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Thread: Help! Pins and needles

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  1. #1

    Help! Pins and needles

    Hi, my first post but I check the site from time to time.

    I have a question about a problem I am having, that may or may not be down to my training. I train in 5 ancestors and have done for about 3 years now. About 6 months ago I began waking in the night and finding that my little finger and ring finger were numb (this happened in both hands) at its peak it was happening most nights for 3-4 weeks.

    I googled it and thought carpel tunnel or some kind or rsi... I do a lot of forearm tendon exercises, tiger claw flexing being the major one, and found my ulner nerve on the inside of my elbow was very tender. I cut down as a precaution but can't honestly say if it helped or not... I don't think I was overtraining and I wasnt using any weights/resistance.

    I went to my GP and it was pretty much a waste of time, he was convinced I was sleeping on my arm or something then suggested I have a cortisone steroid injection. I didnt want this as from what I gather it's just to mask the problem and I don't really want a quick fix that may even hold slight risks.

    Anyway as result I consciously adjusted how I slept and for a time wrapped my arms in a towel at night to keep them straight. It worked and I got to the point that I stopped using the towels and began to sleep normally again.

    Two months on and I have recently been away and not training. However, with this break I have found the problem seems to be returning. Whilst away I began to wake with pins and needles or numbness again in most of my fingers this time. Once again this was only at night. Since returning home I have trained just once and we did a lot of punching (loose snapping and twisting) along with palming and chopping (thin air no boards or bags). I now am having pins and needles again at night less numbness but the I assume the numbness follows as a result of the tingling.

    I'm really frustrated none of my fellow students have experienced this but it's a litle worrying and leaving my palms a little sore the following day.

    Anyone had a similar experience or have any advice?

    One thing that may be having an impact is that I *think* the symptoms may be at their worst after I have been drinking alcohol that night??? Maybe I'm clutching at straws...

    Thanks for reading.

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Odds are that it is carpel tunnel. I have the same thing, and the symptoms are exactly the same. I have known a few other people, including the wife, that has experienced the same. What we do to make a living can effect it, then what we do in our spare time can add to it. It sounds like the beginnings. Eventually the pins and needles will be followed by a burning sensation. Then pain in the thumbs. The shots only work for a while, and you will end up getting cut on. It solves the problem though.
    Jackie Lee

  3. #3
    I suggest you ask your master for a solution. Proper kung fu training should heal you, not hurt you. There may be a deviation in your practice.

  4. #4
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    what exercises were you doing

    Honorary African American
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  5. #5
    Join Date
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    Hello there. I may be able to offer some hints, although whatever you read on this forum should not stop you from seeking help from a REAL person, be it a Orthopedist, Chiropractor, Physical Therapist, Osteopath, etc.

    You need to get a wrist brace to protect your wrist while you sleep. You are probably putting it in a weird position which would explain the feelings you feel. I do not think this is true carpal tunnel, as that is the MEDIAN NERVE that enters the palm via that tunnel, and when that is irritated or compressed, it is not usually the pinky and ring finger that are affected. You can tell which nerve is being irritated based on which finger you have odd sensations in. I am guessing it is your ULNAR NERVE.
    However, it might not be getting compressed at the wrist/carpal structure itself. It can become impinged elsewhere (elbow, etc).

    Ok, I just looked over your post again and saw its the whole hand with pins and needles? Only in the palm or back of the hand too?
    My best recommendation to you is go to a Chiropractor that can also work with muscles and does techniques like Myofascial Release, ART, Graston, etc. (like me! )
    The fact that things are not improving, actually they are getting worse should be a red flag to you to seek real treatment immediately. In the meantime, wrist brace at night, stretch, ice, rest, etc. This is the best advice I can give at midnight LOL

    Best of luck
    TC
    Last edited by TopCrusader; 10-08-2011 at 08:35 PM.

  6. #6
    Thanks for the responses.

    I do pay attention to how I train, I.e be sure not to jar the elbow whilst punching. I'm starting to think the problem may be related to my shoulder as well. I'm not suggesting what I'm being taught is causing this but maybe it brings out the underlying symptoms. We do exercises such as holding the arms out horizontally and circling and I have noticed that during these repetitions I occasionally get a pins n needles sensation beginning in my hand. I will make conscious effort to stretch and recover as there is likely irritation on the nerve in shoulder/arm pit. I have seen a few exercises on YouTube that may keep things in balance.

    *top crusader thanks for the specific advise, I wasn't sure how common it was to have symptoms in BOTH hands as apposed to just one. I will continue to monitor over next week or so and then look to my GP for further options or referrals.

    Neeros I saw my sifu and had a massage of the wrist arm and shoulder which alleviated the symptoms somewhat in the short term. He highlighted my need to massage limbs post training. I just suspect I have the beginnings of something that may require more than this although I still prefer prevention than cure!

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by TopCrusader View Post
    Hello there. I may be able to offer some hints, although whatever you read on this forum should not stop you from seeking help from a REAL person, be it a Orthopedist, Chiropractor, Physical Therapist, Osteopath, etc.
    this man is almost too smart to be allowed to post here...

    look here, son - on this forum, the only acceptable sort of healthcare related advice is to give highly specific recommendations and guaranteeing positive results, without knowing anything at all about the person's actual condition; if u continue with this sort of "rational" crazy-talk, we're going to have a real problem...

    Quote Originally Posted by TopCrusader View Post
    You need to get a wrist brace to protect your wrist while you sleep. You are probably putting it in a weird position which would explain the feelings you feel. I do not think this is true carpal tunnel, as that is the MEDIAN NERVE that enters the palm via that tunnel, and when that is irritated or compressed, it is not usually the pinky and ring finger that are affected. You can tell which nerve is being irritated based on which finger you have odd sensations in. I am guessing it is your ULNAR NERVE.
    However, it might not be getting compressed at the wrist/carpal structure itself. It can become impinged elsewhere (elbow, etc).
    agree on n. ulnaris and that it may b at several levels; wrist brace could help, but may not be solution if the main problem is proximal;

    Quote Originally Posted by TopCrusader View Post
    Ok, I just looked over your post again and saw its the whole hand with pins and needles? Only in the palm or back of the hand too?
    good question - I was thinking the same thing, that it might be a peripheral neuropathy of some sort - altho I think the presentation wud b a bit different in terms of when he gets sx's...

    Quote Originally Posted by TopCrusader View Post
    My best recommendation to you is go to a Chiropractor that can also work with muscles and does techniques like Myofascial Release, ART, Graston, etc. (like me! )
    all good suggestions; BTW what little I've seen of ART looks neat, similar to some of the stuff done by Gregg Johnston, PT (Functional Mobilization) and Brian Mulligan, PT (NAGS, SNAGS, etc.); and I actually saw someone demo Graston last weekend at a manips course I was taking - looks like a very $$$ way to do gwa sha! but srsly, can totally understand why it works;

    Quote Originally Posted by TopCrusader View Post
    The fact that things are not improving, actually they are getting worse should be a red flag to you to seek real treatment immediately. In the meantime, wrist brace at night, stretch, ice, rest, etc. This is the best advice I can give at midnight LOL
    all good advice, esp the rec to seek out help asap; the only thing I'd b a little hesitant is about using the wrist brace w/out first being evaluated, it might actually make things worse if it's not appropriate (OTOH, it may help a great deal, just saying)

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