If any of you out there have experienced wrist pain associated with your practice, Please describe what you were experiencing. I know Ask your sensei, see a doctor.... And I will. I would just like to hear some of what you experienced, if there are any out there. Thanks.
Please state the nature of your medical emergency.Originally Posted by 1stdan
No emergency to really speak of. Buti am having some pretty severe pain in the wrist. It seems to be where the ulna connects to the wrist and hand ( oustside edge ). Now, I mouse for a living and am on the computer all day so i thought Carpal tunnel. but I dont think its in the right location for Carpal. I was wanting to hear some one else describe what they felt so I can start to determine If my problem lies elsewhere. My sensei is always talking about proper wrist position in Iai but never really points me out directly, and when I check it seems to be correct. Its getting pretty painful especially when doing suburi or chiburi and have to put on the brakes so to speak. Has anyone els experienced Pain in this area?
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I have experienced wrist pain on and off but have more problems with tendonitis in the elbow and forearm. When it hits the wrist it normally spreads across the back of the hand. This is usually an acute injury from perhaps overdoing it in a session rather than a chronic condition.
What I would advocate is
a) Don't wear wrist supports as your instant solution - the pain might be telling you something, like you're not drawing properly. Use the pain to indicate if there is something awkward about your draw and practice using less power and less speed.
b) See a)
c) Check your workstation and make sure that the problem isn't arising there
d) Have your sensei have a go with your sword to see if it is either too heavy (an obvious contributor to injury) or too light thus encouraging you to add a bit of umph (and contribute to the injury)
e) Get some physio if it continues - in the UK they are pretty good at prescribing exercises to strengthen the area
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Andy Watson
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From the sound of it, you're breaking your wrist in these movements and that is putting undue strain on your wrist. Any slackness in your grip during kiroroshi (for example) can really strain the wrist and forearms, as the sword will torque your wrists as it comes to a stop, rather than letting shibori help stop the blade. And a lot of people in our class tend to 'motorcycle' the tsuka during chiburi, rotating the wrist in the process.
The way I practice is that, as soon as the draw is completed and I achieve kiri-te, I keep my wrist fixed in that position throughout the kata, up until the very last stages of noto. Almost like I have a cast over the wrists and the tsuka, binding them into one immovable unit. During chiburi then, I just move the blade offline, with my grip still properly set. This leaves me ready to cut again, if need be.
Anyway, this may or may not be appropriate for your training, given your particular school. For instance, the above point may not make sense at all for O-chiburi, which we do not use. And if you're using a stronger, batto-style grip versus a more relaxed iai grip, this could cause you to use your shoulders more, making things worse for you. Best to see what your instructor has to say.
You wouldn't happen to be using a carbon shinai...would you?
Nope to the carbon shinai. I see where you are going tho. Carbon might let shock resonate to your bones differently than bamboo. Besides If I spent that much my wife would coma after me with a real sword.
I agree completely with Brian. I mouse for a living also, and encounter wrist pain on occassion. In every instance where my wrist has begun to hurt, close inspection of my kata has led to the realization that I'm breaking my proper wrist position at some point. Usually it's in a one-handed cut during kata, but I've caught myself doing it during nukitsuke before.
Paul Smith
... there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
LOL, it is interesting that you posted it in the iaido section, as I thought this would more likely be due to the kendo part of your training.
Even without the carbon, I've had problems in the past when I try to flatten my men strike too much so I hit futon instead of grille, esp against taller opponents -> which is directly related to the breaking of wrist position that folks are referring to.
In my particular case, I played with the grip angle to achieve the same thing that I was trying to achieve by improper wrist position.
If it's anything like what I experienced for a couple years after I started practicing (wrists that occasionally gave out at the ends of cuts followed by a sharp pain at the pinky side of my wrist), then your solution may be that your wrists need to be stronger. Continued practice might do that and the pain might disappear as your strength grows. It hasn't happened to me for years since those episodes.
Yeh I mentioned this in the Iaido section due the fact that it does not seem to be a problem in kendo. I mean it smarts to get a good kote, but not nearly s bad as doing chiburi. Whoda thunk it.
It hasn't been stated, but I wouldn't mind betting this is a right wrist injury, and that you are right handed (ie computer mouse in right hand).
That being the case, as well as getting treatment for the injury as Andy suggests, I suggest the following:
1. After work each day, and a few times during the day gently rotate and stretch your right wrist joint and the muscles that control it to relieve strain.
2. Take a look at your O chiburi. I suspect that you grip too tight and too late. This will cause the wrist and elbow to over extend. Many people find this causes tennis elbow, but I suspect that your heavy mouse usage has made the wrist stiff and so it takes the damage. O Chiburi should be made a little like a diagonal cut, as if cutting a standing opponent 45° across the chest to the hip. The shibori action is therefore progressive through this "as if" cut. many people, and I suspect this is the cause, grip as a kind of catch at the end of the swing.
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In training I get beaten by kaso tekki regularly, but I try not to let it happen in public.
I injured my right wrist trying "something different" in my ochiburi last year. I had a definate snap/crack in the wrist though. Mine was through putting too much umph and trying to extend the wrist/sword downwards too much at the end of ochiburi while gripping the sword too tightly. ( Spot the mistake(s)!! )
Mine was an x-ray; wrist brace; no iaido for 4 weeks job!! I have changed my technique to stop putting strain on this area . . . or corrected my technique (the latter is more accurate!!)
Hope this helps . . .
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