Hi guys,
I injured my ring finger on my non-dominant hand a little while ago. It makes paddling (that is, gripping the paddle with my left hand) painful pretty quickly. I need to let it rest but also am training for a race in a month, so cannot go completely dormant. I’ve backed off paddling and any activity requiring much hand/grip strength, but I figure this will take a couple months to heal and dont want to be out that long. I have already tried modifying my grip, keeping my ring finger loose on the paddle, and hooking with my wrist to change the force vector, but this does not sufficiently un-load the finger and results in the same pain as regular paddling.
Does anyone know of a grip assist glove or hook that may be able to take most of the load off my hand? I’m thinking of something for the disabled, physical therapy/recovery, or the elderly. Like, maybe a glove with a stiff back that is pre-formed into a grip or loose-fist position?
I bought a weight lifting hook as a proof of concept and tried it out last night. It did not work for a couple reasons, but if it were modified it seems like it would work pretty well. I need to cut off one hook (so there is only 1 point of contact) and need to bend it about 45* so its perpendicular to the paddle shaft when pulling on the left side. But overall it worked, I was able to paddle with almost no grip. I’ll modify the hook tomorrow and give it another try this weekend, but its still not a great solution.
Ideally I think a hook very similar to the one i bought in the image below would work pretty well if there were only 1 hook, it had the correct angle so that it was perpendicular to the shaft, and centered in your palm so it naturally fit between your middle and ring finger.
This is for a kayak paddle so my hand can be semi-attached to the paddle (although its not uncommon for me to fall out once or twice a paddle, so being able to disconnect from the paddle with 10-20 seconds of work would be required)
Anyone seen something that may work for this purpose?
I appreciate your determination to keep paddling. The only gloves i can think of that are pre-closed are boxing gloves (the thinner ones used for the punching bag) and some motorcross gloves. Otherwise I can’t think of what you could do. I use a padded bicycle tape on my carbon fiber paddle so i dont have to wear gloves. Works well for me but then again, I’m not injured. Hope you get well soon.
I have also injured my ring finger. And it might be Arthur. I’ve been wearing arthritis gloves are night and sometimes during the day.
I was waking up unable to fully close my hand. That is no longer the case. It is still sore but seems to be slowly healing.
The ACA has some good adaptive devices in their store but you might want to look at windsurfing palm harnesses (sp?). Might be a closer fit than the weight lifting hooks you tried.
I’ve also put bicycle handlebar tape on my paddle shafts; just tried it out for the first time two days ago and it’s much more comfortable.
I’ve had arthritis attacking the various joints in my hands and wrists for well over ten years. Best thing to do is maintain as much range of motion as possible, mostly with stretching, but making a gripping surface more comfortable is a help. I added the tape this year because paddling was beginning to be uncomfortable last season.
Maybe bycicle tape is worth trying too. I wouoldnt mind some extra grip on the control hand, but what about the slave hand? Does the tape rub/chafe/blister?
Maybe bycicle tape is worth trying too. I wouoldnt mind some extra grip on the control hand, but what about the slave hand? Does the tape rub/chafe/blister?
I got the cheapest the bike shop had, it’s Bontrager Gel Cork tape. I got it for the cushioning, and it works great for that. My paddle shaft is aluminum with nothing but a layer of shrink-tube on it. I didn’t get any chafing or blistering. The surface gives good grip and control dry or wet. Equally good for both hands.
When I put it on I was concerned about pulling it tightly enough to keep water from getting between the layers, and you might want to have someone help you with that. The starting end stays in place by itself. Start by just placing the end of the tape perpendicular to the shaft and making one full turn to cover it. Then wind it on a little less than half-lapped, and pull tight. You’ll need to fix the finishing end with electrical tape, and it takes two or three full turns; best to have help for that if you can. They give you little strips of tape in the box for finishing the ends, but it doesn’t hold.
