Arthritis in the thumb joint, sometimes referred to as basal joint arthritis, is very common among adults. Because the thumb joint accounts for almost 40% of hand function it can make every day activities painful.  With this in mind, Lauren DeLong, founder of York Nordic, created the Motivator walking pole which offers patented (pending) contoured grips with two thumb support positions to stabilize the trapeziometacarpal joint and reduce strain on the carpometacarpal (CMC) thumb joint.

This never seen before strapless grip design improves proprioception and offers state of the art ergonomics and best in class hand support for the biaxial saddle joint. The result is a 10 times reduction in stress at CMC joint minimizing torsional load while providing balance and stability to the patient looking for motivation to begin walking more confidently.

Additionally, the grip enables a pinch (1) or a grasp grip (2) which in addition to the benefits detailed above offers the ability to change thumb positions while walking, a benefit many have reported as useful to deal with cramping.

Nordic walking can be an enjoyable and beneficial activity, but arthritis in the thumb joint can certainly dampen the experience.  With the Motivator pole, we are hopeful that we can make that one less reason not to get out there and walk!