Forearm pain

[SaiFightsMS]

I remember that one Dreamer except I have done it in physical thereapy.

 

Another wrist forearm exercise is to take a dowel or broom handle with a rope attatched to the middle. At the end of the rope hangs a weight. Holding the pole in front of you wind the rope and the weight up on the pole and then under control-let it roll back down.

 

 

[dreamer38f]

Oh I forgot bout that one, Sai. It is a very good one also.

 

:idea:Gonna have to tell my son bout that one.

[SaiFightsMS]

I remembered another easy one too. Like when you are sitting in front of the tv simply open your hands all the way and spread your fingers. Then close your hands and make a fist. Start slowly and let the muscles warm up and increase the intensity.

 

Sounds simple but go for a while and you know the difference.

 

 

[TKD_McGee]

I am not talking about Beastiality Jack. In the Guiness book of world records women in europe used cats for exercise. They weight about 10-20lbs, so they were easily lifted over head or flexed using the arm.

 

Amazing.

 

 

[TKD_McGee]

Ha dreamer that Paper exercise is pretty weak..

 

Take a 5-10 lbs weight and put a rope through it or tie it on to a dumbell, then tie the other end to a stick or plastic cylindar shaped object. Make sure that the weight tied with the rope can touch the floor while you are standing up. Next you should do a twisting motion and curl up the rope around the cylindar object until the weight touches the cylindar object...

 

hmm...

 

 

[YODA]

Here's a short article I wrote for a magazine a few years back - it may provide some useful info...

 

Sports Science

 

Caring for your precious wrists and elbows

 

The forearm and its two associated joints, the wrist and the elbow, are of great importance to us as martial artists. This unit is very important in the power delivery in our trapping range punching & other tools. The basic structure of the lower arm is a trade off between mobility and structural soundness. To give the hand its almost universal mobility there is a need for a complex arrangement of muscles, joints and associated tissue. The main problem with this structure is that, as you can see in the diagram, each of the two bones of the forearm has a stable joint at one end and a less than stable joint at the other. The ulna has its stable joint at the elbow, whereas the radius has its stable joint at the wrist. These two bones are often confused. An easy way to remember which is which is to think of the thumb. Your thumb moves in a circle, or radius – the radius is attached to your wrist at the thumb side. This arrangement allows for a highly degree of mobility and rotation but leaves the elbow and wrist joints prone to injury – the most common type being repetitive strain injuries such as tennis elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis). The complex structure of the wrist is also prone to injuries such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The radius and ulna are not two totally separate entities – they are joined down their entire length by ligament and this is also prone to injury, typically from repetitive shock such as holding kicking shields or Thai pads.

 

Injuries in general can be grouped into two classes. Acute injuries are the result of a single trauma whereas chronic injuries result from repeated strain or “wear and tear”.

 

TENNIS ELBOW (Lateral Epicondylitis)

 

Tennis elbow is a local inflammation on the outer side of the elbow caused by micro tears in the within the tendon of the extensor muscle. This can be either acute, via sudden violent impact or twisting, or chronic, via repeated pulling of the extensor muscle. This is most likely in Eskrima through powerful backhand motions and redondo / flywheel strikes – particularly on a striking target such as a tyre, or when sparring full contact.

 

Tennis elbow is usually felt as localised pain at the outer edge of the elbow and can radiate down the forearm. There is unlikely to be swelling in this injury. The pain of tennis elbow can be aggravated by short lifting movements such as picking up a heavy object, particularly in a palm down position.

 

Treating tennis elbow is usually a case of rest, with a rehabilitation plan consisting of exercises to strengthen the muscles involved. Recuperation is slow in tendon injuries due to the relatively poor blood and nutrient supply. In extreme cases surgery may be required to remove resulting excess scar tissue.

 

Training for us obsessive martial artists must obviously go on – but it is a good idea to avoid strong backhand motions while trying to recover from this condition. A support device is well worth considering. These consist of a small band worn 1 to 2 inches from the elbow. This helps to compress and immobilise the muscle group. Simple analgesics and anti-inflammatory medication are helpful early on, with progress to local steroid injections often being considered before resorting to surgery.

 

CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

 

CTS is a local inflammation causing pressure on or around the medial nerve on the inside of the wrist. This causes pain and sometimes numbness, especially when the wrist is flexed. As with tennis elbow, this condition can be caused by an acute injury or by a chronic repetitive bent wrist action such as chain punching a sand bag. A characteristic of CTS is a loss of pinching strength, with numbness in the thumb and index finger. Rest and recuperation are basically the same, reducing the offending actions and treating with rest, anti-inflammatory medication. In severe cases it is necessary to operate to release the ligament at the front of the wrist. A flexibility and extensor strength programme are a good idea – in fact this is highly recommended as a preventative measure rather that waiting for the injury to occur.

 

The arm movements in trapping range are largely wrist, elbow and arm based activities – if you wish to enjoy a lifelong pursuit of the arts then look after your body in a way that will ensure that you are free to do so!

 

A simple set of exercises can provide a good start on the road to wrist & elbow health. Here are some example exercises & stretches. Perform each one for as many repetitions and sets as your trainer / coach / physiotherapist advises.

 

Wrist Extension

 

1. Make a fist with your palm facing down

 

2. Try to move your wrist in an upward direction whilst resisting the movement with the opposite hand.

 

3. Hold this contraction for 5 seconds.

 

4. Repeat as advised.

 

Wrist Flexion

 

1. Make a fist with your palm facing upwards

 

2. Try to move your wrist in an upward direction whilst resisting the movement with the opposite hand.

 

3. Hold this contraction for 5 seconds.

 

4. Repeat as advised.

 

Radial Deviation (Very important in close range punching)

 

1. Make a fist with your palm facing inwards and thumb uppermost (like a vertical punch)

 

2. Try to move your wrist in an upward direction whilst resisting the movement with the opposite hand.

 

3. Hold this contraction for 5 seconds.

 

4. Repeat as advised.

 

Finger Extension

 

1. Hold your hand flat, fingers extended, with palm facing down.

 

2. Try to move your fingers in an upward direction whilst resisting the movement with the opposite hand.

 

3. Hold this contraction for 5 seconds.

 

4. Repeat as advised.

 

Pronation / Supination

 

1. Make a fist with your palm facing inwards and thumb uppermost (like a vertical punch)

 

2. Try to rotate to a palm down position whilst resisting with the opposite hand.

 

3. Hold this contraction for 5 seconds.

 

4. Repeat in the other direction – try to rotate to a palm up position.

 

5. Repeat as advised.

 

Wrist Extension Stretch

 

1. Hold your arm straight out at shoulder height.

 

2. Place your opposite hand on top of your wrist and try to raise the arm – resist the movement until you feel a mild stretch on the top of your arm.

 

3. Hold for 20-30 seconds.

 

4. Repeat as advised.

 

Wrist Flexion Stretch

 

1. Hold your arm straight out at shoulder height.

 

2. Place your opposite hand under your wrist and try to lower the arm – resist the movement until you feel a mild stretch on the bottom of your arm.

 

3. Hold for 20-30 seconds.

 

4. Repeat as advised.

 

Gripping

 

1. Squeeze a tennis ball in the palm of your hand

 

2. Hold for 10 seconds

 

3. Repeat as advised

 

A more advanced programme would use the same basic motions but with movement using some form of resistance such as rubber exercise bands.

 

...... Hope you found that useful

 

 

 

 

[KickChick]

Very useful info Yoda ... thanks so much for sharing with us. I am printing this one out for my one of my classes where I am constantly instructing them to keep their wrists straight as they are striking the heavy bag. Most tend to arch the wrist and then experience excrutiating pain the next day! Certain people need to work at building wrist strength and this article can benefit alot of those people! You are proving to be a very knowledgeable addition to the forum... thanx!

 

 

 

[YODA]

Hey KickChik

 

Did they like the article?

 

 

[SaiFightsMS]

I did Yoda. And I passed it onto a friend who has had carpal tunnel surgery.

 

 

[kicker]

thanks yoda for the information

 

well jack,

 

experencing forearm pain might be because your training a bit to hard or not warmed up enough.