The WORST Exercise to Increase Forearm Supination. Do THIS Instead.

STOP using a hammer to stretch your forearm into supination or pronation. Hammer rotations are a very common exercise that is recommended to increase forearm range of motion. The problem is that the exercise is more advance but is often advised in the early stages of injury recovery.
If your forearm is very stiff, the hammer will cause more strain and pain to your wrist, and fingers, with little improvement to your supination range of motion.
Luckily, in this video, Michelle will demonstrate what to do instead. One of the more effective and less painful solutions to increase your forearm supination, or pronation, is to perform a passive supination towel stretch.
Using a towel, reduces the strain on your wrist and works by applying an even force throughout the entire forearm. Unlike the hammer rotation that only works on the wrist.
Try it out for yourself and comment below. Let me, and others, know how this stretch felt for you!
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Disclaimer:
This video is for educational and demonstration purposes only and is not to be used as a replacement for seeking medical advice or treatment of your condition. Virtual Hand Care, or its members, do not offer medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your doctor or healthcare provider before starting any exercise program. Please know that performing any exercise or program is solely at your own risk.

[@VirtualHandCare]

Hammer rotations are one of the worst exercises to increase your forearm supination or pronation range of motion after an injury. They are painful and put a lot of strain on your wrist. Not to mention they don't stretch the WHOLE forearm! Watch this video to learn what you can do instead of hammer rotations! 👍Not medical advice.❌ LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to show your support. 🙏

[@martajoy8462]

Thank you so so much for this wonderful, miraculous set of exercises!!! I had radial head fracture (broken into several pieces), after almost 3 months of rehabilitation I managed to regain much mobility but not supination - it remained on level zero. The ultrasound in motion showed some blockade in the joint and my doctors told me I would have to get used to that state. I started doing your towel and weight exercises (continuing my rehabilitation) and after 3 days something changed. Since then I've been observing constant progress! It's slow but consistent :) And the whole limb feels totally different when some supination is possible. Thank you so much, I'm infinitely grateful 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 And the message to everyone here is - never ever give up, try again even if nothing seems to be improving - one day it will!!!! ❤️❤️❤️

[@zjmjavadd2718]

Hello! Did it get better? I had radial distal fracture too 4 weeks ago and I had surgery too. Did it get better with all the movements?

[@senlaxma]

Your range of motion is improving now?​@@zjmjavadd2718

[@chandlersnyder15]

For those of you that like the hammer exercise and want to build strength as well: move your hand up the hammer to decrease the moment arm, this will make the exercise easier for you to get started. For progression you can increase the moment arm by moving your hand further down the handle :)

[@cameragirl242]

That's great if & when fingers/ palm can actually grip. Not everyone has that ability, after surgery that has caused CRPS and carpal tunnel nerve compression.

[@christianepaquet9193]

Wonderful ! It seems that more and more people are discovering your channel and it seems to help most of us. Keep up the good work, it is worth it !

[@edwardcordell6017]

You are an angel ❤ thank you for these wonderful videos.. 5 weeks form my elbow surgery .. following all videos and practicing every day.. Thank you again

[@dianaholvik2554]

Thank you so much for this. I have been watching many of your programs this evening. I am at week 7 since a comminuted intra-articular fracture of distal radius. It was manually reduced while i was under heavy sedation (in ER). I think i have some soft tissue damage especially in the ulnar joint. I have been having increasing pain in ulnar region from outside of hand all the way to elbow. Got into a respectful disagreement with my PT today (first PT appointment) because she kept trying to push me through increasing pain. I am a retired Reg. Nurse and I know I should not be going from 6/10 to 8/10 pain and still pushing my parameters. I noticed one of the exercises was this very exercise, the "windshield wiper" or "hammer" exercise. So thank you again. Will be watching and following more of your episodes

[@yskji88]

omg this stretch feels different, so much supported! thank you!

[@VirtualHandCare]

Yes! So glad it's helpful!

[@leopoldoastudillo7189]

Your videos have helped me recover 100%, THANK YOU!⚘

[@orisisorisis6946]

Muchas gracias por sus aportaciones. Que tenga felices fiestas y un nuevo año lleno de bendiciones, un abrazo desde México.

[@balognerjohnerjohnson6258]

been looking at dozens of videos and this is the video that made me realize i just need some stretching. this is the best one that offers that least pain with the best results (well the only video that made me see results)

[@Dani-mj2lh]

Thanks

[@Jetto78]

Thanks alot, this is really works to me, unlike the hammer which I couldn't even hold vertically to make it work properly. So I've almost gave up trying to recover my supination.

[@dianeball8515]

I recently received a distal radius fracture and was given, not only this hammer grip, but also told to wiggle my fingers. I was given a splint (I was surprised that I didn't receive a cast), then I was given a brace, which was very uncomfortable, because it kept rubbing. While wearing the splint, I could not wiggle my thumb, so my thumb became very soft. With the hammer exercise, since my fingers and thumb were all very stiff, it was very hard to hold the hammer plus the hammer was heavy even though I was using a small ball peen hammer. My wrist was broken on Jan. 17, 2023, it was operated on Jan. 23, 2023, and the fingers are still stiff, plus I still cannot make a full fist. I appreciate your exercises and your thorough explanation of each exercise.

[@inthemiddleof]

This is a great advice for old ladies unlike me!

[@applescruff88]

I'm 7 weeks out from surgery and crying because I still can't rotate my forearm whatsoever. 😭 My PT switched me from stretching to strengthening and has me using a weight instead of a hammer but I noticed it too that it doesn't move my forearm. Will try these towel exercises and hope to be able to type with both hands again.

[@ronniemillsap]

OH i jeeded this badly! Now i know why i have to be 'very careful' when doing the hammer rotations...the grip from my hand was loading my wrist and compressing my cartilage in it : ) thanks!

[@VirtualHandCare]

Glad to help!

[@sosamix6108]

I’ve been doing the hammer. 😩 Thank you. 🙏

[@cheriallan8706]

Thank you so much for this supination video! I've been working on supination as well. The hammer exercise is exactly what I was told to do when I was in rehab, and I always wondered about it bc it seemed to me to be the wrist that got most of the rotation and my forearm really didn't move the way it should. I'm trying this today!!

[@VirtualHandCare]

Keep us posted how the towel stretch works out for you!

[@cheriallan8706]

@@VirtualHandCare I just wanted to check back in to say that I have been doing this several times a day, and I feel like it's helping so much more.

[@ferdiyanprihandono256]

This video helps a lot! I've been training supination for more than 2 weeks and my flexibility been back to 50%. I hope more videos about supination and how long it takes to back to normal. I think my arm strenght been back to 65-70% but the flexibility still in 50%. Hope you will come up with more videos about supination

[@VirtualHandCare]

I'll be making more soon!

[@nin9528]

I didn't use a hammer but I used something similar but yet not heavy and recording to what you said that is why I feel pain in my wrist so I was doing it wrong thank you so much but can you make a video on how to get rid of wrist pain that I'm having? And thanks.

[@saramo5878]

Hi Michelle, I had hand surgery 6 months ago. and i have been in rehab since then. I have an issue which i informed my doctor about, she told me that my EDM is subluxing. I actually went there because whenever i rotate my hand from supination back to pronation especially with resistance I get that click with a sound. it is not painful but i can feel it and its discomforting and annoying. are there any exercises i could do to fix that and stop the EDM tendon from moving/clicking.

[@loganwolv3393]

I just attached some sort of cable with handles to the actual cable attachment and i tried the supination for the biceps and yeah, it seems to be working pretty well, but haven't tried pronation yet.

[@josierealingo7995]

I'vegone through a closed reduction procedure due to elbow dislocation ,.my cast removed after 4 weeks and Iwas advice by my doctor to do these exercises but there is swelling,is it ok to pursue the exercise?thank you for your immediate reply.....

[@yippee2000]

the exercise with the towel looks great to help with supination. i'm assuming however that this exercise may not be recommended for someone (like me) who is recovering from a distal radius fracture that was sustained 7 weeks ago, and where I've only been out of a cast for 8 days now (after 4 weeks in a cast past the elbow and another 2 weeks in a cast up to my mid forearm). My wrist itself is still tender, some raw skin, and swollen...so maybe I should wait til all that dissipates before this towel stretch where towel goes over the wrist?

[@nidhi_lovemylife9088]

Mam i got my supernation with towel thepary thanks s ton❤❤❤❤❤

[@kathryncooper4001]

Surgery for a broken wrist was 2 months ago, and my recovery was backed up by several PT exercise tools resembling that hammer. Pronation and supination are good, and my wrist feels almost normal now. But the ulnar nerve suffered a little damage in surgery, so I have numbness and weakness in that side of my hand. Hammer rotation caused trigger finger in my two middle fingers, and pain, stiffness & swelling are ongoing. I quit PT but am still massaging, exercising and using the affected hand as much as I dare. My only fear is that I might never recover normal function. Any recommendations?

[@allylilith5605]

I am recovering from a bad case of reactive arthritis and it made me lose supination on my right hand. I have exactly the described ulna side wrist pain and work on mobility with my physiotherapist since a month or 2. what exactly causes this pain? because it really is extremely painful if we try and force my arm into supination and any gain in mobility I get from it seems to disappear quickly again and it seems to not really improve at all so far

[@sandyt8981]

Just looking at that hammer made me wince! I'm three weeks out from a radial head fracture and my range of motion is almost back to normal (although my elbow is a little stiff and I definitely have some pain even when I do something as simple as closing the refrigerator door), but the supination and pronation are not. The supination is worse than the pronation. Maybe after the fracture heals I'll begin trying these exercises. Right now I'm moving my forearm several times a day to try to increase mobility, but the pain keeps me from making much progress.

[@kayskaht2052]

Another wonderful video! Thank you so so much for this! My go-to channel for hand care and wellness! 👏🏾❤️

[@VirtualHandCare]

Wow, thank you! I love that!

[@ymasters100]

Hi Michelle, I'm coming off a break of both the radius and ulna after a freak accidental fall in late November. Instead of my hand coming upward, it bent in and I rolled on my arm. Surgeon said it was a bad break. After a plate and 8 screws to the radius I'm currently going through rehab. Surgeon left the ulna bone to heal on it's own. Pronation is pretty good, but my supination is way off. I would say it's 30% . I didn't break my elbow, but felt the blow to it when I fell. I'm wondering if the ligaments/tendons in the elbow it has anything with why I'm not able to fully go palm up. I'm going through PT twice a week, but always looking at your videos for new exercises. I'm definitely going to add the towel exercise to my daily routine. Thank you so much!!!

[@jeangoodenough2628]

You have my sympathy. I had a very similar injury in early November with similar results. Just looking at the hammer exercise made me wince! I am trying this towel exercise which has the advantage that I can keep the towel wrapped round my arm for a long period (while using the computer) and just giving a gentle tug from time to time.

[@jonthepitschweit]

I am a bodybuilder, i cannot supinate for years because of overly developed forearm flexors super tight. When ever intrain biceps i cant activate them just forearms

[@gaming_fever8369]

Mam my right hand forearm both bones fractured in Feburary and after surgery my forearm not working properly can i get movement after doing this ???? Please reply ...

[@rustam95rustam68]

İ have been doing this exercise for 7 months, i learned it from arm wrestlers, i started with a dumbbell 2,5 kg now i am lifting on pronation 20 kg for 30 times, max i did it with a 30kg on pronation feels strong

[@jaiprakashchoudhary9728]

Hii mam I am for India your hand supination video very helpful for me thank u so much mam🥰🥰

[@VirtualHandCare]

That's wonderful news!

[@jaiprakashchoudhary9728]

😊

[@CC-hz1qm]

This looks yummy… ty!

[@TheHuntermj]

I have always been very strong and have never been able to supinate either wrist. I've just had xrays and am waiting for the report but it appears that the bones aren't fused as we suspected so I'm trying some exercises. I haven't had any issues with the hammer and I've moved past it onto a 4 pound hammer and then onto a hatchet with a long handle. If I'm not getting wrist pain is it ok to keep going with heavier and heavier tools?

[@TheHuntermj]

maybe I could tie a weight to the towel and apply more pressure that way?

[@VirtualHandCare]

Bones aren't fused? I would not be doing any of these exercises if you are not healed! I am not sure I understand your situation

[@TheHuntermj]

@@VirtualHandCare No injury, I was suspected to have Radioulnar Synostosis where the forearm bones are fused together near the elbow but the x-rays showed otherwise. The radiologist can't see anything wrong but I have never been able to supinate my wrists. I've been able gain a small increase in rotation using the "worst" exercise but with a much larger weight but something seems to physically stop the rotation of my forearm.

[@VirtualHandCare]

​@@TheHuntermj Gotcha! That makes more sense. Good there is no excess bone growth or fusion. Wonder if it's more of a muscular length issue or motor nerve. Your bicep is your primary supinator...interested in what they find!

[@TheHuntermj]

@@VirtualHandCare Yeah, I'm going to go to a specialist. I'll report back! Also, when I rotate my wrist to to new limit I get quite a severe tremor in that arm, what's up with that?

[@wa8642]

This isnt a strengthening exercise though. Stretching is used for mobilization mainly

[@VirtualHandCare]

Yes and I don't say the towel is for strengthening.

[@KenanTurkiye]

....make sure you don't do it to failure with your toes underneath. :)

[@182Voguelover]

Perfect thanks, I hate the hammer 🤣