Forearm Pain

[Reece Nugent]

Currently i keep getting pain(forearm splints?) when i do L-sits on Parallettes, and it seems the thicker they are, the more pain. I can do an l-sit on the rings without any problem. I only get the pain in my left forearm, im right handed.

I also experience pain when i do handstand wods/ adv frog stand/straddle L and manna on Parallettes

Atm, i can do full ROM wrist pushups like in the video. Havent been doing them lately though.. is this why im getting the pain? lol dammit

Apart from doing the wrist pushups daily and resting from handstands/parallet work, is there anything else i can do?

Although i have been resting it, but its not doing anygood, the pain just comes back when i use parralletes.

Thanks

[Cole Dano]

Have you tried putting strong rubber bands around your fingers and then opening them?

[Gerald Mangona]

I have been struggling with this too, but I think I'm finally coming out of it. For me, my extensor muscles were in a state of constant tension. I think the term is "hypertonic". It was exacerbated by exercises where grip strength was important or where my hands were in a state of extension (and hyperextension) at the wrist...plank work, handstands, ag walks, etc. It's been two weeks and yesterday was the first day that I didn't wake up to forearm soreness. Here's what I did.

(1) Cut your volume. Depending on the severity, you may need to cut exercises that are causing the flare-up. Perhaps cut down to one set, or cut down to a lower a progression...or both.

(2) Wrist pre-hab. I do it every day. Rice buckets, wrist pushups.

(3) Stretching. Stretch your externsors and flexors in your forearms every day. Actually just do it anytime they're sore. Do them at work. At red lights, etc. Stretching feeeeeellllss good, and helps get blood circulating. You can stretch the extensors by pulling your non-palm side toward the top of your forearm. To get a realllly good stretch, hold that while internally rotating your arm slowly. When you think you've rotated it as far as you can, try for that extra 1mm...you'll get a really nice stretch on your pinky extensor.

(4) Massage. ART, Trigger point, etc. You can youtube or google forearm trigger point and learn how to work out your own knots. Work them 3, 4, 5 times a day. Though you probably don't need help finding trigger points. If the muscle or tissue is thick/lumpy and sore. Massage it out. If you bring the back (non-palm) of your wrist toward you and then wiggle your fingers around, you can better hit each of the extensor muscles and from different angles. Keep your wrist extended toward you, start massaging, and then move the finger back and forth. Will help you get nice and deep.

(5) fish oil/flax oil. Magnesium. Vitamin C All are said to help with connective tissue health (Tendon/ligaments) and soreness near the joints. Don't know if it's true because I can't scientifically demonstrate that my relief is because of any one factor. But I've been doing it for two weeks, and everyone swears by it. I mix 1 TBSP oil with my morning and evening protein shake. I take 320 magnesium citrate 2x per day. 1000mg of Vitamin C Maybe someone could recommend something better.

Stay at really low volume until the soreness subsides and then slowly add volume. From now on your antenna need to be focused on you forearms until they strengthen. Even if you have the shoulder strength to hold a two minute free-standing handstand, your tendons might not be there yet.

Start slow, and don't add any volume til the soreness is clear. (or mostly clear...i'm still trying to figure that out.). But whatever you do, once you start, add very gradually. For example on handstand days, I was doing 12 handstands for 60s with 30s rest in between. I've cut that back to doing 6 handstands with my feet on a box followed by 6 assisted HeS (even less weight on the wrists/forearms) and that felt ok. I'll add another handstand and drop a HeS every one to two weeks til I get back up to the 12. So far, my forearms soreness has gone from a 5-6 (mildly sore throughout the day) down to a 2-3 (sore from time to time with long stretches of tightness but no pain)

Hope that helps. Let us know.

[Cole Dano]

Good advice, and hopefully this is all becoming part of our training regimen.

Rubadub just posted this which may be of help...

http://gymnasticbodies.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5392&sid=92a30738df699ed8c30157bdad842efa#p49628