Recovery from nerve strikes

[Reverend Tap]

Tonight in class, I misjudged the timing on a block and wound up taking a front snap kick to the inside of my right upper arm. Not a terribly hard hit, but it had a strange effect; the sensation of the impact shot down my arm into my hand, and since then my hand has been feeling quite strangely. It's something akin to partial numbness, with all the sensation in my hand feeling "soft," the hand taking a bit more effort than normal to move, and a feeling like I've lost practically all grip strength in that hand (I haven't actually lost any). My wrist is also quite stiff, but I'm fairly certain that was due to a couple poorly-supported punches on the heavy bag before class.

Talking to my Sifu, I was told I was the lucky recipient of an accidental nerve strike, and that, aside from taking note of the strike's location for future use, all I need to do to recuperate is massage the area frequently and keep moving it, but that full recovery might take up to several days. Now, I trust my Sifu, and having gotten both tattoos and acupuncture I'm not totally unaccustomed to strange nerve effects, but I was just wondering if anyone here had any additional advice, as the sensation of the effect lingering like this is, if you'll pardon the pun, rather unnerving.

[bawang]

i have had hurt nerves from beating things lot so i can give some actual advice hehe
you can take a burning hot towel and wrap it around your hurt area for 20min 3 times a day
do qigong or slow movement. i find doing very very slow movements with injured area helps heal. (hold your hands up open and close them very slowly. if they are shakeing then you have injured nerves)
put some chinese medicine on it that increase bloodflow or "qi"

to get strong in that place you can put a brick between there and squeeze, but no one hits that place today dont rreally need to train that place

[Reverend Tap]

Cool. I'll try that, thanks. :)

[Taryn P.]

Your sifu's right.... I get this type of thing constantly; we have a really really good snake stylist in our class. He will sometimes leave these weird little clusters of nickel-sized bruises close together, where he's poked you about eight times in two seconds targeting the nerve point.

The sensations sometimes take a few days to go away, and it may take a few days to get full use of the limb back.

[Lee Chiang Po]

That sounds to me like a Dim Mak nerve strike. If it is you will most likely die within the next few days. Is all your loose ends tied?

[Taryn P.]

That sounds to me like a Dim Mak nerve strike. If it is you will most likely die within the next few days. Is all your loose ends tied?

Don't scare him...... :rolleyes:

[Oso]

somebody tell me this isn't really happening...8 times in 2 seconds :rolleyes:

if course it was a 'nerve' strike...hard to hit someone w/o hitting nerve endings...you probably got hit in the brachial nerve root, the same thing that is effectedand makes your hand fall asleep at night if you sleep on your arm funny.

if it doesn't go away in 24 hours you took some damage, possibly tearing the nerve sheath or the nerve itself...massage, imo, would not be the thing as you may tear something more...I'd say don't do anything but normal movement and try not to get hit there again soon.

[sanjuro_ronin]

I have found that the best way to recover from a nerve strike is to KO the guy that did it, then get plastered and have wild illegal sex with his girl friend.
But that's just me, it how I roll !

[Taryn P.]

[QUOTE=Oso;916759]somebody tell me this isn't really happening...8 times in 2 seconds :rolleyes:
QUOTE]

I said **ABOUT** 8 times in 2 seconds.... it sure as heck **SEEMS** that fast!

Sorry, the stopwatch dropped from my nerveless fingers. :p

[Oso]

you know, you seem like an intelligent person...why are you buying into what sounds like a lot of crap?

[Taryn P.]

you know, you seem like an intelligent person...why are you buying into what sounds like a lot of crap?

Sorry, please to specify: Which of us, and which crap?

[Oso]

sorry...you. the 'snake stylist' and '8 strikes in 2 seconds' being the crap, of course... :)

[Taryn P.]

Sorry, I took a little poetic license in exaggerating the numbers; I didn't think it was that big a deal. Next time I'll make sure to time the technique and report back to the nearest hundredth of a second. And get it notarized. :rolleyes:

As far as the nerve point strikes, I will testify under oath that that ain't crap. Aren't there any snake stylists on this board? Both my classmate and our primary teacher's teacher (also excellent at snake) have poked me many, many times in specified spots, with no more force than you'd use to push a glass off the edge of a table.... and it hurts like he11 and/or sends shooting pains up and down the limb and/or numbs the limb.

Classmate can't really do a whole lot of that in full-speed sparring because of the danger, so he aims slightly off the nerve point and leaves the aforementioned clusters of small bruises. Have you seen the snake-hand strikes where the one hand is coming up right under the other, so as to do 3 or more strikes in very rapid succession? That's what he often uses. It's really, dizzyingly fast. I sure wouldn't voluntarily just stand there picking my nose while he struck me over and over in the same spot... it's fast enough that he can get in numerous strikes before I can react.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Sorry, I took a little poetic license in exaggerating the numbers; I didn't think it was that big a deal. Next time I'll make sure to time the technique and report back to the nearest hundredth of a second. And get it notarized. :rolleyes:

As far as the nerve point strikes, I will testify under oath that that ain't crap. Aren't there any snake stylists on this board? Both my classmate and our primary teacher's teacher (also excellent at snake) have poked me many, many times in specified spots, with no more force than you'd use to push a glass off the edge of a table.... and it hurts like he11 and/or sends shooting pains up and down the limb and/or numbs the limb.

Classmate can't really do a whole lot of that in full-speed sparring because of the danger, so he aims slightly off the nerve point and leaves the aforementioned clusters of small bruises. Have you seen the snake-hand strikes where the one hand is coming up right under the other, so as to do 3 or more strikes in very rapid succession? That's what he often uses. It's really, dizzyingly fast. I sure wouldn't voluntarily just stand there picking my nose while he struck me over and over in the same spot... it's fast enough that he can get in numerous strikes before I can react.

Ever seen any of that work outside the controlled environment of a "class room" ?

[Taryn P.]

Ever seen any of that work outside the controlled environment of a "class room" ?
----------------

I'm not sure what you mean by "controlled environment"; they can both perform this feat at will- if we were at the mall I dare say it would work there as well. :rolleyes:

[yu shan]

We have a praying mantis hair stylist in our class, and is constantly grabbing everyone or poking them in the eyes. I say this because that is what everyone thinks a mantis guy does, pokes people in the eye balls.

I concur with SR, knock dude out and take his girlfriend.

[Oso]

Sorry, I took a little poetic license in exaggerating the numbers; I didn't think it was that big a deal. Next time I'll make sure to time the technique and report back to the nearest hundredth of a second. And get it notarized. :rolleyes:

na, that kind o' crap require video

As far as the nerve point strikes, I will testify under oath that that ain't crap. Aren't there any snake stylists on this board?

yes...well, a while ago, sorta...

Both my classmate and our primary teacher's teacher (also excellent at snake) have poked me many, many times in specified spots,

lmao...carefull :p

with no more force than you'd use to push a glass off the edge of a table.... and it hurts like he11 and/or sends shooting pains up and down the limb and/or numbs the limb.

Classmate can't really do a whole lot of that in full-speed sparring because of the danger,

ah, herein lies the truth: the 'too deadly' defense

so he aims slightly off the nerve point and leaves the aforementioned clusters of small bruises. Have you seen the snake-hand strikes where the one hand is coming up right under the other, so as to do 3 or more strikes in very rapid succession? That's what he often uses. It's really, dizzyingly fast. I sure wouldn't voluntarily just stand there picking my nose while he struck me over and over in the same spot... it's fast enough that he can get in numerous strikes before I can react.

wow! i'm stunned and amazed...when do we get to find out where this amazing group of people is?

[sanjuro_ronin]

I had the pleasue of fighting a "snake" stylist once, but it was only once so I don't really base that one fight as a way to judge a whole system, just like when I fougth 2 Bak Mei guys, O don't judge that system base don their horrid showing.
As for the snake-guy, he did try to poke me a few times, while I was flattered at first, I really don't swing that way so I introduced him to fine art of Fisticuffs.
He found out that hitting a moving target that hits back, hard, is a tad painful on ones dainty fingers.
After his defeat I allowed myself to bathe in the aura of my pure awesomness and then I took his head and his woman and there was much rejoicing in the village.

[Oso]

lol, well, this was fun but broken hot tubs are calling...

[Taryn P.]

ah, herein lies the truth: the 'too deadly' defense
-------------------
It's not "too deadly"; I dare say it certainly *could* be dangerous, but for our purposes with our classmate, it just _hurts_ bad enough that if he was doing it on target at full strength, none of us would want to (or be physically able to) spar with him any more. We have all submitted to being poked at for the purpose of letting him practice finding the targets. We have all also submitted to being poked at by the teacher's teacher, for demonstration purposes (*his* teacher was an anatomy and physiology prof in his day job, if that makes this any more plausable to you... so it's not just Arcane Ancient Chinese Lore but neurophysiology as well).
-------------------
wow! i'm stunned and amazed...when do we get to find out where this amazing group of people is?
--------------------

Ahhhhhhhhhhh, you think I'm bullsh!tting, and nothing I say is probably going to convince you otherwise. Even though I offered to swear an oath, and that's a big deal to me. Truly, does no one else here do this kind of thing? Even EXPERIENCED this kind of thing??? I'm honestly surprised. Maybe we really *are* a more amazing group of people than I ever imagined.

[Oso]

maybe you are at that, you should share the wealth though...none of us want to be in the dark about such an amazing group of animal stylists.

sparring is gonna hurt...if you profess to a style of fighting that hurts to much to train...then there are problems...

not to mention you probably need to watch the next time the kool aid is made.

[Taryn P.]

(Sigh) I'm not the impressionable naive young'un you obviously think I am.
I may not be able to figure out the "quote" function, but I know good gung fu when I see it. And feel it.

[Oso]

well, good luck with that.

[Reverend Tap]

Update: The feeling is almost completely back in my hand this morning, and movement and gripping are much more, though still not quite, normal. The hand is shaking a bit now, but not badly.



I have found that the best way to recover from a nerve strike is to KO the guy that did it, then get plastered and have wild illegal sex with his girl friend.
But that's just me, it how I roll !

Well, considering I got hit there because I flubbed a block (pretty easy one too, kind of embarrassing), that may be a bit extreme.

"Illegal" sex? You must be one kinky b@stard. :p


if course it was a 'nerve' strike...hard to hit someone w/o hitting nerve endings...you probably got hit in the brachial nerve root, the same thing that is effectedand makes your hand fall asleep at night if you sleep on your arm funny.

I would think the nature of my question would make it apparent that the term "nerve strike" isn't being used here to refer to a strike that hits where some nerve endings are. I'm referring to strikes that hit exposed and/or vulnerable areas of the peripheral nervous system (in this case, yes, probably the brachial nerve root) and cause effects other than the usual "ow that hurts." This isn't the first time I've been hit with such strikes; I was generally the demonstration dummy at my first school, so I got to feel a lot of crazy stuff firsthand. This is just the first time the effect has lingered like this; I'm used to it going away completely within about ten seconds. I don't really know much about the potential combat efficacy of the techniques, nor am I particularly interested in debating it at this point (if you want to, of course by all means go ahead), I just know they work in the classroom, one accidentally worked last night, and I want to know how best to bring my arm back to 100% as quickly as possible.

[bawang]

you need to not do explosive and fast movements they will hurt your nerves

[Oso]

Update: The feeling is almost completely back in my hand this morning, and movement and gripping are much more, though still not quite, normal. The hand is shaking a bit now, but not badly.




Well, considering I got hit there because I flubbed a block (pretty easy one too, kind of embarrassing), that may be a bit extreme.

"Illegal" sex? You must be one kinky b@stard. :p



I would think the nature of my question would make it apparent that the term "nerve strike" isn't being used here to refer to a strike that hits where some nerve endings are. I'm referring to strikes that hit exposed and/or vulnerable areas of the peripheral nervous system (in this case, yes, probably the brachial nerve root) and cause effects other than the usual "ow that hurts." This isn't the first time I've been hit with such strikes; I was generally the demonstration dummy at my first school, so I got to feel a lot of crazy stuff firsthand. This is just the first time the effect has lingered like this; I'm used to it going away completely within about ten seconds. I don't really know much about the potential combat efficacy of the techniques, nor am I particularly interested in debating it at this point (if you want to, of course by all means go ahead), I just know they work in the classroom, one accidentally worked last night, and I want to know how best to bring my arm back to 100% as quickly as possible.

yea, i know....sorry, i was flabbergasted at some of the responses...


afaik, you can crush a nerve root or do damage to the sheath...sometimes I guess it can be severed I suppose.

bawang is correct, imo as is my supposition that direct manipulation of it by massage would not 'heal' it. you body will heal it in due time, i'd say...anything longer than 48-72 hours should probably be looked at by a medical professional.

[Dale Dugas]

I am wondering why your "shifu" did not take out some dit da jow and apply it and help you with some tui na.

then again there are many people who teach who do not have any idea what I am talking about.

there in lies the sadness.

[sanjuro_ronin]

I am wondering why your "shifu" did not take out some dit da jow and apply it and help you with some tui na.

then again there are many people who teach who do not have any idea what I am talking about.

there in lies the sadness.

Leave it to the kilt wearer to mention rubbing ointment :)

[Oso]

http://www.webmd.com/hw-popup/shoulder-injuries-and-brachial-plexus-neuropathy

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/brachial-plexus-injury/DS00897


i dunno, still doesn't seem like one should mess about with massage of any sort with potential nerve damage


btw, RT, is it still numb or all better?

[Taryn P.]

I just know they work in the classroom, one accidentally worked last night, and I want to know how best to bring my arm back to 100% as quickly as possible.

You just have to wait, in my experience (experience which some are convinced is completely fictional, of course, so heed or ignore as you choose).

Sometimes it lasts a couple of days. The worst one I ever had was still pinging a bit from time to time on day 5.

[Reverend Tap]

I am wondering why your "shifu" did not take out some dit da jow and apply it and help you with some tui na.

then again there are many people who teach who do not have any idea what I am talking about.

there in lies the sadness.

Actually we use a dit da every day in class. He didn't seem to feel it was necessary on this particular hit, as it wasn't hard enough an impact to cause any bruising or anything and it wasn't particularly painful, just causing weird sensation in my hand. He also cautioned me against massaging deeply or with much force as we do with the dit da, so as not to do more damage accidentally.



btw, RT, is it still numb or all better?
Getting there. The feeling in it is still a little muted, but I can mostly use it like normal again. It was shaking for a while this morning, but that seems to have pretty well stopped too.

[Oso]

You just have to wait, in my experience (experience which some are convinced is completely fictional, of course, so heed or ignore as you choose).

Sometimes it lasts a couple of days. The worst one I ever had was still pinging a bit from time to time on day 5.

lol, who said it was fictional?

[Taryn P.]

lol, who said it was fictional?

Some sarcastic snark did. I forget his name.

[Oso]

hmmm, the first instance of 'fictional' was you....on this thread, maybe you were referring to another thread...

[Taryn P.]

Aforementioned sarcastic snark seems to be popping up on most of my threads, for some reason. Reminds me a little of a second-grader who tells a girl he likes her by repeatedly sticking gum in her hair.

[jmd161]

then again there are many people who teach who do not have any idea what I am talking about.

there in lies the sadness.


So true on so many fronts!:confused:



jeff:)

[Oso]

Aforementioned sarcastic snark seems to be popping up on most of my threads, for some reason. Reminds me a little of a second-grader who tells a girl he likes her by repeatedly sticking gum in her hair.

LOL...thanks, I needed that. :)

[taai gihk yahn]

sounds like you got nailed in the ulnar nerve - a.k.a. "funny bone" - that is, if you got popped in the inside of the elbow; if it was further up the arm, on the inside, like near the belly of the biceps, then yeah, it was brachial n.;

nerves are funny - if you pop them just right, they can "echo" for a good period of time; ultimately, they should calm down - there are certain manual techniques from osteopathic approach that can help if they don't, but these are too difficult to explain and you wouldn't be able to do them on your own without direct instruction, unfortunately;

if it persists more than 3 days without decreasing at all, or if it doesn't go away after a week completely, I would be concerned;

[Oso]

so, like, direct manipulation would exacerbate things???

[Reverend Tap]

Update: Upon getting up today, my hand feels completely back to normal.

[Oso]

:) yay!!!!!!!

[Reverend Tap]

Indeed. :D Still got the stiff wrist, and I think it'd still be a good idea to take it easy on that arm for a few days, but actually having two hands again is awesome.