This is my first year with Portland Fit and I am a walker. Since the beginning of training I have been dealing with severely swollen fingers and hands during our longer distance walks. I don't seem to have too much trouble with my weekday walks- just the longer walks. I don't usually start to swell until 3 or 4 miles into the walk. I have been told that I need to move my hands more when walking- rather than keeping them at my side- I should swing my hands to keep the blood flowing and decrease the swelling. I have tried this and it doesn't seem to help. I was hoping to find out 2 things- 1) Is there a known reason for the swelling and 2) is there a way to avoid/cure the problem?
I don't seem to have swelling anywhere else- like my feet or joints.
Any info would be great! Thanks.
Full Version: Swollen Hands
nikkijames,
A few questions would help to answer your problem. To you have any high blood-pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or history of heart issues? What is your height, weight, and age? How much water are you drinking during the day? Are you replacing your electrolytes? Are your feet swelling too?
Generally there is some expansion and overall swelling as the body heats up during exercise. Things expand when they heat up. Making sure that you are regulating your fluids and electrolyte balance while training, is helpful to control fluid movement in the body. Make sure you are not wearing restrictive clothing during your runs (your sports bra may be too tight). You wear larger shoes when running, why not a lager top? One of the best ways to increase blood flow into and more important out on the upper extremities is to stretch the pectorals minor muscles. This can be done by leaning through a door way with the elbows at shoulder height and the whole forearm contacting the door jam. Hold the stretch for 45 seconds and repeat 3-4 times a day. This will help to free up the axillary artery and vein from compression by the clavicle and\or the pec minor.
I will look for your response,
Dr Jake
A few questions would help to answer your problem. To you have any high blood-pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or history of heart issues? What is your height, weight, and age? How much water are you drinking during the day? Are you replacing your electrolytes? Are your feet swelling too?
Generally there is some expansion and overall swelling as the body heats up during exercise. Things expand when they heat up. Making sure that you are regulating your fluids and electrolyte balance while training, is helpful to control fluid movement in the body. Make sure you are not wearing restrictive clothing during your runs (your sports bra may be too tight). You wear larger shoes when running, why not a lager top? One of the best ways to increase blood flow into and more important out on the upper extremities is to stretch the pectorals minor muscles. This can be done by leaning through a door way with the elbows at shoulder height and the whole forearm contacting the door jam. Hold the stretch for 45 seconds and repeat 3-4 times a day. This will help to free up the axillary artery and vein from compression by the clavicle and\or the pec minor.
I will look for your response,
Dr Jake
Dr Jake:
I notice my hand swelling when I walk, also. Will too much salt in a person's diet contribute to hand swelling? Do you know what the recommended daily requirements of Sodium for a 200 lb male?
Eric
I notice my hand swelling when I walk, also. Will too much salt in a person's diet contribute to hand swelling? Do you know what the recommended daily requirements of Sodium for a 200 lb male?
Eric
Too much salt can aid in water retention. The US RDA for salt is 2400mg, however the UK RDA is 1600mg/day. For people with high blood pressure under 1500mg/day. I usually recommend about 1000 mg/day as a baseline for people (this is also what the American heart Association recommends).
Thanks Dr. Jake-
Some answers to your questions- I don't have high BP, high Chol. or diabetes- no heart issues either. I am 35. 5'8 and overweight( I could stand to lose 20-30 lbs). I don't have swelling anywhere else-like my feet or anything- it's just my hands. I don't drink a lot of plain water during the week- mostly green tea, vitamin water and some diet coke. I do drink plain water during my workouts. I talked to one of the massage therapists after the 30K this week (showed her my hands) and she thought maybe my swelling could be from tights muscles in my arms and shoulders. I do have chronically tights muscles in my shoulders and neck with occasional arm pain from the tension. She suggested exercises to loosen the musles in my arms- while I am walking and possibly having some body work done for my shoulders and neck.
Would you agree that my tights muscles could be adding to my swollen hand problem?
Some answers to your questions- I don't have high BP, high Chol. or diabetes- no heart issues either. I am 35. 5'8 and overweight( I could stand to lose 20-30 lbs). I don't have swelling anywhere else-like my feet or anything- it's just my hands. I don't drink a lot of plain water during the week- mostly green tea, vitamin water and some diet coke. I do drink plain water during my workouts. I talked to one of the massage therapists after the 30K this week (showed her my hands) and she thought maybe my swelling could be from tights muscles in my arms and shoulders. I do have chronically tights muscles in my shoulders and neck with occasional arm pain from the tension. She suggested exercises to loosen the musles in my arms- while I am walking and possibly having some body work done for my shoulders and neck.
Would you agree that my tights muscles could be adding to my swollen hand problem?
QUOTE(Dr. Jake @ Aug 11 2009, 10:06 AM) 
nikkijames,
A few questions would help to answer your problem. To you have any high blood-pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or history of heart issues? What is your height, weight, and age? How much water are you drinking during the day? Are you replacing your electrolytes? Are your feet swelling too?
Generally there is some expansion and overall swelling as the body heats up during exercise. Things expand when they heat up. Making sure that you are regulating your fluids and electrolyte balance while training, is helpful to control fluid movement in the body. Make sure you are not wearing restrictive clothing during your runs (your sports bra may be too tight). You wear larger shoes when running, why not a lager top? One of the best ways to increase blood flow into and more important out on the upper extremities is to stretch the pectorals minor muscles. This can be done by leaning through a door way with the elbows at shoulder height and the whole forearm contacting the door jam. Hold the stretch for 45 seconds and repeat 3-4 times a day. This will help to free up the axillary artery and vein from compression by the clavicle and\or the pec minor.
I will look for your response,
Dr Jake
A few questions would help to answer your problem. To you have any high blood-pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or history of heart issues? What is your height, weight, and age? How much water are you drinking during the day? Are you replacing your electrolytes? Are your feet swelling too?
Generally there is some expansion and overall swelling as the body heats up during exercise. Things expand when they heat up. Making sure that you are regulating your fluids and electrolyte balance while training, is helpful to control fluid movement in the body. Make sure you are not wearing restrictive clothing during your runs (your sports bra may be too tight). You wear larger shoes when running, why not a lager top? One of the best ways to increase blood flow into and more important out on the upper extremities is to stretch the pectorals minor muscles. This can be done by leaning through a door way with the elbows at shoulder height and the whole forearm contacting the door jam. Hold the stretch for 45 seconds and repeat 3-4 times a day. This will help to free up the axillary artery and vein from compression by the clavicle and\or the pec minor.
I will look for your response,
Dr Jake
Nikkijames,
As you can read at the bottom of my initial post, YES: tight muscles can restrict blood flow into and out of the upper extremities. A good sport massage should help. The doorway stretches are awesome at helping to reduce this issue. Chiropractic adjustments can not only loosen up the spine, clavicle, scapulae and other upper extremity joints, but they can help to decrease muscle tension and inhibit spasm. Occasionally the tension may not only be in the shoulder, but also in the forearm under the pronator muscles. This is more common in people who work on computers for a living.
Is there and numbness or tingling in your hands/forearms? Either after a run or when walking up in the morning? This can also be a sign on compression in the shoulder girdle.
Cheers,
Dr Jake
As you can read at the bottom of my initial post, YES: tight muscles can restrict blood flow into and out of the upper extremities. A good sport massage should help. The doorway stretches are awesome at helping to reduce this issue. Chiropractic adjustments can not only loosen up the spine, clavicle, scapulae and other upper extremity joints, but they can help to decrease muscle tension and inhibit spasm. Occasionally the tension may not only be in the shoulder, but also in the forearm under the pronator muscles. This is more common in people who work on computers for a living.
Is there and numbness or tingling in your hands/forearms? Either after a run or when walking up in the morning? This can also be a sign on compression in the shoulder girdle.
Cheers,
Dr Jake
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