Wrist-neck conundrum

[violablue]

Think of the body like a knit sweater. When the sweater is in good shape it moves and flows and drapes properly. Catch a snag in it, and the sweater distorts and no longer moves properly. Same with the body. Sure, the wrist muscles don't connect into the neck, but you have have muscle chains or trains (book Anatomy Trains). You also have nerves that run through, which can get adhered in tissue, so not flowing properly as you move. And there is the myofascial tissue, which can also get adhesed.

I'm not quite clear on your positioning...your elbow is bent (flexed) and when you extend your wrist (top of hand pressing towards your arm) or when you abduct (thumb moving towards your arm) you have issues that don't allow you to smoothly complete the movements. It's not typical problem positioning, so just wanting to make sure I've got you right...

[Hotsocks]

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, you've understood the movements correctly. The starting point with elbow bent at 90 degrees was just intended to make it easier for me to describe. Actually, with the elbow bent at any angle and even the humorous rotated outwards, the elbow is still pulled towards the hand when the wrist makes these movements.

One other fact: If I hold the hand with the fingers gently curved and then while trying to abduct the wrist I flex the thumb and 'first finger' (especially) towards the palm/base of thumb - rather as you would if clenching the fist - then the wrist can abduct much more freely and with a lot less upper arm involvement. In fact, if I squeeze the thumb and first finger together in just the right way, the the upper arm doesn't move at all when I abduct.