Gamer Injury Prevention
An exercise program designed to protect your fingers, hands, wrists, and forearms
The gamer injury prevention program is designed to reduce injuries to the forearms, wrists, hands, and fingers. In this video, you will learn exercises and stretches used for prevention and rehabilitation in clinical settings.
Therapeutic exercise protocol
The exercises you will perform in the gamer injury prevention routine are therapeutic exercises taught and performed in clinical settings.
Often times, these exercises are performed following injury and are designed to rebuild strength, improve joint mobility, and/or re-establish joint stability.
Performing a similar routine prior to injury will act as prevention, sometimes called “prehab.” An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Resisted finger abduction
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Set up the finger band around the tips of your four fingers (without the thumb).
- Keeping your fingers extended, separate your fingers as wide as you can, and return to the starting position.
- Repeat step 2 for a total of fifteen (15) repetitions.
Resisted thumb abduction
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Set up the finger band around the tips of your index finger and thumb.
- Keeping your fingers extended, separate your thumb from your index finger as wide as you can, and return to the starting position.
- Repeat step 2 for a total of fifteen (15) repetitions.
Resisted finger extension
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Set up the finger band around the tips of your fingers, including your thumb.
- Begin with your finger pads together. Then, open your hand as wide as you can, and return to the starting position.
- Repeat step 2 for a total of fifteen (15) repetitions.
Weighted wrist curl
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Lay your forearm down on a flat surface with your palm facing upward.
- Grab a dumbbell or other small, weighted object, and let your wrist hang over the edge.
- Curl the dumbbell upward, and return to the low, hanging position.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 for a total of fifteen (15) repetitions.
Weighted wrist extension
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Lay your forearm down on a flat surface with your palm facing downward.
- Grab a dumbbell or other small, weighted object, and let your wrist hang over the edge.
- Extend the dumbbell upward, and return to the low, hanging position.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 for a total of fifteen (15) repetitions.
Ulnar nerve glide
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Begin with your elbow outward and your hand at your waist making a circle with your thumb and index finger.
- Keeping your elbow flared outward, raise your hand toward your face.
- Do not push beyond a feeling of tension in your forearm, pinky or ring finger.
- Repeat steps 1 and 2 for a total of ten (10) repetitions.
Median nerve glide
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Begin with your arm at your side.
- Lift your arm to your side with the palm facing upward.
- At the top of the motion, you can extend your wrist downward.
- For a deeper stretch, tilt your head away from your raised arm.
- Stop the movement if you feel tension in the thumb, index, or middle finger. Do not push beyond a feeling of tension in these areas.
- Repeat steps 1-4 (or as soon as you feel tension) for a total of ten (10) repetitions.
Wrist mobility
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Begin with your elbow bent at 90 degrees and your palm facing upward.
- Extend your wrist as far as you can.
- From full extension, rotate your wrist clockwise in a slow and controlled fashion.
- Try to reach the end range of this rotation, and do not allow your forearm to roll.
- Place a small object on your forearm to prevent excess movement.
- Repeat steps 1-3 for a total of three (3) rotations both clockwise and counter-clockwise.
Post-facilitation stretch (flexors)
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Extend your wrists as far as you can, and place them on the ground.
- For 10 seconds, press your hands into the ground as hard as you can.
- After 10 seconds, try to lift your hands and fingers off the ground.
- At the same time, lean forward to stretch the flexor muscles of your forearms.
- Repeat steps 1-4 for a total of three (3) sets.
Post-facilitation stretch (extensors)
Perform this exercise with both hands
- Flex your wrists as far as you can, and place them on the ground.
- For 10 seconds, press your hands into the ground as hard as you can.
- After 10 seconds, try to lift your hands and fingers off the ground.
- At the same time, lean backwards to stretch the extensor muscles of your forearms.
- Repeat steps 1-4 for a total of three (3) sets.
Reduce your risk
The gamer injury prevention routine may help prevent the following injuries
