Have you ever thought about your wrist movement throughout the day? Chances are, you haven’t. Believe it or not, most of the wrist movement in your day-to-day activities comes from the dart thrower’s motion. Spooner Ahwatukee’s Sharniece Pierce, OTD, OTR/L, CLT-UE, CAFS, MFDc, CPT, CSC explains the importance of the dart thrower’s motion and how it plays a bigger role in your life than you probably ever realized.

What is so important about a dart thrower’s motion?

The motion that occurs when throwing a dart translates to many of the functional tasks that we participate in unconsciously every day. When throwing a dart, there are four specific motions that occur in your wrist. The phases of a dart thrower’s motion involve:

  • Wrist extension (moving the wrist backward towards your forearm)
  • Radial deviation (movement of the wrist towards the thumb side of the forearm)
  • Wrist flexion (moving the palm down towards the wrist)
  • Ulnar deviation (movement of the wrist towards the small finger side of the forearm)

When thinking of movement related to the wrist, most individuals are likely to focus solely on wrist flexion and extension. While these movements are important, the reality is: most of our wrist movement throughout the day comes from wrist radial and ulnar deviation, or dart thrower’s motion. The following are examples of functional activities which involve dart thrower’s motion:

  • Turning a doorknob, opening a jar, bringing your phone to your ear
  • Waving hello or goodbye
  • Swinging a baseball bat, golf club, or tennis racket
  • Throwing a ball
  • Washing dishes, vacuuming, cooking, knitting
  • Using a hammer, gardening, fishing
  • Throwing a dart!

Dart thrower’s motion can be used by a hand therapist to provide a thorough evaluation. Through this assessment, the motion of dart-throwing can also be used to treat wrist dysfunctions that may be causing pain. Let’s dive deeper for a moment. The wrist is comprised of two rows which consist of four bones in each row, in between each row is a space called the midcarpal joint. When performing the dart thrower’s motion, the movement itself targets motion at the midcarpal joint. Through a proper assessment which utilizes the dart thrower’s motion, a hand therapist can evaluate and provide proper treatment to assist with pain relief and increased functional activities. Aside from pain relief and increased everyday activity, throwing darts is fun!

Pay attention to the signs

Now that we have discovered the motion in which we subject our wrists to the most, we must remember that with function and overuse, comes dysfunction and pain. Wrist pain can be the result of improper movement patterns, poor ergonomics, repetitive motion injuries, and even trauma. When we have pain, we often ignore it in hopes that the pain will subside on its own. Professional intervention is often sought only once the pain becomes unbearable. If you have pain or discomfort during activities throughout the day or while competing in your sport of choice, the earlier you seek guidance the shorter your recovery time becomes.

At Spooner Physical Therapy, our hand therapists are upper extremity specialists that evaluate and treat a variety of diagnoses related to the upper extremity which includes: shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand. Treatment sessions can include but are not limited to manual therapy, custom exercises, and custom orthosis fabrication. The Spooner hand therapy team is committed to your recovery process and will assist you in returning to your everyday activities. Through our philosophy of health in motion, we will guide you through a dynamic treatment plan tailored specifically towards your condition. We are dedicated to helping our patients achieve excellent functional outcomes. Come experience health in motion for yourself! Happy dart-throwing!

Learn more about Hand Therapy at Spooner Physical Therapy. Ready to schedule an appointment? Schedule an appointment or complimentary movement screen with a Spooner physical therapist at one of our locations throughout the valley.