This week I was teaching anatomy around the arm. You might be amused to know that the funny bone, the very end of the elbow isn’t actually the humerus bone!
Like many, I used to think it was. But the pointy bit of your elbow is actually the ulna. That’s one of forearm bones that runs to the pinky side of the wrist.
Our ability to rotate (pronate and supinate) the forearm and hand comes from these two forearm bones. The other is the radius, it travels along the thumb side of the forearm.
It’s the radius that rotates around thre ulna. Why does that matter?
Well, if you’re a violinist and you want to bring your pinky onto the fingerboard, you need this movement. Or a pianist playing arpeggios. Or at home if you’re opening a door handle or using a screwdriver.
If you twist from the pinky side you’re trying to twist the ulna around the radius. Which creates a) more tension and b) includes the upper arm and shoulder faster, so it’s less efficient.
Try it out yourself.
Have your arm in front. Bend the elbow. Notice where the palm faces (up; down; the side)
a) turn the hand from the thumb/1st finger so the palm faces the floor and then the ceiling. Do is slowly, with your attention on the sensation of the forearm. Repeat it a few times so you can see and feel what moves in what sequence. Can you feel the bones turning? Is the elbow quiet or moving in space? What about the shoulder?
b) turn the hand from the pinky instead.
Notice if you work more or less to turn the hand. Is there more or less tension? Is the elbow quiet, or does it have to move to allow the turning of the hand.
One way is simply more efficient as well as effective. But if you can’t feel it, you can’t change it!
the Feldenkrais Method with Emma Alter 