As you probably know, I have slight spasticity on my left hand. Not big, but it still sucks.
I try to relax it in a totally amateour way, but it doesn’t really work. It was much easier under caring eye of my physiotheraphist. Being lonlier doesn’t benefit, to tell the truth. I admit: my attempts to make my hand loose haven’t been that successful, but attempts to make it more normal visually and funcion better have been working pretty smoothly.
For example: when I’m knitting I’m careful not to clutch my hand too strongly. It makes me knit slower, but, thanks to this, hand DOESN’T HURT. Yaay!
Same thing when I try to knit (I’m struggling to learn, so it’s difficult to relax, yet I try!)
When I type I try not to point forefinger and middle finger into the sky. They are shaking a bit, hurt, but this way they are being accustomed to more „natural” way of behaving.
When I’m pouring water from plastic bottle, I try to leave her natural curves by not crumpling it.
Of course, massages (hand and water, both amateour) are part of my routine.
And so on… I really shouldn’t (and I don’t have to!) clutch my fist up to the point it’s white.
Actually, the issue grows when I’m not doing anything with my hand. Hand involuntarly moves to „stand by, ready to use” position. Stiff, hard to relax position. It’s not like a fist, but still is sooo irritating and frequently hurts. When not occupied I hear ‚relax your hand!!!!!!!’ from most of my loved ones. Irritating shit.
The hardest part is to remember about your hand constantly. It is beneficial, but for me still impossible… That’s why I hear ‚looooooooooooose your haaaaaaaaaaaaand” like all the time. what one can do!
It’s hard to think about therapy, even my beloved physiotherapist didn’t know what to do about it. Botox is too much, doing nothing too little.
I don’t think that my spasticity will ever leave me. Or that it will increase up to the point I could use botox therapy, but I know that without my hard work my hand will be less functional. So I do all above and more, try not to get mad about „relax your hand issue’ and that is everything that I can do. Not too hard, but also more than nothing.
And, in the end, I want to invite you to the www.lifewithspasticity.com website. It’s not a sponsored text, but I believe that website provides a lot of knowledge and it can help us in many ways:)
Cheers! 🙂