. I had to wear a splint for a few weeks and when I took it off, my hand was still really, really weak. Took many weeks to recover it back to it's former strength and now, it feels great.
 

Frazer

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Apr 6, 2009
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What sort of wrist supporters do you use to reduce stress??? Are there any other ways to prevent injuries without having to practise less?
 

KubeKid73

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I would never be able to cube for 14 hours straight. I don't have a long enough attention span. Lol.
 
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