The Powerball gyroscopic hand exerciser is a cool-looking gadget that some people use as a toy, while others claim it helps them with common hand, wrist, and arm ailments. Read more to find out why “Powerballers” are so gung-ho about their sport.
I bought my Powerball in February 2009. I’ve been having trouble with de Quervain’s tendonitis for over a year now, and it’s not fun. This is an inflammation of the tendon that moves the thumb. For a while, I couldn’t even pick up a half gallon of milk and put it back in the refrigerator because it had made gripping and lifting so painful.
My doctor told me to exercise my hand using a foam squeeze ball, but I did some reading and learned that grip exercising can do more harm than good. I was looking for an unorthodox approach to physical therapy when I found the Powerball while randomly surfing around online.
The NSD Powerball is a hollow plastic ball about three inches in diameter with a gyroscope inside. Just like the toy you had when you were a kid, you yank the string, shake it a few times to get it going, and then move it in circles to keep it going. The thing exerts a surprisingly powerful gravitational pull, and I haven’t even been able to get it up to full speed.
The Powerball can be ordered with an optional digital counter that will tell you how many RPMs you’re spinning it, and what your record speed is. Top speed for the basic model pictured above is around 15,000 rpm, while the deluxe metal version tops out around 20,000. When I first started using it, I could barely hold it at 4,000 rpm because my hand was so weak. I’m currently spinning it at around 6,000 rpm and working on going higher.
Spinning a Powerball is a peculiar feeling. Imagine holding an object that pulls your hand outward with steady centrifugal force, so that you have to grip it tightly and pull it back in toward its center. The manufacturer calls this “eccentric” motion, which means “controlling the lowering of a weight.” In other words, instead of lifting, you’re stopping the weight from falling. On the medical page of their website, they suggest that lifting a weight strengthens muscles, while lowering a weight strengthens tendons.
The majority of Powerballers seem to use theirs as a combination of toy and strengthening device. They have an active forum online where people compare their top speeds and egg each other on. If you’re athletically inclined, this type of behavior will probably make sense to you. The forum also has plenty of people like me who are using the gyro to rehabilitate various injuries, such as carpal tunnel, and even arthritis.
So has the Powerball worked for my de Quervain’s? Yes, it has–I’ve been very impressed with the results. In only one week, I went from having about 20 percent use of my hand to around 70 percent. The remaining 30 percent has been much more stubborn, though–I’ve been working it for two months now and am making slow progress. Over on my left hand, which doesn’t have tendonitis but is very weak, I’ve made great progress with strengthening and my guitar playing has improved dramatically as a result.
Buy the Powerball directly from the manufacturer to get the best warranty available.