Gymnastics

[Noirdes]

Hi,

I'm a brand new french powerball user :)
Just got a question for Physio, whose advice seem to be very useful (or anyone who has an answer ^^)

I do man gymnastics and I've got a lot of problems with my forearms, especially while doing pommel horse. "Circling" has become impossible, since I feel a violent pain in forearms (ulna side). The pain tapers off slowly when I stop, but never diseppears, and sometimes it's so painful I can't even do an handstand or a cartwheel (the fact of pushing in my arm while "turning' is espacially painful), or // bars, and it still continues days after, even with rest, or ice, or stretch,... :(

I bought a PB when reading on the website that it was useful for treating foreams injuries. So which exercises do you think I should do most ?

Thanks for your advice :p (hope my english was good enough to be understood :rolleyes:)

[Adrena1in]

I bought a PB when reading on the website that it was useful for treating foreams injuries. So which exercises do you think I should do most ?

Hi, and welcome. You're English is perfectly good! ;)

Basically, any exercise you do with the Powerball is going to work your forearms the most when you first start. As long as you keep your arm quite still and just gyrate your wrist you'll be focussing about 80% on your forearms.

Might take a while to get the action correct, but stick with it and I'm sure you'll soon start to feel the benefits.

I believe the Ulnar is the side of the forearm which runs down to the palm, yes? It seems that holding the Powerball with your arm facing downwards, and gyrating your wrist in an anti-clockwise direction, works this part of the forearm a bit more I believe. (If you held your palm facing upwards then you would gyrate your wrist in a clockwise direction, but it's the same motion really.)

Start slow. If you get a Powerball with a counter then try to keep it spinning at around 5000 to 6000 revs per minute. As a gymnast you should find this pretty easy really, and you'll know to stop if you start feeling pain or discomfort.

Good luck and let us know how you get on. :)

[Noirdes]

Hi, and welcome. You're English is perfectly good! ;)
Thanks :D


I believe the Ulnar is the side of the forearm which runs down to the palm, yes? [/quote]

It's the outside (downside) of the arm when puting your thumb up.

I'll try it both CW and CCW, and tell you ^^
If someone has another exercises (even witout PB, really wanna get rid of that pain :mad:) ... Thanks :cool:

[Physioblue]

Hi Noirdes,

Which part of the forearm is it? Near the elbow? Half way along? or near the wrist?

Let me know and I will tell you the stretches that need to be done in addition to Adrena1in's advice. :)

[jihmmie]

YES! Its PHYSIOBLUE! The moment I saw this post...

[Noirdes]

Hi Noirdes,

Which part of the forearm is it? Near the elbow? Half way along? or near the wrist?

Let me know and I will tell you the stretches that need to be done in addition to Adrena1in's advice. :)

Hi Physio,

it's mainly near the elbow (the most painful). When I rest, I can push on my arms softly with no problems (e.g. pushups), but at the time I need to "turn" (don't knwo how th explain it in english :confused:), pain comes (cartwheel, circling in pommel horse, 2 days in a row and I can't practice for days :(:(,...).

To strech, I usually sit down on the floor, arm along the body, fingers looking backward, and pushing down and backward, slowly. (don't know if it's understandable :D)

Thanks for your answers :)

[Physioblue]

All makes sense.

Sounds like flexor tendonitis. More commonly called golfers elbow.
The stretch you are doing is absolutely right. Elbow straight, pull fingers and wrist backwards. Hold for 20 seconds.
Do your powerballing until you notice some aching, both CW and CCW, then finish with a couple more stretches.
Don't overdo it, once a day should do, and the whole thing should become stronger in about 2 weeks.
I know thats slow, but its worth it!

Let us know how its going. :)

[Physioblue]

YES! Its PHYSIOBLUE! The moment I saw this post...

Awww shucks :o

You guys know I couldn't stay away for long. What did I manage? A week?
;)

[Tstering]

About that i reckon. I was SOOO relieved when i saw you reply to this post :D

[Noirdes]

I know thats slow, but its worth it!


Well.. been dealing with this for long, so I'll try to PB and stretch, and not to do the moves that hurts when practicing gymnastics, if it helps me recovering from that s*** within 2 weeks :D

By the way, somebody told me that practicing "on fingers" more than flat hands, and improving fingers flexor strengh had helped him.. what do you tink about that ?

Thanks for sharing your knowledge :)

[The Force]

Welcome back physio.

One week is not that bad. I think my absence took more than a year ;) .

Regards,

The Force

[Adrena1in]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge :)

See, people really are appreciative...I told you so, Physio! ;)

[Physioblue]

By the way, somebody told me that practicing "on fingers" more than flat hands, and improving fingers flexor strengh had helped him.. what do you tink about that ?

Thanks for sharing your knowledge :)
Improve flexor strength yes, but practising on fingers? No.
Stick to correct technique.

[Noirdes]

Ok, thanks :)

I'll tell you how it goes in two weeks ;)

[Physioblue]

Any news yet?

[Noirdes]

Hi Physio, thanks for taking some news :)

Actually, after some rest and soft powerballing, it was a little better, but still hurts ,and I still can't do pommel horse two days in a row (even 5 mins the 2nd day :()
I also noticed that powerballing too often (or keeping the arm folded for some time) hurt "inside the elbow" (when palm faces up). As I don't know the name in english there's a picture : http://kmast2.free.fr/ant8.JPG :cool:

Well, I'm a little depressed... :(
Thanks for asking anyway, and if you have more ideas... :D

[Physioblue]

OK, 1st, where did you get that picture? Thats an elbow on a bear or something.
Are you a bear? Never seen a gymnastic bear before!!:p

Ok, joking over. The pain is still a tendonitis thing it would appear. Don't get unhappy, it will be OK. Obviously 2 weeks wasn't quite enough, and you shouldn't really be on the pummel horse two days running when you are trying to return to sport.
Keep going for it and don't do gymnastics 2 days in a row, give yourself a day off.
Take it easy with the powerball too. It sounds like its working, but you may need to keep it up a little longer.

I'm hoping for you. Best of luck!

[Noirdes]

OK, 1st, where did you get that picture? Thats an elbow on a bear or something.
Are you a bear? Never seen a gymnastic bear before!!:p

:D:D

I'll try to rest again during Xmas, no gymnastic for 2 weeks (:(). I really hope it will end ... I'll try to PB softly. Feel my arm heals faster, but it's still weak...

Thanks for answering, I'll tell you how it goes in two weeks :)