Forearm problems with curls/bicep movements

[Morris]

The sharp pain in my forearm began about a month ago when I started a new workout out plan. I have never directly worked out my forearms, and the workouts were pretty intense with heavy weights. The pain came gradual and at first was bearable, but over a two week period it got to the point if I picked up a heavy weight my forearm would be killing me until I put the weight down. It doesn't hurt when I'm not doing anything. Anatomically, I'm pretty sure it's the flexor carpi ulnaris muscle, the pain occurs between the bone and that muscle on the side of my arm that the pinky is on.

I've never injured this before, and so I took a week off from lifting entirely, iced and elevated it, and when I started up again it didn't hurt. However, when the day came this week to do bicep curls it started hurting again. When it hurts I won't be able to do shoulder shrugs, miitary press, pull-ups, bicep curls. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to fix it? With my limited knowledge, I think I am going to start swimming in the mornings and running or biking at night for a couple weeks and see if it heals itself.

[cormac]

Do you do a lot of volume with preacher curls and other ez curl bar movements, ie. skullcrushers?

[UConnJulie]

Sounds like medial epicondylitis ... ice massage, deep friction massage, and targeted stretches should help.

Do you do any specific grip work in your workouts?
What do your workouts look like?

[coalminer]

I doubt this is the same thing from your description, but I have suffered the same pain from a referred pain from golfers elbow, you might want to check up on it to see if it seems the same, as I know how all of us like to work through "minor injuries."

[UConnJulie]

Golfer's elbow = medial epicondylitis

[coalminer]

Thanks UConnJulie, from what I have seen of your posts, you are very knowledgeable, I didn't mean to repeat what you have already said, just not smart enough to realize I was doing it. For Morris's benefit, I'll tell him since I suffer from it and have no real options close by to treat it, I get by doing very limited bicep excercises, a strict regiment of stretching, and monitering it closely and adjusting my workouts accordingly.

[Morris]

For about a year now I've been doing mainly Oly lifts. I was starting to get really tired of this and was hitting a plateau so I switched it up to the Max-OT routine and thought I'd get it a try for a 12 week period. The first two weeks it had me doing wrist curls with dumbbells and barbells which I wasn't used to at all. Plus I was doing a lot more isolation movements for biceps than previously. The only things that I did before to increase grip strength was deadlifts. I didn't think my grip was weak because I'm pulling about 415....

What kind of stretches would you guys recommend?

[UConnJulie]

Here are some good ones ...

http://www.sportsrehab.info/chiropra...ristflexor.pdf

Originally Posted by http://www.ubsportsmed.buffalo .edu/education/wrist2.html

3. WRIST EXTENSION STRETCH: Standing at a table with your palms down, your fingers flat, and your elbows straight, lean your body weight forward and hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds.

You can do this 2-3 times per day.

It sounds like you increased the volume on that area rather fast and that caused the overuse. Give it some rest ... unfortunately gripping anything at this time is going to aggravate it. It might be a good time to take a rest week or two or a rest week and a cardio week. But icing, stretching, and massage should help.

Ice Massage = Freeze water in a paper dixie cup. Tear away the top and use the bottom as a holder. Rub the ice on the sore area until the area is uniformly pink. Be careful to not give yourself frostbite! This can be done a few times per day. It shouldn't take longer than 10 minutes.

Deep crossfiber massage or friction massage = find the sore area on the tendon, and crossing your middle finger tip on top of your index finger tip massage the area across the direction of the tendon.

(Just ignore that this is being done on a horse! The finger alignment is what you want. Then go across the tendon where it is sore for about 5 minutes once a day.)

[Morris]

Thanks for all the sound advice. I really appreciate it.