The past couple of weeks I have noticed numbness, though at different times, in my hands, forearms and triceps during shoulder, back and chest. I have not noticed any repeating patterns, i.e. local numbness associated with a particular exercise. I have stopped short a couple of times because of it. The numbness does not linger after the set is completed.
I have a good deal of damage in my c6/c7 but this numbness is different from past reactions, which tend to be sharper, longer lasting (days) and concentrated in the hands only.
That does help, actually, and I was hoping for your opinion. It gives me an idea how to and where to deal with it. Not all my nerve issues are located in my neck, but also along the course from neck to hands. It has been a bit of a mystery for the docs. It is probably just muscles tightening way up–had the problem before–and know how to deal with it.
[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
What you should consider is that all the nerves that supply the shoulders, arms and hands, all come from the brachial plexus, which is where nerves from C5-T1 intermingle and interconnect in such a fashion that it’s hard to completely seperate the anatomy Vs function.
What I mean is that nerve C7 (which exits between the C6/C7 vertebra), will have some degree of involvement with nearly all the nerves in the brachial plexus (look at a diagram if you want to see what I mean).
You also have to consider a double or triple crush scenario. By this I mean that a nerve (or group of nerves) can be compressed at the exit of the spinal cord, and then be compressed again at the scalene triangle, behind the pec minor, in the axila, at the elbow and also by the muscles in the forearm.
All/any of these compressions will further compromise the conduction velocity/ability of the nerve in question, compounding any dysesthesia (numbness or tingling, etc).
So you should consider releasing the tissues of the scalenes (without traumatising your C6/7 IVD), the pec minor, the triceps (near the elbow/aponeurosis), the flexor carpi ulnaris (near the elbow), the pronator teres and the extensor carpi radialis.
BBB[/quote]
Thanks, that is helpful.
The C5-T1 area is a mess for me, degenerative disk, bulging disks, bone spurs, and damage from an auto/pedestrian accident (I was the pedestrian). It tends to get worse as I make progress in the gym. So I guess the question is, how should I go about releasing at these points? Is it, put a tennis ball there and push-hold?
Thanks, but my time of weakness was some time ago in both arms. I have either worked past it or and just much weaker than I could be–which is very much a possibility. When the original injury that is being exacerbated here occurred, I went from easily handling BBs loaded 400+ to not being able to hold a coke can or fork. Unfortunately, I am not back to the original grip strength yet, but I am much better and far better than the doctors predicted.