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Arm Cramping Advice
beau whitehead Feb 6 #30971
At the risk of getting barraged with advice, I will still ask for some input if anybody has had this experience…. At yesterday’s race, about a mile into it, my left forearm became completely “pumped-out” leading to almost zero grip strength in that hand. I eventually had to paddle mostly on my right side and could apply zero power on the left stroke. At the end of the race both my forearms (normally puny) were quite swollen.
So, I either over gripped/tensed without realizing it at the start, or my arms got cold from short sleeves (that seems unlikely). I was well hydrated and warmed up as usual.
Anyone else ever experience something like this?
Nicholas Cryder Feb 6 #30972
Beau, ski paddlers get this too (myself included in the past, usually in the first km). Ivan Lawler describes this in his video series on technique as a symptom of not using the core to power the paddle down into the water, but using the arm to “pull” the paddle. To keep the forearm muscles “quiet” and shoulders relaxed, it helps to think of the ideal stroke as like a swimmer doing a crawl stroke; they power the arm from the abs & lats, not the bicep / tricep. Not sure if that is helpful given the difference in biomechanics, lmk. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Nicholas Cryder Feb 6 #30973
Michael Gregory Feb 6 #30974
Hey Beau, in addition to the suggestions from Mr Cryder, try a compressive sleeve on your forearm when paddling. You can find these at medical supply stores or on-line. All ya need is light compression, if you get it too tight you decrease blood flow and make things worse. Mike.
allipp@… Feb 6 #30975
Beau, this is all you!
paul clement Feb 6 #30976
Close Alan, but Beau is usually shirtless…
neil plume Feb 6 #30978
Hey Beau,
You have gotten some excellent advice and I would like to add a little more, if I may. I've been a therapist for decades with a specialty certification in the upper extremity and from what you've described, I have a few thoughts…
The vast majority of overuse injuries in the upper extremity fall into a few different categories - muscular, tendinous, ligamentous, cartilaginous, bone, or neurological. I suspect your injury is predominantly muscular, which is typically the easiest to heal/rehab. For OC paddlers, the main muscles we use for gripping the paddle are two extrinsics (between the elbow and wrist) and one “group” of intrinsics (between wrist and knuckles). For ski paddlers, they have to deal with about three more extrinsics (two more in the top of the forearm and one more in the bottom of the forearm) for injuries but we don't have that issue as much - our stroke is much more linear.
From what you've described, I would think your injury is probably muscular and extrinsics only. I would bet there are no other types of tissues involved, which is a very good thing. Having said that, a very convenient prevention strategy that I've been using since I started paddling is squeezing a hand exerciser on a regular basis that I keep in my car. Most of us paddlers are so caught up in so many other aspects of our training that its very easy to disregard training our grip strength and grip endurance, until we have a “blowout” like you apparently did. I would recommend you wait at least a few days for the symptoms to diminish to the point where it's comfortable to squeeze at 50% to 75% of your max, and then slowly build from there without aggravating your symptoms. I do two sets of 100 reps with a fairly stiff exerciser each morning while driving to work and that seems to work for me. I don't do any on a race day, downwind day, or hard training day. If you aren't feeling better by mid-week, it may be wise to get it checked out at the physician level. I really like the suggestion of a comfortable compression sleeve (you look really awesome in that photo, by the way!) and I like the idea of checking out the recommended video for other exercises, especially stretches for the forearm and digits.
I hope this email hasn't come across as “know-it-all” but I would like to help spread the word that what happened to you is probably waiting for all of us if we don't put it on our list of training priorities and I wanted to offer to our group an easy way to include it in our pursuit of paddling nirvana!
Neil Plume
John Rybczyk Feb 6 #30979
Dammit, Neil. It's very poor form to offer helpful, expert advice before all of us have had an chance to weigh in with our suggestions for Beau to try any number of homeopathies, ear wax candlings, horse de-worming pills or urine-drinking therapies, just to name a few. There's no telling what we could have gotten Beau to try in the service of good forearm health.
neil plume Feb 6 #30980
Haha! Sorry! I hope you're using the term “expert” loosely!!!
Reivers Dustin Feb 6 #30983
I've had to incorporate a forearm workout due to wrist/elbow problems that grew into chronic forearm muscle pain. It's all better now.
rd
Adam Fulton Feb 7 #30984
Beau, I’m no florist, but I think what I hear the good doctor saying is don’t grip it like it owes you money.
Good luck!
Sent from my heart
allipp@… Feb 7 #30985
I read it that Neil does his exercises while driving. Who needs a hand exerciser? Nothing beats gripping that steering wheel in a white knuckle commute!
beau whitehead Feb 7 #30986
I am a bit disappointed by the lack of smart-ass/humorous responses to my question (most of those came privately via text.)
But, I do greatly appreciate all the intelligent, thoughtful responses I got. Lot's of smart folks here on this forum. Thank you!
DDatHot @…Feb 7 #30987
Because this thread clearly needs 1 more smart-ass reply: I, in fact, WAS a florist for quite some time and would like to validate Adam's insight above. In addition, as part of your healing regimen, I would recommend retiring, removing all employees and income concerns from your life, and just focus on high quality paddling technique. It hasn't helped my shoulder, but it sure has helped my daily zen.
