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Kettlebell Forearm Serious Pain

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Matteo_Cresti

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Hello everyone, I write this post because now I do not know where to bump my head.
My right forearm hurts every time I try to use a kettlebell. To feel a terrible pain, just place a 16 kg and I must immediately place it. After the 11 november when I’m certified SFG2 i used the Kettlebell only for swing.
I have done two ultrasounds with two specialists and I have nothing, no inflammation either to the tissues or to the veins.
I can train with the barbell without any problem, I can squeeze the bar hard without any pain.
I do not know what to do.
 
Does it happen to you with swings? Or only with exercises where the KB touches the forearm( Such as cleans or snatches)? The trigger point seems to be where the KB rests on the forearm
 
it happens as soon as I touch the kettlebell on the forearm. the only exercise in which I have no pain is the swing as there is no contact.
 
I'm not an instructor and my experience with cleans and snatches is very limited. Maybe someone else can chime in.

Something I would consider as a temporary solution is to use a volleyball knee pad on the forearm to reduce pressure. Other alternative that comes to mind is a soccer shin protection . Always as temporary solution until figuring out what's causing the problem
 
I had an issue like this when I started out, but close up to the elbow.

You might have a triggerpoint somewhere in the bicep/brachialis that is causing shortening and pulling down the entire chain of muscles. I was luckily able to sort this out because I was a clinical massage therapist for 5 years, and finally tracked it down to an upper arm muscle. Try getting some good deep tissue massage work. The issue could be as far up as your neck. It's most likely some Myofascial chain pulling things
 
Matteo
In addition to the recommendation to get the arm checked and seek some treatment - I would recommend using a sweatband or kettle guard type of product to take the pressure off of that area
 
A lot of great advice here. The only thing I can add is that I would stop doing these exercises that cause pain. Even if it is just for 2 weeks. Give your forearms a chance to heal from whatever is wrong with them.

If you can't stand to go 2 weeks without exercising, temporarily switch to bodyweight or barbell training, something that doesn't cause the pain. Then switch back to your kbells once you have healed up. I know this can be frustrating.
 
I had something similar when I started with kettlebells. All of a sudden one day it just hurt like hell to hold the bell in the rack. I stopped for a week or so like someone above suggested and I was fine after that.
 
I can sympathize with your forearm pain.

Something happened to my wrist doing get ups where now any pressure on the ulna is exquisitely painful. I was using the 40kg (occasionally the 44) mostly and had been for couple months when something happened despite keeping neutral wrist. The ulna bone is weak and thin (at least mine is!).

Now i had to back down to the 32 (everyone hates going backwards!) and make sure the bell rests mostly on my radius (same spot as gentlman picture above). So forearm pain is back for me and will have to get used to it all over again.

**But it does help to push the muscle on the radius over to the side using the round part of the bell when you initially grip the bell.**

It is the pressure on the muscle that hurts, so if you can move it off the bone and maintain that position when rolling to your back and pressing it up, i think it may help you. I personally would like to avoid using wrist bands even if it means going down in weight.
 
I want to try a sweatband, but then i hear a voice in my head: it's Pavel saying "you big sissy." Lol. I am going to try it anyways. Thanks Bret!
 
@MatteoCresti

Maybe my experience can help you track this down. I tried to catch a 32k bell and protect the hardwood floor, what I got for my effort was what shows in the picture. My wrist bent back hard and made a sickening crunching noise. After this for around 2 mos. I had the same symptom of sharp pain on the forearm surface with any size bell. I tried padding it but it made little difference. It really got better quickly with bottom-up holds, hanging grip work and heavy carries.

@LejonBrames comment on the myofascial chain is most likely what I experienced with the trauma to my wrist. I believe it caused inflammation of the nerves in the muscle fascia and connective tissue. I have no medical experience or qualifications but am pretty good at linking cause and effect when it comes to my own body.

Whatever the problem is, don't lose hope, no matter how frustrating it is. You're like the proverbial lion with a thorn in his foot.. Eventually it will come out.




img_20170220_155418-jpg.5265
 
I second the advice to stay away from movements that have the bell rest on you're arm for a few weeks, and then when you come back to it, cover it for s while. You said you can swing and do barbell exercises. I'd just do those things. You've obviously injured something
 
I will refresh this thread as it’s really helpful. This is exactly what happened to me in the last few weeks. My stronger arm started to really hurt while doing the get-ups, especially parking the bell. This came late, at 32-40-40-40-40 stage of S&S. The pain was not going away for a few sessions. I reduced frequency to 2-3 a week and dropped the weight on this arm to 24kg.

The pain seems to be gone now, I’m building back to 32kg. But my forearm gets quite stiff still. What I realized is that it’s partially due to that asymmetric use of forearm muscles, doing S&S the grip is always clenched. Typical fast and loose drills don’t release it. However, I’ve found that push ups do this to some extent.

Had anyone came across this issue of anterior/posterior forearm imbalance with KBs, or I might just not be looking for the right spot that generates this, as mentioned above?
 
But my forearm gets quite stiff still. What I realized is that it’s partially due to that asymmetric use of forearm muscles, doing S&S the grip is always clenched. Typical fast and loose drills don’t release it. However, I’ve found that push ups do this to some extent.

Had anyone came across this issue of anterior/posterior forearm imbalance with KBs, or I might just not be looking for the right spot that generates this, as mentioned above?
I am curious if you have ever done the finger extensions that Pavel recommends with an elastic band from Iron Mind or a bunch of broccoli. This is one part of the program that I have ignored so far without any apparent problems, but your experiences are making me think that I should add it to my movement between sets.
 
I am curious if you have ever done the finger extensions that Pavel recommends with an elastic band from Iron Mind or a bunch of broccoli. This is one part of the program that I have ignored so far without any apparent problems, but your experiences are making me think that I should add it to my movement between sets.
I had been ignoring this and that’s the result ROFL. I did spread out and shake my hands, but not used the rubber bands.
 
Another thing I haven't seen mentioned - try a different brand of kettlebell. I know, a few years back when DD was the only brand, my wife had a problem with their 12 kg bells banging into her wrist, but we got here Ader bells in the same weight, which had a longer distance between bell and handle, and that solved her problem.

-S-
 
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