Handball Powerball - as a tool for the prevention of tunnel syndrome

Currently, a huge number of people, if they do not yet, are susceptible to the so-called carpal tunnel syndrome. The risk group includes people of various professions and hobbies, for example, drivers, artists, photographers and, of course, people who work a lot at the computer, they are most susceptible to this ailment. In the advanced stage of CTS (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome), inpatient treatment may be required up to surgery (a special operation to extract excess fluid from the joints). Well, the best way to solve a problem is to never run into it. To do this, you need to do prevention through warm-up or specialized devices, such as a gyroscopic simulator.

Today I will talk about 3 Powerball models - Classic, Fusion and Autostart. These are one of the most popular models at the moment. They can also cover the entire line of wrist simulators, with the exception of metal devices. Read more under cat.

► Packaging and equipment

The Powerball Classic and Fusion models come in blister packs, while the Autostart model has a transparent plastic cylinder case.

On the reverse side of the “blister” packages are instructions for starting the simulator and a photo of the man who pumped his bitsuha with a gyroscopic simulator with the indicated muscle groups that are affected by Powerball.

But the most interesting is the packaging of the Autostart model. First, to open it, you need to remove the bottom of the flask, which houses the Mini-CD (23 MB) with detailed instructions (Russian available) in the form of an HTML page.

Actually the "interesting" is the practicality of this box. Having disconnected the upper part from transparent plastic, the lower one turns into a Powerball stand, as it turned out, it’s an extremely convenient and necessary thing, because because of its rounded shape, “power balls” © dcoder_mm often like to roll off the table.

The delivery set for the Classic and Fusion models consists of the simulators themselves, a brief instruction, Mini-CD and a pair of laces to launch the subject. Accordingly, at Powerball Autostart everything is the same except for the laces.

Each of the devices comes with a lifetime (!) Warranty for the rotor and speed counter. Moreover, in the event of a breakdown, repair is promised within 14 business days or a replacement of the product.

► Appearance

Externally, the gyroscopic simulator is a small object of spherical shape. In most cases, the case is made of thick plastic of various colors and degrees of transparency. There are also metal models, but they are positioned as devices for advanced ones, respectively, and their price is higher.

In the upper part there is a rev counter or a seat under it, since there are models on sale with or without a speed counter. The difference in price for younger models in the region of $ 20. In any case, even if you initially purchase a model without a counter, you can reinstall it at any time. Delov there for 5 minutes, except that you have to overpay and give not 20, but 25 dollars.

Due to the open bottom, you can see the "naked" rotor. The latter has a hole for the thread with which the simulator starts. Additionally, the Powerball case is framed by a rubber pad for a more confident hold in the hand.

An exception is the Autostart model, for starting which you need to “wind” the rotor, and for better grip with your fingers two rubber pads are provided.

Also worth mentioning is the backlight. One of these simulators can be called dynamic, since the brightness of the glow varies depending on the speed of rotation of the rotor. Most models in the Powerball line have a single-color glow, with the exception of one of the heroes in our review today - Powerball Fusion. The color of its glow changes smoothly from red to blue as the RPM increases. The transition to blue is carried out when reaching a speed of 8000 rpm.

► Principle of work and gut-gutting

The principle of operation of the subject is quite simple. The device is based on a gyroscope consisting of a rapidly rotating rotor enclosed in a plastic sphere. You can set the rotor in motion using a special rope included in the kit, then you need to use your hand to make circular movements to increase the speed of the rotor. The simulator must be firmly held in the hand during use, as the forces of action will try to deflect it in different directions.

During the application of a constant external force to the gyroscope, it begins to rotate around a certain axis that does not coincide in direction with the main axis of the rotating rotor, that is, precess. Moreover, the rotation does not occur in accordance with the direction of the external force. The magnitude of the precession is proportional to the magnitude of the acting force. In the event of termination of external action, the precession instantly ends, but the rotor continues to rotate.

As soon as the rotor is started, tilting the device will cause one end of the axis to move along the upper side of the groove, and the other on the lower. When the axis of the rotating rotor is in contact with the upper and lower surface of the groove, this causes a precession and the axis of the rotor will begin a circular motion along it. The friction force between the axis and the surface of the groove can either accelerate or slow down the rotation of the gyroscope. The greatest acceleration is achieved when the rotor axis begins to “slide” along the surface of the groove as smoothly as possible. Since friction is very important for this effect, the device must never be lubricated. The maximum rotor speed is achieved by holding the sphere in the hand and constantly maintaining rotation with the movement of the brush.

With a more detailed physical principle of Powerball, you canget acquainted on Wikipedia , and we proceed to the analysis of the device. First you need to remove the rubber pad.

Then we unscrew the two diametrical opposite Phillips screws.

Next, we need to disassemble the case, which consists of two halves. To do this, install the Powerball on a hard, flat surface (as shown in the figure below) and naturally tap sharply on the seam. As a result, the halves must separate.

If it doesn’t work, then try to press on it with a hardcover book, under load, the parts of the body should bend a little and disconnect accordingly. The only thing I don’t advise is to “pick” the seam with a screwdriver or other metal objects. You can take it apart, but at the same time with a high probability there will be unpleasant traces of dents, like mine:

So, we saw a rotor, or part of it. We no longer need the lower half, so we remove it and remove the rotor from the upper part of the case.

By the way, about the upper part of the case, a speed sensor is located in it (optionally). To get it, you need to use a flat-blade screwdriver to pry off the latch with which it is fixed.

The lower part of the board is virgin empty, only a pair of unsoldered pads for additional components are visible. To get to the back, you need to unscrew 6 small screws, one of which is hidden under the sticker.

On the upper part: a “blotch microcircuit”, a reed switch (counts revolutions) and all the necessary piping. Electronics is powered by two batteries of standard size GP377 from which the counter, according to the manufacturer, will work up to 2 years.

We continue to disassemble and remove the circular groove from the axis of the gyroscope. And here be careful. On both sides there are gaskets that have the property of being lost due to their small size.

The rotor consists of 4 parts: an axis, a metal base, a plastic shell and a board with LEDs (if the model provides for backlighting).

The backlight works due to the built-in dynamo, respectively, no batteries are needed.

The internal structure of other models is identical to that considered by us above. The only exceptions are the metal Powerball and the Autostart version, which has a special mechanism for starting the rotor.

► Quick start

Running the simulator is extremely simple. All you need to do is insert the bundled rope into the groove on the rotor, and then pull it out with a sharp movement, thereby giving rotation to the rotor. Next, simply unwind the Powerball with slow circular movements with the hand (namely, with the hand). The main thing is not to start with quick short movements with your wrist, otherwise you will not be able to catch the rhythm, and it will be difficult to properly spin the ball. In the video below, I was a little worried, so the start was, say, not perfect.

Powerball Autostart is still easier. To start the simulator, you need to "wind" the rotor in the direction specified by the arrows on it. Then unwind in the same way as the previous "ball".

For conventional models, there is another way - starting the rotor with a sharp movement of the finger along the axis of the rotor, but here you need to get the hang of it. Even after two weeks of active use, it doesn’t always work out for me.

► In use

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a lesion of nerve tissue (neuropathy) due to some adverse conditions. Adverse conditions can be very different - usually it is the monotonous work of the brush or prolonged exposure to unnatural positions. On Habrahabr already this topic was repeatedly disassembled. I strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with the work of my colleague vvzvlad and the habrayuzer stavor , that in the first , second in the shelves this disease is disassembled, as well as methods for its prevention.

In general, the scope of Powerball applications is quite extensive and is not limited to CTS prophylaxis alone. It can also be used to repair damaged ligaments and tendons after injuring hands, dislocations, and fractures. In such cases, it is recommended to rotate the Powerball just a few minutes a day, but in such a way that its built-in rotor works at a limited speed, that is, no more than 5-6 thousand revolutions per minute.

But this is not the end of the application. "Balls" equipped with counters enable people to compete in "who will wind the most." Thus, the mandatory workout also becomes exciting. Moreover, the presence of an opponent nearby is not required. On the official website of NSD (manufacturer Powerball) there is a special tablein which records are made from all over the world (representatives of the CIS countries are also present there).

Now, regarding the operating modes of the counter. There are 5 of them in total. Switching is carried out using the FCN button, and switching on and zeroing by means of ON / CLR. In the first mode, the number of rotor revolutions that he performed from the moment of the last start to the moment of stop is considered.

The second mode is responsible for measuring speed (RPM per minute) in real time.

The third and most commonly used mode is to display the maximum RPM (High score), i.e. This setting captures your record and displays it until you score a larger score or reset it using the ON / CLR button. As soon as you start to rotate the simulator, the counter automatically switches to the fourth mode (New high score) - the counter shows the highest rotation speed achieved since the last start. If you have exceeded your previous record since the last start, the number on the counter will flash and a new record will be recorded in memory as soon as the rotation of the rotor stops. If your current result is less than a record, then it will be displayed on the screen until the rotor stops, after which the High score mode will turn on again.

And, finally, the last setting is measuring the force index, its essence in counting the number of revolutions completed over a certain period of time (30, 60 and 90 seconds). A great way to measure pipisky strength (endurance?) With a friend.

The display itself turns off after 40 seconds of inactivity.

Speaking of records, it is worth mentioning one of the most seasoned “tinkers”. Greek Akis Kritzinelis is the absolute champion in all possible modes and uses of the gyroscopic simulator. For example, the maximum speed to which he was able to disperse Powerball was - 16765 RPM. The video below is a confirmation of this, and other records are also captured on the channel. Well, I already gave a link to the table with the champions above.

► Summary

Glory to the Blog (ours, Box Overview) at 16 and I don’t feel the symptoms of tunnel syndrome, but that doesn’t mean that you can relax. I spend a lot of time at the computer and in the near future this situation is unlikely to change, so prevention is not what is possible, it needs to be addressed. And how to do this is up to you. I chose Powerball and now periodically spin it alternating with other exercises. He stopped on the Autostart model because of the convenient stand and the very possibility of an easy start. So I highly recommend buying!

► Cost

The price of Powerball is very affordable. So for the youngest Classic model you need to pay ~ $ 27, for an Autostart model $ 60, and a model with a Fusion glow will cost you ~ $ 70. But the assortment does not end there, the official Powerball distributor in Ukraine presents the entire range of hand simulators from NSD Power + a bunch of various accessories and spare parts.

In conclusion - I advise you to buy exclusively from authorized distributors. Since now on the market there is a huge number of fakes. They cost a couple of hundred cheaper, but have a huge percentage of marriage and are deprived of a lifetime warranty. Yes, and in general any guarantee.

► Related links

Manufacturer's
website Official distributor's website in Ukraine (a lot of useful information about Powerball)
Official distributor's website in Russia
Overview on a Habra
Page on gyroscopic simulators on Wikipedia

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