Wierd Feeling In Hand

[ishred]

well, since i started bending and playing with my coc's a couple weeks ago...i've notice that my right hand tends to fall alseep, alot. During the day i get that feeling and when i sleep its much worse.

the feeling is only in my right hand and mostly my fingers. Should i go to the doctor?

BTW, i haven't really done much grip or bending training. I do it every couple of days.

[savagewood]

I had a similar problem when I first started KTA. It went from feeling like they were asleep to this intense burning sensation that would wake me up at night. I started working my extensors and the problem went away. I just give myself some manual resistance between sets of my other grip work.

[Meat Loaf]

WOW! Same thing happenned to me! Although i had thought it was from excessive grip work, it would make sense that bending could do it, too. On my left hand, the fingers got real numb, and soon, the numbness was only in the ends of my fingers and then it went to the very tips of my fingers and now it is gone. Took a good month. Don't freak out. Mild numbness=train but don't kill yourself. Heavy numbness= lots of hand therapy and rest.

MEAT

[HAMMERHEAD]

I'd throw in some ball rotation into the mix.

-HH

[mcham]

Could be beginnings of carpal tunnel syndrome... if it's your thumb, first 2 fingers, and half of your 3 finger going to sleep then damn good chance it is.

Rest and lots and lots of extension work with rubber bands got me out of a bout of CTS last year.

[ishred]

yup, same feelings as all of you guys. This shit woke me up a few times last nite. Right now i have the wierd sensation in my thumb, index and middle finger.

I guess i'll slap on some rubber bands. I think this happened because when I would get the bar close enough i would crush it in my right hand only (one end on finger tips, other end where my fingers and palm meets).

Thanks for the advice.

[thorfinn]

I got/get this too. I get it from hand/s being bent back (cleans, snatches, other lifts that require hand being bent back) and bending for some reason. For me it is a sign I did too much to soon. I can do handstand push-ups and o-lifts without any problems now as I eased into higher and higher volumes (and intensity). But, I did have this same problem (at least it felt like it) when first learning o-lifts.

Bending was/is totally new to me (but got addicted and bent for 3 weeks+ with only about 3-4 days off total) and had this feeling creep up on me. So, I took off 3+ weeks and I'm going to give it another 2-3 more off from bending. In mean time sledge work, plate curls and db wrist curls for reps to build up tendon, ligament and muscle strength in the area is something that I think helps/will help. I will ease into bending keeping low volume and low intensity and building volume first then reduce and increase intensity. Then repeat but with a stronger base on which to continue with.

Just my way. CTS sucks and I do not want surgery so, I will take the long route to bending big steel. It is not how fast you get there, it is getting there that counts (for me at least).

-Keith-

[ianders1]

You guys who are being woken up by the numbness. STOP! This is the first sign of something very serious. I would recommend taking at least a week or two off and doing contrast baths daily (do a search in the FAQ for description). If it continues despite this, go see a Doctor ASAP. If you work on computers all day, go see a Doctor ASAP, too. I ignored the nighttime numbness for about a month and paid for it with Severe RSI for the last 3.5 yrs., and I still have it, though it's getting better. If it gets better (and it should), slowly work back into grip training taking at least 1-2 rest days between workouts, preferably 3-5.

I'm dead serious about this. It gets worse very quickly and before you know it, you won't be able to tie your own shoes. It nearly destroyed my whole life. PM me if you have more questions.

[AP]

What types of exersizes or stretches do you recomend for this sort of thing Ian?

[ianders1]

For exercises, I recommend the dexterity balls and opening your hand in a sand bucket. Light gripper work (low total # of reps/moderate strength) is good, as are plate pinches to strengthen the individual fingers.

The stretches that work well are holding your arm out straight and pulling the hand towards you using the other hand. Do this in both directions. Also good is to grab your opposite wrist and pull it in a traction type move. This works well with the individual fingers as well. Don't pull too fast with either, though. Start pulling slowly and gradually increase the strength. Be sure to end all workouts with contrast baths.

[ishred]

Thanks for the help. I think I started to get mild bouts of this before i started grip work and bending.

Working the extensors helped already. I did some yesterday with rubber bands and I didn't have the pain last nite.

[Meat Loaf]

I am thinking that bending in particular contributes to hand numbness because the extreme pressure of the nail into the palm adversely affects the nerves that lead up to the fingers. My numbness had all went away, but i bend yesterday and today my left hand was kinda numb. I am overtrained and i should have known to rest...this only happens when i are overtrained.

Thoughts?

MEAT

p.s. oprah is brainwashing our women and she blows

[Finnegann]

I am thinking that bending in particular contributes to hand numbness because the extreme pressure of the nail into the palm adversely affects the nerves that lead up to the fingers. . . .

Thoughts?

This makes sense to me. It could also be that the pressure of the nail causes some inflamation that continues to put mild but noticeable pressure on a nerve for some time following a bend.

Here's the weird feeling I got while bending last night: a burning sensation in one of the muscles on the top side of my right forearm. On the second to last bend, it was barely noticeable. On the last bend, it was unignorable. It didn't feel like lactic-acid burn... it felt more intense than that.

Anyway, I took it as a warning sign and stopped bending. Anybody else get this? Was I smart to call it a night, or was I being a wuss?

[ianders1]

The two biggest nerves (radial and medial) in the lower arm lead into and intersect just below the center of the palm. I believe the ulnar (elbow) nerve also inserts into the palm. Bending places an extreme amount of pressure on this area of the palm and that's why it's so easy to do damage if you don't take your time and slowly condition the area. Extra padding and moving the nail tips out of that lower center palm area will help as well.

As for this being a warning sign, it may or may not be - it could just be because of the nail pressing on the nerves - if it's still bothering you a few days after bending when doing normal everyday activities - I'd take that as a warning sign.

Nighttime Numbness is the #1 warning sign to watch out for. It may seem you you slept on your arm or something, but if it happens more than once or wakes you up, take notice and rest and treat the injury.

Edited June 3, 2004 by ianders1

[ishred]

well, my numbness has just about gone away. I did some bending the other day and was fine.

Last nite was my bands rehearsal (i play guitar). And i started to get some mild numbing in my hand after about an hour or so of playing. Then i woke up with my hand numb.

At least i know it isn't just bending, but i will now go see a doctor and figure out my options. I'll even have surgery now that it is hampering my playing.

[AP]

They say surgery isn't really a good option, it doesn't really help the conditiion much. Bending, or any grip work in general doesn't seem to hurt my hands its using the computer. Just having monday off this week really helped even though I did a pr 7 blues in volume bending. Contrast baths and extensor work like mad this past week.

Hey Ian,

Do you think wearing those CTS braces on my wrist would help at all? I hear that you can wear them at night to keep your wrists straight so they can heal, have you tried this?

[ianders1]

Guys,

Surgery is the last and worst option. The success rate is something like 12%. I'll tell you guys what has worked for me:

• When computing, playing X-Box, etc. take at least a 30-second break every 10-15mins
  
• Go to http://www.3m.com/ergonomics and make sure your workstation is set up correctly (VERY IMPORTANT)
  
• Buy a Microsoft Natural (contoured) or similar keyboard. It's akward at first, but you'll get used to it and prefer it after a day or two. Don't forget to get one for work as well.
  
• Get an optical mouse - the lower resistance makes a big difference
  
• Take at least 1-2 days off after each grip or weight workout to rest the muscles/tendons.
  
• Invest $5 in a 5 gallon bucket and bag of PLAY sand to do extensor work
  
• Use contrast baths (See My Post Here) daily, when needed. They can only help.
  
• Bend infrequently and definitely use lots of padding - I've found bending the most stressful on the hands/wrists
  
• Wear mittens to bed, when needed - not a huge help, but definitely noticeable
  
• (Good, prescription) wrist braces at night are good, but don't wear them during the day
  
• After Contrast baths, brush your hands with a large 3"+ paintbrush to stimulate nerve endings. Only needed for really bad hands
  
• Stick with low reps and low sets of moderate to heavy weights. Remember volume=repetitive stress.
  
• Adjust your goals to be more realistic and achievable. You might close the #3, bend the blue/red oneday, but focus on the one you can't close/bend for now.
  
• Lay off heavy barbell curls for a while - these can really aggravate the wrist.
  
• If you can afford it, go to a chiropractor and have them work on your back, neck, elbows, and wrists.
  
• Take anti-inflammatories - Aleve is the best over-the-counter, Advil a close second, but be careful with them - they are really hard on the stomach. I ended up with an ulcer after 6 months (taking prescription NSAIDs) and can NEVER take anti-inflammatories again. At a certain point, they permanantly alter your stomach lining.
  
• If you have persistant symptoms (esp. nighttime numbness) after trying this stuff, see a Doctor. Preferably a Hand Specialist. Even a general ortopaedic Dr. won't know much about hands.
  
• #1 Tip - Be Patient. Recovery takes time, especially in something that you use everyday. Think about how long a papercut on your finger takes to heal compared to a big cut on your arm/leg because it's always aggravated. Be patient and focus on getting better one day at a time.
  

Disclaimer: I am not a Doctor and have no medical training. This is not medical advice. I have had a lot of really bad hand/joint problems over the years and these are just my personal recommendations, but if you're having constant and/or severe pain, seek the advice of a Doctor.

[ishred]

well i went to my doctor today. He is sending me to an orthopeadic (spelling) doctor. He told me that I can either wear a brace and stop playing guitar or have surgery.

I was fine with surgery because i'm not going to quit playing guitar. But why is surgery the worst option? If the success rate is that low, is there any negative effects from the unsuccessful surgeries?

[ianders1]

ishred - if you have a doctor recommending surgery after one visit, that's not good. Surgery should be the last resort, after you've tried braces, rehab, medication, rest, etc., etc.

You definitely need to make sure you go to a Hand Specialist, not just an ordinary orthopaedist. This is really important. Thumb through the yellow pages and find one. Also, if surgery is recommended, make sure the doctor asks you to have a nerve conduction test (done by a Neurologist) before that to make sure it's carpal tunnel and not something else like tendonitis. And if you choose to have the surgery, get a second opinion, which most insurances allow.

As for the success rate, if you scan the internet, especially carpal tunnel forums, you'll find many, many people who have the surgery and 2,3, or 6 months later, have to have it again.

Unless you have severe carpal tunnel caused by genetics, your best bet is to rest it, take anti-inflammatories, and stretch and strengthen the muscles of the lower arm, as I have suggested. If you do most of the things I recommended in my previous post and none of them help, especially after a month or so, then think about surgery. Just don't rush into it.

[mossman]

i know matt furey puts out a really great course on this....perhaps someone could try that?