Guest guest Posted March 27, 2001 Report Share Posted March 27, 2001 I have had my grip strength checked for yrs...starting back in 88 when I had carpal tunnel....does anyone else find you can grip but no endurance to your grip....and I do have times when I try to grip I get into spasms in my hand(esp rt one). The drs used to make me laugh cos they would say I had such good grip...yea for about 2 seconds and then poof .....havent done one now since on SS. Judy in AZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 27, 2001 Report Share Posted March 27, 2001 , they have a metal device that you squeeze that measures how high your grip strength is. They have what looks like the monitor part on a blood pressure cuff with the hand moving up as you squeeze. I HATE that damn thing bcs my hands always hurt after doing it. Since I have to squeeze metal on already sore joints. I don't have to do that now though, they know as well as I that I won't make that marker move too high. He does have me squeeze his hands. I know they can't measure that way as far as to see if there is any change between visits but they can determine if you have a grip or not. I never squeeze his hands as hard as I can. ~Rainy Sue ----- Original Message ----- > Could you tell me how your doctor measured your grip strength? I've had some > docs tell me I'm " strong like bull " (and I think I am) and others say I'm a > wimp. But I don't think asking me to grip their hands in a handshake and > then squeezing as hard as I can seems very scientific to me (that's the only > way they assessed my grip strength). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 28, 2001 Report Share Posted March 28, 2001 Yes, Rainy! I've seen those gizmos in books, but I've never seen one in a rheumy's office. I was wondering, just out of curiosity, if used one of those or the handshake method. The handshake method seems fairly silly, but I suppose it could mean something to a rheumy with a lot of experience. I also have had such a wide range of results that I'm not sure how useful it is. I could see why you would hate being tested with the machine. Ouch! Thanks for your input. Ever curious, ----- Original Message ----- From: " Rainy " <rainysu@...> < > Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2001 5:58 PM Subject: Re: [ ] update // grip strength > , they have a metal device that you squeeze that measures how high your > grip strength is. They have what looks like the monitor part on a blood > pressure cuff with the hand moving up as you squeeze. I HATE that damn thing > bcs my hands always hurt after doing it. Since I have to squeeze metal on > already sore joints. I don't have to do that now though, they know as well > as I that I won't make that marker move too high. He does have me squeeze > his hands. I know they can't measure that way as far as to see if there is > any change between visits but they can determine if you have a grip or not. > I never squeeze his hands as hard as I can. > > ~Rainy Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 28, 2001 Report Share Posted March 28, 2001 For me, it became a game of trying to beat my last score. It was always pretty accurate as far as not being really high one visit then really low. I always hit it near my last score, but the score would go down. =( ~Rainy Sue ----- Original Message ----- > Yes, Rainy! I've seen those gizmos in books, but I've never seen one in a > rheumy's office. I was wondering, just out of curiosity, if used one > of those or the handshake method. The handshake method seems fairly silly, > but I suppose it could mean something to a rheumy with a lot of experience. > I also have had such a wide range of results that I'm not sure how useful it > is. > > I could see why you would hate being tested with the machine. Ouch! > > Thanks for your input. > > Ever curious, > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 28, 2001 Report Share Posted March 28, 2001 Gee I feel deprived. The only thing I ever got was my doctor's fingers! a ----- Original Message ----- From: Rainy Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2001 6:58 PM Subject: Re: [ ] update // grip strength , they have a metal device that you squeeze that measures how high your grip strength is. They have what looks like the monitor part on a blood pressure cuff with the hand moving up as you squeeze. I HATE that damn thing bcs my hands always hurt after doing it. Since I have to squeeze metal on already sore joints. I don't have to do that now though, they know as well as I that I won't make that marker move too high. He does have me squeeze his hands. I know they can't measure that way as far as to see if there is any change between visits but they can determine if you have a grip or not. I never squeeze his hands as hard as I can. ~Rainy Sue ----- Original Message ----- > Could you tell me how your doctor measured your grip strength? I've had some > docs tell me I'm " strong like bull " (and I think I am) and others say I'm a > wimp. But I don't think asking me to grip their hands in a handshake and > then squeezing as hard as I can seems very scientific to me (that's the only > way they assessed my grip strength). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 28, 2001 Report Share Posted March 28, 2001 Thank you for writing that, a! I was hoping that I wasn't the only one in the world experiencing the poor man's techniques. ----- Original Message ----- From: " a " <paula54@...> < > Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2001 6:58 PM Subject: Re: [ ] update // grip strength > Gee I feel deprived. The only thing I ever got was my doctor's fingers! > a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 28, 2001 Report Share Posted March 28, 2001 , As long as I've been going to doctors, I've never even heard of it! I just love this list. I learn so much from everyone. a ----- Original Message ----- From: Matsumura Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2001 8:06 PM Subject: Re: [ ] update // grip strength Thank you for writing that, a! I was hoping that I wasn't the only one in the world experiencing the poor man's techniques. ----- Original Message ----- From: " a " <paula54@...> < > Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2001 6:58 PM Subject: Re: [ ] update // grip strength > Gee I feel deprived. The only thing I ever got was my doctor's fingers! > a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 28, 2001 Report Share Posted March 28, 2001 a, Even at Mayo, I only gripped the rheumatologist's hand. He told me I was weak! (Am not! Am not! I'm half Lithuanian, doesn't he know!) As I was telling Rainy, I've seen pictures of grip force machines before, but none in real life. For example, in one of my newest RA books, " Rheumatoid Arthritis: New Frontiers in Pathogenesis and Treatment (Oxford University Press, 2000), " there is a picture of one such device called, appropriately enough, " The Grippit. " In the book they talk about the fact that reduced grip strength and pain are highly correlated to activities of daily living (ADL) problems. They go on to give an example of how the threshold value of grip force for being able to use a vacuum cleaner was determined in one study to be about 60 Newton (N). And, furthermore, in that study, they had several women hovering around 40 N who could no longer comfortably vacuum. ----- Original Message ----- From: " a " <paula54@...> < > Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2001 7:12 PM Subject: Re: [ ] update // grip strength > , > As long as I've been going to doctors, I've never even heard of it! > I just love this list. I learn so much from everyone. > a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 28, 2001 Report Share Posted March 28, 2001 , That's interesting. I guess I need a few more Newtons so I can vacuum without pain. Hope I find them on sale somewhere Sorry for the sick humor, it's been one of those painful days. hugs, a ----- Original Message ----- From: Matsumura Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2001 8:50 PM Subject: Re: [ ] update // grip strength a, Even at Mayo, I only gripped the rheumatologist's hand. He told me I was weak! (Am not! Am not! I'm half Lithuanian, doesn't he know!) As I was telling Rainy, I've seen pictures of grip force machines before, but none in real life. For example, in one of my newest RA books, " Rheumatoid Arthritis: New Frontiers in Pathogenesis and Treatment (Oxford University Press, 2000), " there is a picture of one such device called, appropriately enough, " The Grippit. " In the book they talk about the fact that reduced grip strength and pain are highly correlated to activities of daily living (ADL) problems. They go on to give an example of how the threshold value of grip force for being able to use a vacuum cleaner was determined in one study to be about 60 Newton (N). And, furthermore, in that study, they had several women hovering around 40 N who could no longer comfortably vacuum. ----- Original Message ----- From: " a " <paula54@...> < > Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2001 7:12 PM Subject: Re: [ ] update // grip strength > , > As long as I've been going to doctors, I've never even heard of it! > I just love this list. I learn so much from everyone. > a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 28, 2001 Report Share Posted March 28, 2001 My rheumy has a thingy called a manometer that I squeeze(or at least try to squeeze). This is an indicator as to how you can do other things. A regular dr. can use a BP meter pumped up and record the readings. One of my earlier teaching assignments we were teaching about the importance of grip strength. I took the first two fingers of the med student and told him I was going to squeeze hard and let me know if he felt a difference in my hands. We stared at each other for minutes while I gripped with all my might and finally thinking he didn't understand,I asked,do you notice a difference? He looked a little sheepish and said,I'm sorry,were you squeezing? We all got a laugh out of that one. Hugs June Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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