Introduction:
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What's up, guys? Jeff Cavaliere, ATHLEANX. com. Today we're going to attack another one of those issues that seems to plague all of us. It doesn’t matter whether we are high level, functioning athletes that's home used to training – and they have these issues – or whether you're somebody that sits behind a desk all day, or likes to be on your iPhone all day. You're going to have, probably, adaptive shortening in the forearm muscles on the back of your arm here, that are going to lead to a lot of problems.
Adaptive shortening:
(1) So there is a great way to stretch them out. Really, when we talk about stretching it's actually pretty simple because if you look at what the function of a muscle is, or a group of muscles, if you do the opposite you're going to stretch them out. Google's a really good resource because it tells us right away that the function of a
(2) muscle – we could probably reverse engineer that and do exactly the opposite. So when we look at these muscles here what are we talking about? We're talking about all the muscles in the back of the forearm. You know if you've been laying away from the gym for a long period of time and you start to train again, you get sore back here.
The problem:
- It's one of the most common places people come to me and say "Man, I just started working out again. I do curls, I do pull ups; I can't even do them because they hurt. " Or you go and you sit down at work and you try to type all day. The problem is, we're getting shortening over time because look at the posture that we're holding here. All of us, all day long – just like when we were sitting with the hip flexors and the anterior tilt – we get our elbows in here and they're flexed.
- They're not out straight. They're flexed in here. Our hands and wrists are kind of bent back a little bit. Typing, or again, using iPhones. They're bent back. You can see it right there. The next thing is, we get some supination. Meaning that our forearms kind of turn this way. They kind of turn up.
- This is a real exaggeration of it, but they're here. They're certainly not down. So over time you've got adaptive shortening of all the muscles that do that. Then we're talking about the brachioradialis, we're talking about extensions on the back side of our wrists. So in order to stretch them we want to do the exact opposite. We want to extend our elbows as far as we can, we want to pronate our wrists – our forearms – as much as we can, and we want to flex our wrists. So here's the easy way to do it.
The solution:
(1) Take your hands, put them out back to back. Just like that, okay? Now, from here, if you want to stretch – you're going to have to stretch them both so it doesn't really matter – but if you want to stretch this one out, whatever one you want to stretch, you put it over the other one. Okay, now you try to grasp your hands together. So now we're in this position.
(2) Okay, now right off the bat what I want to do is, I want to straighten my elbows. We talked about that in those other muscles like to bend our elbows and flex them. So we want to straighten them out to get that stretch started. The next thing we want to do is, if they want to turn our arms up, we want to turn them down. So again, I'm stretching the one on top here. I use my right hand – this arm over here – to turn it down.
(3) Turn down that way. Then lastly, I use that same hand to pull my wrist into flexion. It's right here when we start. Nice and straight, like that. I use my right hand – which is the one underneath here where my thumb is – and I pull down, into flexion. So I've got straight arms, I'm pulling into flexion, and then I'm twisting down into that
(4) pronation there. That is a great stretch for the back side of my forearms. Again, I don’t care whether you're sitting at your desk all day, whether you're driving, whether you're texting, or whether you're trying to work out and you've already got forearm pain. You need to start doing this and stretching it. You hold it for about 30 seconds, three, four, five time a day.
- What's going to happen is, your forearms are going to start getting nice and loose again. You're going to get rid of a lot of that pain and when you do hit the gym you're not going to be laid up because you can't do your exercises because of that pain. Guys, again, we're putting that science back in strength always here because this stuff matters. Whether you're a high level, functioning athlete who can't perform at their highest level because these things are bringing you down, or whether you're somebody that's trying to get there,
- or you're just trying to life your own life and you can't do it because this pain is kind of getting in the way; we all need to do something like this. If you're ready to commit to a training program, step by step, and you want to train like and athlete, to look like an athlete, and to feel like one; then head to ATHLEANX. com and get our ATHLEANX training system. In the meantime, if you've found this video helpful make sure you leave your comments
- and thumbs up below. Whatever other problems you're dealing with, leave them down below and I'll be happy to cover them. As a physical therapist it's kind of my job and responsibility, I think, and I've got a big community here that I think I can help in doing so. All right, guys. I'll be back here again soon. See you.
Forearm Pain Relief Stretches:
| Exercise/Stretch | Description |
|---|---|
| Wrist Flexor Stretch | Extend your arm in front, palm facing up. With the other hand, gently press down on the fingers to stretch the wrist flexors. Hold for 15-30 seconds. Repeat on the other arm. |
| Wrist Extensor Stretch | Extend your arm in front, palm facing down. Use the opposite hand to pull the fingers towards the body until a stretch is felt on the top of the forearm. Hold for 15-30 seconds. Switch to the other arm. |
| Forearm Self-Massage | Using a massage ball or your opposite hand, apply gentle pressure and massage the forearm muscles in a circular motion, targeting areas of tightness or discomfort. Continue for 1-2 minutes on each arm. |
| Wrist Flexor Strengthening | Hold a lightweight dumbbell or resistance band in your hand, palm facing up. Rest your forearm on a table with the wrist hanging off the edge. Slowly curl your wrist upward, then lower it back down. Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps on each arm. |
| Wrist Extensor Strengthening | Hold a lightweight dumbbell or resistance band in your hand, palm facing down. Rest your forearm on a table with the wrist hanging off the edge. Slowly lift your wrist upward, then lower it back down. Aim for 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps per arm. |
| Forearm Pronation and Supination | Hold a small dumbbell or a hammer handle. Rest your forearm on a table, keeping the elbow bent at 90 degrees. Rotate your wrist to turn your palm up (supination) and then rotate it to turn your palm down (pronation). Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 rotations each way on both arms. |
Fix Forearm Pain. Stretch! FAQS:
1. What are commonplace causes of forearm pain and tightness?
Forearm pain and tightness can end result from overuse, repetitive motions (inclusive of typing or gripping), muscle strain, negative ergonomics, or situations like tendinitis (together with tennis or golfer's elbow) or carpal tunnel syndrome.
2. What are effective stretches to relieve forearm pain and tightness?
One effective stretch is the wrist flexor stretch: Extend your arm in the front, palm facing up, and gently bend your wrist down the use of the opposite hand till you feel a stretch within the forearm. Hold for 15-30 seconds and switch hands.
3. How can ergonomic modifications save you forearm pain and tightness?
Adjusting table top, using ergonomic keyboards, retaining proper posture, taking regular breaks, and the usage of proper gripping strategies can reduce pressure on the forearms, lessening the chance of pain and tightness.
4. Is ice or heat extra effective for relieving forearm ache?
Initially, making use of ice can help reduce infection and ache. Use an ice p.C. For 15-20 mins numerous instances a day throughout the primary 48 hours of discomfort. Afterward, applying warmness (such as a heat towel or heating pad) can help relax the muscles and sell restoration.
5. When should I seek medical attention for forearm pain?
If the pain persists no matter self-care measures, worsens over the years, is followed by using swelling, numbness, or weak point inside the hand or arm, it's crucial to seek advice from a healthcare expert. These symptoms may want to indicate a greater severe underlying difficulty that requires medical interest.
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