If you think about the motions a wrist makes, you'll realize how complex a small joint can be and how many different uses it has. For example, when you wave, you use a combination of flexion and extension of the wrist, along with ulnar and radial deviation of the wrist. If you are unable to make one or more wrist movements, you will need to visit a doctor or physical therapist to help figure out the cause of the problem. One of the best ways to figure out if you are lacking in motion is to use a goniometer to determine the range of motion you have when you perform ulnar deviation of the wrist.
Instructions
1. Sit next to a table that is about waist-high. You should be able to comfortably place your elbow and forearm onto the table without experiencing any pain. Place your arm and hand flat on the table, with your palm facing down. Make sure your elbow is bent at about a 90-degree angle.
2. Feel for an indentation in the middle of the back of the wrist. When you flex the wrist (bend it down), you will feel the capitate bone of the wrist fill in the void. This is where you want to place the fulcrum of your goniometer.
3. Place the stationary arm of the goniometer along the back of your forearm and make sure you hold it in place. (This will be easier to do if you have a friend or physical therapist move the goniometer, as it is hard to do with one hand.) It should run along the midline of the forearm. The movable arm should be in line with the third metacarpal (the hand bone that attaches to the middle finger). Make sure your palm is down and your fingers are facing forward, away from he body. The third metacarpal should be in a straight line with the forearm.
4. Move your hand toward the pinky side, so you are trying to touch your pinky to the side of your forearm. Keep your hand and forearm flat on the table while doing this. Have a friend or physical therapist move the movable arm of the goniometer along with the third metacarpal until the movement ends. Take the reading on the goniometer.
5. Compare your reading with the accepted value of "normal" radial deviation of the wrist, which is 30 degrees, according to the American Medical Association. If you are lacking, you could have a problem with your wrist. If you meet or exceed the posted range of motion, you have no problem in this area.
Tags: physical therapist, third metacarpal, your hand, along with, deviation wrist, flat table, friend physical