Seeking Advice on Grip Training Related Numbness

[Alawadhi]

Hey everyone,

I hope this message finds you well, healthy and getting PR's.

I wanted to reach out to see if any of you have experienced a similar issue. For the first time in a while, I've completed eight consecutive grip training sessions, which is quite an accomplishment given my frequent travel, work, and studies. My current focus is on achieving the thumbless lift of the Inch dumbbell. During my sixth session, I managed to lift the 150 FBBC Inch bell thumbless to knee height (these bells have a 2.5-inch diameter). My training routine includes rack pulls (3-5 reps) with a 3.5-inch handle bar and wrist curls with a sledgehammer in all directions to strengthen my wrists. I also engage in other grip exercise, but I believe this is the primary cause.

However, I've recently started experiencing numbness in my thumbs, index, and middle fingers while sleeping, which disrupts my sleep. I actually dealt with this same issue about two years ago, but it subsided for nearly a year and a half when I wasn’t training consecutively. After some research, I found that this could be carpal tunnel syndrome. I consulted with our own Lucas Raymond, who is a PT, suggested that this might be the case and to check it out and recommended additional stretching and carpal tunnel nerve glides before considering any surgical options. This issue seems to occur the day after my workouts, and while it subsides the following day, it’s still concerning.

Another friend mentioned that it might be an impingement in my radial nerve, possibly originating from the neck or arms, especially during gym sessions. She suggested an EMG study to pinpoint the source of the problem and recommended physiotherapy to release tension in the arms, neck, and hands before considering surgery.

Given these issues, should I stop grip training until I get this resolved? If so, should I stop training altogether or just focus on avoiding grip exercises? Additionally, what alternatives do you suggest? Pushing movements are not an option for me due to a separate shoulder issue involving my rotator cuff. Maybe deadlifts with straps? I also came across a YouTube video that recommended strengthening my shrugs, as weak shrugs could put additional pressure on the nerves. Has anyone had experience with this?

I plan to follow these recommendations, but I’m curious if anyone else has faced similar issues. How did you manage them, and what solutions worked for you? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

Best regards,
Bader

[slazbob]

Pretty much keeps me from doing more than once maybe twice a week training. The influx of training has caused some inflammation in your gripping tendons. This will make it very tight in your carpal tunnel. 
id back off the frequency, but I wouldn’t stop training.

things that have helped me is definitely using the Rollflex massage apparatus. Rolling my tight flexors while moving my wrist and fingers. The tightness is what is getting you. And work your extensors by opening your hands 25 reps or so a day…don’t make a fist, just close your hand lightly but open has strong as you like.

stretching actually made things worse for me, so I can’t recommend it. 
also, I have the Sidewinder Extreme and I’ll put it on the lowest setting and pump 50 reps on it for blood flow to keep my nerves supplied with blood.

learning nerve flossing works to keep things gliding smoothly…the nerves are very sensitive and any roadblocks can cause numbness.

if it goes on too long without relief you can experience some grip strength loss…which has happened to me many times. 
I just have to know my volume limits.

they diagnosed me years ago with carpal tunnel syndrome, which I declined surgery and thankful I did.

once they cut that ligament, I think grip strength will never be the same. 

what I’ve done here has kept me going …I think it can help you.

 

I think you have just over done it

a little back off and blood flow you should be fine. 

 

[climber511]

I've had similar temporary issues in the past.  What seemed to help me the most was have the wife roll my forearms with the "stick" or a rolling pin type apparatus.  You can roll completely over the elbow joint on the extensor side - but only up to the elbow joint on the flexor side.  Don't go crazy hard - sort of medium level.  She would also massage the area for me but it seemed the rolling worked better.

The other thing that gave me numbness was sleep positions - letting my hand "hang over" the side of the bed made for numbness also.  Moderate wrist curls - reverse wrist curls and levering (which you are already including) are always a good idea - just for the extra blood flow if nothing else.  But I would prefer volume over intensity on the Sledge Wrist curls maybe.  Heavy Hammer work always beat me up.

My guess is that with your infrequent sessions you may be going too hard?  Either too much intensity or volume in a session?

Good Luck!

[C8Myotome]

I'm a PT too, you should see a PT in person to be evaluated, the symptoms you're describing does not mean it is automatically CTS, there's other etiologies for same and similar symptoms. Without someone qualified actually doing tests on you in person, anything else is just going to be random people on the internet making guesses and throwing out baseless suggestions, all the while the condition could be worsening from not getting proper treatment.

[Alawadhi]

13 hours ago, slazbob said:

Pretty much keeps me from doing more than once maybe twice a week training. The influx of training has caused some inflammation in your gripping tendons. This will make it very tight in your carpal tunnel. 
id back off the frequency, but I wouldn’t stop training.

things that have helped me is definitely using the Rollflex massage apparatus. Rolling my tight flexors while moving my wrist and fingers. The tightness is what is getting you. And work your extensors by opening your hands 25 reps or so a day…don’t make a fist, just close your hand lightly but open has strong as you like.

stretching actually made things worse for me, so I can’t recommend it. 
also, I have the Sidewinder Extreme and I’ll put it on the lowest setting and pump 50 reps on it for blood flow to keep my nerves supplied with blood.

learning nerve flossing works to keep things gliding smoothly…the nerves are very sensitive and any roadblocks can cause numbness.

if it goes on too long without relief you can experience some grip strength loss…which has happened to me many times. 
I just have to know my volume limits.

they diagnosed me years ago with carpal tunnel syndrome, which I declined surgery and thankful I did.

once they cut that ligament, I think grip strength will never be the same. 

what I’ve done here has kept me going …I think it can help you.

 

I think you have just over done it

a little back off and blood flow you should be fine. 

 

Thank you for sharing your experience and detailed advice. It sounds like you've been through a similar situation, and your insights are incredibly valuable. I too train once or twice a week but for the past 8th session it was twice a week. I'll definitely look into the Roll flex massage apparatus and start working on my extensors with the daily hand-opening exercises you suggested. The note about nerve flossing is also something I'll explore further, as it seems like keeping the nerves gliding smoothly is crucial. In the meantime, I won't train at all this week and let 99% of the pain go away, God willing.

I appreciate the caution about stretching and will be mindful of how it affects me personally. To be honest I think stretching beyond the pain will make it worse. Your point about blood flow makes a lot of sense, so I'll incorporate some light Sidewinder Extreme (or its equivalent) reps to keep things circulating.

It's encouraging to hear that you've managed to avoid surgery and maintain your grip strength and even to grow it. I’ll certainly back off on the frequency a bit to see if that helps with the inflammation and tightness.

Thanks again for the thoughtful advice. It's reassuring to hear from someone who's been able to manage this successfully.

 

13 hours ago, climber511 said:

I've had similar temporary issues in the past.  What seemed to help me the most was have the wife roll my forearms with the "stick" or a rolling pin type apparatus.  You can roll completely over the elbow joint on the extensor side - but only up to the elbow joint on the flexor side.  Don't go crazy hard - sort of medium level.  She would also massage the area for me but it seemed the rolling worked better.

The other thing that gave me numbness was sleep positions - letting my hand "hang over" the side of the bed made for numbness also.  Moderate wrist curls - reverse wrist curls and levering (which you are already including) are always a good idea - just for the extra blood flow if nothing else.  But I would prefer volume over intensity on the Sledge Wrist curls maybe.  Heavy Hammer work always beat me up.

My guess is that with your infrequent sessions you may be going too hard?  Either too much intensity or volume in a session?

Good Luck!

Thanks Chris for your response and for sharing what worked for you. I hadn’t considered rolling the forearms with something like a stick or rolling pin, but it sounds like it could be really effective as you are the second person to suggest it. I’ll give that a try, focusing on medium pressure as you suggested.

I also appreciate the insight on sleep positions. I had connected the numbness to how my hand might be positioned while sleeping and Luke also told me that, but I’ll be more mindful of that now (I can't sleep straight on my back!). And your suggestion about focusing more on volume rather than intensity with the sledge wrist curls is well taken. And yes, your guess is right! I might have been pushing too hard (around 3 hours) during my infrequent sessions, so I’ll definitely reevaluate my approach and go lighter with less volume. Is that what you recommend? 

Thanks again for the helpful tips!

 

13 hours ago, C8Myotome said:

I'm a PT too, you should see a PT in person to be evaluated, the symptoms you're describing does not mean it is automatically CTS, there's other etiologies for same and similar symptoms. Without someone qualified actually doing tests on you in person, anything else is just going to be random people on the internet making guesses and throwing out baseless suggestions, all the while the condition could be worsening from not getting proper treatment.

Thank you for your professional perspective. You're absolutely right. I’ll make an appointment with a local PT to get a proper evaluation. I agree that it's important to get an accurate diagnosis rather than relying solely on online advice, and that's the plan actually. I appreciate your concern, and I’ll prioritize getting the correct treatment to prevent the condition from worsening.

Thanks for the advice.

[bdckr]

The location of the numbness in your hands (thumb, index and middle) is almost the perfect distribution supplied by the median nerve, which is the nerve involved in carpal tunnel syndrome.  The only thing you didn't mention would be half (side closer to thumb) of the ring finger, too.  Does that half of your finger also get numb?  Also, is your thumb weaker?

The carpal tunnel is an anatomical structure that the median nerve passes through that has very little give.  That's why anything that increases the pressure inside the tunnel (e.g. DM, pregnancy, thyroid disease, trauma) can pinch on the median nerve and cause numbness and thumb opposition weakness.  Wrist flexion during sleep can increase the pressure there and is why people with CTS often start with nighttime numbness that can progress to symptoms throughout the day.  

The reason why the typical presentation of carpal tunnel syndrome is the middle of the night is that when we're awake and aware, we are very unlikely to be holding our wrists in a flexed position for a long time, and even if we do, we will stop and change wrist position before it gets very uncomfortable.  When we're asleep, our wrists can be in a flexed position and  stay flexed until something bothers us enough (numbness, tingling, pain) to wake up or move them. 

Like everyone has said, you need to be assessed by a professional.  However, a cheap stop-gap measure to try would be wearing a wrist splint at night until you get your assessment.  The splint needs to comfortably hold your wrist in a neutral position and keep you from flexing  it.  In Canada, you can get these kinds of splints in almost any pharmacy (https://www.amazon.ca/Splint-Adjustable-Support-Tendonitis-Arthritis/dp/B0CZ435V5G/ref=asc_df_B0CZ435V5G/), not sure about your situation.  Since you are only getting these symptoms on the night after grip training, you should note an immediate difference wearing a splint the same night if it is CTS.  Just make sure the splint fits comfortably and doesn't put pressure on other spots

[climber511]

I'm learning some things on here - first of all how many PTs we have on this board.  Some really good advice from all of them - thanks to all.

[Blacksmith513]

On 8/26/2024 at 12:09 PM, Alawadhi said:

Thank you for sharing your experience and detailed advice. It sounds like you've been through a similar situation, and your insights are incredibly valuable. I too train once or twice a week but for the past 8th session it was twice a week. I'll definitely look into the Roll flex massage apparatus and start working on my extensors with the daily hand-opening exercises you suggested. The note about nerve flossing is also something I'll explore further, as it seems like keeping the nerves gliding smoothly is crucial. In the meantime, I won't train at all this week and let 99% of the pain go away, God willing.

I appreciate the caution about stretching and will be mindful of how it affects me personally. To be honest I think stretching beyond the pain will make it worse. Your point about blood flow makes a lot of sense, so I'll incorporate some light Sidewinder Extreme (or its equivalent) reps to keep things circulating.

It's encouraging to hear that you've managed to avoid surgery and maintain your grip strength and even to grow it. I’ll certainly back off on the frequency a bit to see if that helps with the inflammation and tightness.

Thanks again for the thoughtful advice. It's reassuring to hear from someone who's been able to manage this successfully.

 

Thanks Chris for your response and for sharing what worked for you. I hadn’t considered rolling the forearms with something like a stick or rolling pin, but it sounds like it could be really effective as you are the second person to suggest it. I’ll give that a try, focusing on medium pressure as you suggested.

I also appreciate the insight on sleep positions. I had connected the numbness to how my hand might be positioned while sleeping and Luke also told me that, but I’ll be more mindful of that now (I can't sleep straight on my back!). And your suggestion about focusing more on volume rather than intensity with the sledge wrist curls is well taken. And yes, your guess is right! I might have been pushing too hard (around 3 hours) during my infrequent sessions, so I’ll definitely reevaluate my approach and go lighter with less volume. Is that what you recommend? 

Thanks again for the helpful tips!

 

Thank you for your professional perspective. You're absolutely right. I’ll make an appointment with a local PT to get a proper evaluation. I agree that it's important to get an accurate diagnosis rather than relying solely on online advice, and that's the plan actually. I appreciate your concern, and I’ll prioritize getting the correct treatment to prevent the condition from worsening.

Thanks for the advice.

Ive nothing to add other than I really do find the Sidewinder to get great for keeping everything happy and balanced and the roll flex is friggin incredible. I bought one of those 10 years ago before I ever even heard of grip sport... Nerve flossing works great too. If there is no improvement short term then its best to see a PT. Pay attention to your neck posture when performing lifts. I've caught myself doing things, keeping my head to far forward and its caused neck issues, shoulder issues, grip and back issues..

Good luck.

 

 

Edited August 28 by Blacksmith513

[Alawadhi]

On 8/26/2024 at 8:52 PM, bdckr said:

The location of the numbness in your hands (thumb, index and middle) is almost the perfect distribution supplied by the median nerve, which is the nerve involved in carpal tunnel syndrome.  The only thing you didn't mention would be half (side closer to thumb) of the ring finger, too.  Does that half of your finger also get numb?  Also, is your thumb weaker?

The carpal tunnel is an anatomical structure that the median nerve passes through that has very little give.  That's why anything that increases the pressure inside the tunnel (e.g. DM, pregnancy, thyroid disease, trauma) can pinch on the median nerve and cause numbness and thumb opposition weakness.  Wrist flexion during sleep can increase the pressure there and is why people with CTS often start with nighttime numbness that can progress to symptoms throughout the day.  

The reason why the typical presentation of carpal tunnel syndrome is the middle of the night is that when we're awake and aware, we are very unlikely to be holding our wrists in a flexed position for a long time, and even if we do, we will stop and change wrist position before it gets very uncomfortable.  When we're asleep, our wrists can be in a flexed position and  stay flexed until something bothers us enough (numbness, tingling, pain) to wake up or move them. 

Like everyone has said, you need to be assessed by a professional.  However, a cheap stop-gap measure to try would be wearing a wrist splint at night until you get your assessment.  The splint needs to comfortably hold your wrist in a neutral position and keep you from flexing  it.  In Canada, you can get these kinds of splints in almost any pharmacy (https://www.amazon.ca/Splint-Adjustable-Support-Tendonitis-Arthritis/dp/B0CZ435V5G/ref=asc_df_B0CZ435V5G/), not sure about your situation.  Since you are only getting these symptoms on the night after grip training, you should note an immediate difference wearing a splint the same night if it is CTS.  Just make sure the splint fits comfortably and doesn't put pressure on other spots

Thank you for the detailed explanation buddy. It’s really helpful to understand how the median nerve and carpal tunnel work, especially in relation to the numbness I’m experiencing. To answer your question, I haven’t noticed numbness in the half of my ring finger closest to the thumb I guess, but I’ll keep an eye on that. As for thumb weakness, I haven’t detected any significant weakness yet, actually I lifted my fat 45's plates easily and that is extremely hard to pinch. God willing there won't be any weakness.

I appreciate the suggestion of using a wrist splint at night. I’ll look into getting one to see if it helps alleviate the symptoms until I can get a proper assessment. It’s interesting to learn that the nighttime wrist flexion might be contributing to the issue. I'll definitely try the splint and see if it makes a difference, especially on the nights following my grip training sessions.

On 8/26/2024 at 11:36 PM, climber511 said:

I'm learning some things on here - first of all how many PTs we have on this board.  Some really good advice from all of them - thanks to all.

Yup! It's great to see so much expertise in this community. I'm definitely learning a lot from everyone’s input. The advice has been incredibly useful, and I’m grateful for all the suggestions.

10 hours ago, Blacksmith513 said:

Ive nothing to add other than I really do find the Sidewinder to get great for keeping everything happy and balanced and the roll flex is friggin incredible. I bought one of those 10 years ago before I ever even heard of grip sport... Nerve flossing works great too. If there is no improvement short term then its best to see a PT. Pay attention to your neck posture when performing lifts. I've caught myself doing things, keeping my head to far forward and its caused neck issues, shoulder issues, grip and back issues..

Good luck.

 

 

Thanks for the reminder about posture during lifts. I hadn’t considered how neck posture might be impacting my symptoms, so I’ll be more mindful of that during my training. The Sidewinder and Rollflex seem to have a lot of support here, so I’ll definitely incorporate them more consistently.

I also wanted to mention that I recently saw a chiropractor (not a physiotherapist), and he did some work on my upper pecs, shoulders, and forearms to relieve tension. He’s asked me to come in weekly until we can pinpoint the exact problem. He did check my wrists and mentioned that they don’t seem to be pressing down enough to cause CTS, but I did remind him that the numbness goes away when I’m not training, and that I didn't train since last week. So he’s keeping that in mind.

I appreciate all the advice, and I’ll definitely keep everyone updated on how things progress.