When I first started training, I was particularly concerned with the occasional sciatica I'd experience ever since the time I shoveled my parents' entire driveway by myself during a particularly bad snowfall. But because I've strengthened my back muscles and sit up straighter now than ever before, I believe the sciatica is hopefully a thing of the past.
I also have a bum right knee from basketball which one upon a time I thought would never allow me to do tenkong fanyao properly, but all the training seems to have paid off, and I don't get booted from the line for tenkong fanyao any more.
So last week I got sidetracked with work again and only managed to train on Saturday (even though I so desperately wanted to sleep in!). As I did mabu and torqued my fists out into a full extension, I felt a slight tingle in my right wrist/forearm, a feeling I associate with carpal tunnel syndrome, which was probably exacerbated by the extra long hours I spent in my office during the past week. The numbness/slight pain also gets me during ceshoufan as well sometimes.
Hopefully, all that sitting in front of my computer won't give rise to any permanent problems. Does anybody have any recommendations as to how to combat carpal tunnel syndrome? I bet it's something Shaolin monks haven't had to deal with much!
Train harder!
I also have a bum right knee from basketball which one upon a time I thought would never allow me to do tenkong fanyao properly, but all the training seems to have paid off, and I don't get booted from the line for tenkong fanyao any more.
So last week I got sidetracked with work again and only managed to train on Saturday (even though I so desperately wanted to sleep in!). As I did mabu and torqued my fists out into a full extension, I felt a slight tingle in my right wrist/forearm, a feeling I associate with carpal tunnel syndrome, which was probably exacerbated by the extra long hours I spent in my office during the past week. The numbness/slight pain also gets me during ceshoufan as well sometimes.
Hopefully, all that sitting in front of my computer won't give rise to any permanent problems. Does anybody have any recommendations as to how to combat carpal tunnel syndrome? I bet it's something Shaolin monks haven't had to deal with much!
Train harder!
Carpel Tunnel Syndrome is actually a repetitive stress disorder. It's caused by doing the same motion over and over again. So one way to avoid this at the office is actually just to give your wrists a break. Stretch and rotate them every 2 or 3 hours.
ReplyDeleteAnother advice for your ceshoufan is to actually try to do handstands against the wall. Not only will this build the strength in your wrists and fingers but also in your abs which will allow you do cartwheels with a lot more ease. Putting too much weight on your arms as you go around the cartwheel is one way to put too much stress on them. Kick you legs around faster also helps so you don't have to rely on your hands to pull you over. Usually doing handstands is one way to work up to getting to an aerial. So work on those handstands....
Just so no one thinks I'm some complete weirdo. I'm writing here because I used to be a student at the Temple and had a lot of injuries especially in one of my knee from doing the movements incorrectly. So I am hoping I can give some advice so none of you have to go through same problems I did.
thanks for the thoughtful advice, anonymous! are you the same anonymous who has made other comments on other posts? we are psyched that people beyond the regular bunch of folks we hang with are checking us out too.
ReplyDeleteno one thinks you're a weirdo. remember, we're kung fu dorks!
so awesome! amituofo!
Yes I am anonymous who was posting all those anonymous comments. I forget how I found this blog. I was looking for some pictures of the New Temple because I heard the school relocated and then stumbled upon links to this blog and I thought it was interesting.
ReplyDeleteI think I will go by kung fu weirdo now!! =)
Carpel tunnel syndrome... rings a bell with my second job. Have you looked into an ergonmic keyboard? I believe used a split ergonmic keyboard. It was a bit hard getting used to but was a bit better until I changed my position eight months later.
ReplyDelete