Forearm Pain when Paddling

[Spring2016]

Hi, one of the main barriers to my surfing is not my cardio fitness - i never get out of breath - but pain in my forearm when trying to paddle out, or paddle for a wave; in fact, any sort of paddling. My sessions have gone from 90 mins in April to 20 mins today before it becomes too painful to paddle.

I know why I my tendons are damaged. Aged 40, 20 years in an office, then suddenly deciding to take to surfing again - my body was not prepared for the sudden amount of exercise surfing requires.

The pain started last year, and I initially blamed it on a very heavy longboard I owned. It was not until it got to the point where it was too painful to paddle out that it became a problem. From a bit of googling, it seems I have surfers elbow. I have read all the articles about pain killers, physiotherapy, rest, cortisone etc. I 'rested'over the Winter for about 5 months and after a few months of this season, the pain is back.

I have started some forearm strengthening exercises; if you have suffered from this pain, what did you do to overcome it? I am interested in your experiences.

Thank you for your help.

[oldmansurfer]

I have not heard of this or maybe I have but I am getting forgetful in my old age. However I found this article https://surfing-waves.com/surf-fitness/surfers-elbow.htm with info on the problem. I do a variety of dumbbell exercises to strengthen my shoulders and arms and legs and have done them from before I (re)started surfing. Also I only surf for 30 minutes at a stretch.....welll ok some days maybe 60 minutes.

[Spring2016]

Thanks, I saw that article. To be honest, lots of sports claim the name, tennis elbow, golfers elbow, surfers elbow: the symptoms are very similar. I am working on a few exercises I have seen online,

[oldmansurfer]

I am 62 years old and have shoulder, hip, knee and back problems but they all seem to be kept in check by stretching and strengthening muscles around those areas. But so far no elbow problems I also limit my sessions to less time and in my imagination I think this helps too

[waikikikichan]

Just like Tennis Elbows, it usually starts from bad form. If your wrist is loose and not cocked back on impact, the force gets transmitted back to the next joint.
I suspect you're doing a windmill paddle. It's like a wind up tub toys you spin the arms back and they paddle forward. Is your hand in a constant line from entry to exit ?
Another thing you might not be aware of is your holding your breath or grinding your teeth. If you do, you tense up your arms. Which leads to muscle pain.

[Spring2016]

Thank you Waikikikichan. I wonder whether my wrist is loose when I paddle; it certainly is when I get tired. I was taught the S shape paddle to help the pain last year. I was going to switch to a more traditional one like this (although there is a slight S shape under the board when he paddles)

Close to midnight here, will check in tomorrow.

Cheers

[dtc]

I've found (a personal anecdote with one data point - that may not apply to you!) that if you focus on pulling your hands back, you tend to put a lot of pressure through the elbow and forearms. You can even be twisting at the elbow to move the forearms/hands. This also looks like the windmill paddle mentioned by wkk - elbows stay in the same place and just your hands move

Whereas if you mentally think about pulling your elbows back (and not your hands) then you are using your lats (back muscles) rather than your arm muscles. So you extent your arm, hand in the water, pull back the elbows. Your forearm and hands will move down and under of course but the power is coming from your back

[Spring2016]

Thank you dtc; I am going to try this out tomorrow. My local should be going a couple foot offshore this weekend - the first time in about 6 weeks.

Arms were in agony again today but have been following some stretch guides.

You're right, when I paddle my forearms must take all the impact - hence the damage - as my shoulders have never ached after a session, because I am not using them .

I feel sorry for my forearms as, by themselves, they are the only muscle group responsible for shifting me 16 stone /101kg , plus a surfboard out to sea, and back for a few hours every other day !

I am going to try and think about pulling my elbows back when I paddle. If I feel pressure in my lats or shoulder when paddling, I will know I am getting the hang of it.

[Oldie]

I would suggest seeing a doctor for this. Pain in the forearm can come from wrong paddle technique, but can also just be a symptom of other issues in the back, shoulder or neck, which is often the case for office workers (like me, too). You may end up exercising wrongly by relying on google and forum advice.

[dtc]

Yes, even if the pain is due to bad technique, pain can mean an injury and just changing technique doesn't fix the injury (it might prevent another one after you have recovered). And if the pain is due to nerve impingement or something like that, technique won't fix that.

So be careful/gentle and don't push the pain levels.

There is a guy who does an online course (the key elements are free) on surf paddling. He is a bit long winded and a bit technical but might be worth a look. Google 'rob case surf paddling'

[saltydog]

If your wrist is loose and not cocked back on impact, the force gets transmitted back to the next joint.

THIS

I've had more of a wrist pain from repetitively lifting a heavy object, a sleeping baby in fact! Supporting the snoozing little head while trying to put my kid in a crib without waking him up (and failing) a dozen times a day everyday did my wrist in. I tried switching sides and I actually hurt the other wrist as well. Tilting a hand back against force can really injure the wrist to forearm. Wearing a wrist splint to both support my wrist and keep it in correct posture helped me heal and prevent future injuries. BUT all this may or may not be relevant to your forearm pain. When in doubt go seek medical attention... in person.

[waikikikichan]

The cocked back wrist example was only about Tennis. Paddling is fluid and relaxed. In the wrist. I was concerned the OP is paddling straight back like most newbies do.

[jaffa1949]

Part of Chiropractic training is to observe the mechanical of movements that cause pain and breakdowns.
One major cause of elbow impingement is the straight back and out to he side, final flick.
This puts the final push of force against the water right into the joint where the radius, ulna and humorous meet.
The force directly irritates and inflames the bursa( fluid filled sac in the joint ( bursitis) , rest cold and after inflammation gone, then practice new technique, giving time to resolve any rising inflammation.

Similarly if you over extend in reaching in any paddle stroke will flex the joints unduly and induce the problem again.

Since you are a boxer , think on a punch where if you fully extend the arm in a punch the force of impact is lost.
The force however is translated into damage to the ligaments and cartilage of the joints and damage is first noted by bursa inflammation.
Resolve it early resolve it well, the longer it goes the more the damage!

[saltydog]

The cocked back wrist example was only about Tennis. Paddling is fluid and relaxed. In the wrist. I was concerned the OP is paddling straight back like most newbies do.

You are right, waikikikichan. That's what I get for quoting out of context Too exposed to the US presidential election commentaries

[SurfShape]

I've experienced this before (about 3 years ago), but it's been awhile since I've had the pain again. At the time, I found rolling the affected muscles/tendons with a tennis ball or baseball helped a lot. It works out any tension that your muscles have and loosens them up. A lacrosse ball works really well too.

Put the ball on a table and roll your forearm over the top of the ball so that you're putting pressure where the pain/contracted muscles are. Apply sufficient pressure so that it's almost painful, kinda like a professional massage. Apply more pressure as your muscles loosen up. I would only do this for 10-15 minutes at a time, then let your arm(s) rest. If you've ever used a foam body roller it has the same effect, just for smaller muscles that you can't reach with a body roller.

[RinkyDink]

It sounds like the kind of pain I develop when I overtrain. I don't know how often you're surfing, but I learned in the beginning that I had to back off on the amount of surfing I was doing. Give your body time to adjust to all these new positions you're putting it through. If your forearns are sore, then go skateboarding or go body boarding. You can still do things in the ocean, but just give your arms a break from paddling and gripping the rails of your board until you have the strength to withstand long or multiple surf sessions.

[Gershon]

Hey Spring2016,

I took some pictures for you from the exercises what I usually do before and after surfing. I had the same problem when I started wavesurfing. I am working as a trainer so I am always learning and educating myself about this kind of pains.
Try these drills and it will help you. I would recommend 3-5 mins / day especially before and after you go for a long surf session.
Drills are:
1. self myofascial release (foam roller - I have a handmade roller)
2. stretching (all the muscles on the arms and shoulders)
3. active warm up

Have fun with it and I hope it will help:)

Check the pictures below>

Use a foam roller for your extensors on your forearm

Hey Spring 2016,

[Spring2016]

Hi Gershon, thanks for these exercises, some of which I am doing; I still get a lot of pain so I will add these to my routine.