Pulled nerve doing BACK LEVER

Not sure if any of you have had a similar experience or advice on how to avoid this in the future:

I started doing a full Gymnastic Bodies static and dynamic strength training program beginning in the early winter. Everything was going fine until about the second week of my "second evolution" - that is, after a 12-week "first evolution", when I increased the intensity or progression of every individual exercise for the first time. Specifically, as I went from a back lever in flat tuck to a back lever in straddle, I also turned the wrings so that my wrists were pointing away from my head just as I observed in the photos demonstrating the move in "Building the Gymnastic Body".

I felt my shoulder, bicep and forearm muscles straining. By set #4 of 6 (I was doing 6 x 10 seconds), I began to feel needles in my right hand and a partial loss of sensation as when your arm falls asleep. I thought nothing of it and completed my training for the day.

When I woke up the next day, I still felt needles in my middle, index and thumb fingers as well as the meaty part of my hand, and I had only about 70% sensation in my thumb finger. After seeing my physician, a hand surgeon and, finally, a neurologist, it was diagnosed as a "pulled" nerve. As I understand it, nerve tissue does not stretch, and I had managed to extend my median nerve (Volar interosseous) slightly beyond its limit. The neurologist said that it was the least severe type of nerve injury - the others being carpal tunnel (wearing of the myelin sheath) or pinching a nerve. The neurologist's prescription was to rest the hand for 2 weeks, so I rested 3. It took approximately a week and a half from the date of the injury to regain 100% sensation in my thumb.

Fast forward to today: while training the back lever in flat tuck, I ended up recreating the same type of injury in both my left and right hand (again), though nowhere near as severely as the first time. The second and third times there was nothing more than the slight sensation of needles in the index and thumb fingers. I tried several things: not turning my wrists but, rather, keeping them pointed towards each other, using chalk so my palms remained firmly around the rings and being conscious not to strain my arm muscles too severely.

This has happened enough times that I am going to take a bit of a longer break this time and do a 12 weeks to BUD/S workout in the meantime. Any insight on why this injury happened or how to avoid it in the future? Any help would be appreciated; I am chomping at the bit to start my GB workout again!!!

Thank you,

Mik

I've never done this personally but here is some advice to help you fix the problem.

One thing you can do in your off period is gentle nueral stretching, you can achieve this by externally rotating your shoulder and supinating your forearm and dorsiflexing your wrist and then tilting your head to the opposite side. (hope this makes sense to you)

Also I would say the reason that you overstretched the nerve would have to be a technique issue, obviously if we haven't seen your technique it is hard to correct it. However there is something that you may want to think about that may have stretched the nerve, make sure you try to keep a hollow body position. As median nerve comes from the brachial plexus try not to extend your neck too much this could be stretching the nerve while under load. Try to think of a dish shape in your back lever and just try to raise your eyes forward not ur whole head. This is the only thing i can really think of that may have stretched the nerve but it could be something else. Get someone to check your technique when your back in training.

Hope that helps

Yep, this happened to me the first time I started doing it as well. Lasted for about three days, I lost all sensation in my left hand and all but my thumb and index finger in my right. I could still use my arms, but not as well until the pins and needles went away. All I could do to help it was do some stretching and wait for it to clear up.

Scared the ever loving crud outta me, I can tell you.

mikb said:

Specifically, as I went from a back lever in flat tuck to a back lever in straddle, I also turned the wrings so that my wrists were pointing away from my head just as I observed in the photos demonstrating the move in "Building the Gymnastic Body".

The error here was two-fold:

1) Suddenly advancing onward to a much more demanding elbow position during your BL training.

2) Moving onward to a more demanding BL position.

My recommendation is to do no more BL training until you are completely pain free. At that time gradually begin your BL progressions over again and this time use the correct arm position right from the beginning.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

To add to what Coach said...

In the original all muscle no iron article the progressions were only to be held for 60 seconds up until the straddle lever. Then the goal was only 10 seconds. It is such a strain to hold that position at first that you need to consolidate your gains. A word i hear so often on this site. Once i got to straddle FL i stayed there for a while. I could already do a BL. But i stopped doing the 60 second holds and tried to get to the 10 seconds. once i got there i started doing pullouts. later on down the road i'll try to set a world record. but not now. Conquer the world NOW! ... slowly

Demus said:

As median nerve comes from the brachial plexus try not to extend your neck too much this could be stretching the nerve while under load.

Demus, thank you for the advice. I think you correctly identified what might have helped to trigger the pull. I remember my neck straining quite a bit when the original injury occurred.

Coach Sommer said:

The error here was two-fold:

1) Suddenly advancing onward to a much more demanding elbow position during your BL training.

2) Moving onward to a more demanding BL position.

My recommendation is to do no more BL training until you are completely pain free. At that time gradually begin your BL progressions over again and this time use the correct arm position right from the beginning.

Coach, thank you very much for your reply. I will certainly do as you prescribe when I begin my GB workout again.

As I began my 12 weeks to BUD/S workout recently in order to take time before re-starting the GB workout, I must say that I have never been in as strong a shape starting out as I am this time around. The 12 weeks to BUD/S program features a general physical fitness test that includes max pushups, max pull-ups and a timed 1.5 mile run. Just on day one, I scored at levels I typically would not achieve until going through hours of conditioning six days per week through about week 7 (for example, I did 17 pull-ups in a row with perfect form).

Coach, the strength and general fitness results available through the GB program are absolutely awesome! In particular, what is truly eye-opening for me is that I spent no more than 1 1/2 hours, 4 days a week doing a GB static and dynamic strength training program and achieved what would otherwise take me four times as many gym-hours to achieve.

Thank you all again for your comments and replies.

- Mik

Mik,

Lucky you, getting Coach Sommer to help. When I read your progression, the first thing that came to my mind was that you progressed faster than your body enjoyed. I didn't catch on to the hand position, which was obviously vital. Glad you know what is wrong though and how to correct it. Rest up! Even take a week or 2 longer after the pain is more than gone to continue BL training. There are always supplements to training gaps (not pills :wink: ). Biggest problem with many is not realizing that 'no pain' does not mean 'no more healing' on the microscopic scale. Take some extra rest along with your nice dose of rest!

-Prometheus