QuestionHi Doctor, when I do hand punches with my right hand I get sudden electric shocks in my finger and hand- up to my wrist. Has been occurring for the past few days, even though have been exercising for years. Can you help me?
Answerstaten island boxing, hand pain, hand shocks, exercise, punching, hand punches, wrist pain,
Hello Tova,
Thank you for your question, Sorry to hear of your pain.
Having done a little boxing and hitting the heavy bag, a looooong time ago in my youth, I understand your pain, and your emotional frustration. You want to train, you want to exercise, you enjoy the boxing, the punching, and now it seems to be hurting.
Congratulations on exercising and keeping fit. Keep it up. If any activity hurts you, do not stop ALL activity, but analyze what is hurting you. Keep up the exercise, even if it means altering your routine for a while.
So, you have been exercising for a while, been punching for a while, and now, recently, there is a change where the punching causes pain.
What has changed? Are you using different equipment?- different bags, different gloves, different tape, different technique?, have you increased the amount of punching, changed speed, hand position, arm position?
Did you injure your fingers/ hand/ wrist/ arm elsewhere- and boxing just brings out the pain? Do you remember a specific workout, specific movement, specific incident that seems to have initiated this?
Take a look at all of the above. Think about all of the above before going to an appropriate licensed health professional for examination. Have answers to all these questions, because a good Doctor of Chiropractic, with a sports credential (like me- DACBSP) will be asking many questions before even examining you. I recommend a Doctor of Chiropractic, an Orthopedic MD, a sports medicine MD, perhaps a physiatrist as the types of Doctors to consider to examine you.
You may have only sprained/ strained/ contused your hand or wrist. You may also have caused a small fracture- like a stress fracture to your hand. Poor technique can cause this, or overtraining.
Further explanation available at:
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/boxers_fracture/article_em.htm ,
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.med.mun.ca/anatomyts/radioanat/ra... ,
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/meta5car.... ,
If you pain is on the little finger, pinky side of the hand you may have a 'Boxer's Fracture'. And you could have a stress fracture elsewhere. This should be evaluated for. Perhaps you have a fracture, perhaps not. Perhaps just sprain/ strain/ contusion.
In my Staten Island Chiropractic office I utilize informational handouts, perhaps this will help you treat your problem(s):
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Hurt yourself ?? injury/ trauma/ bruise/ not even sure - - a broken bone ??
You should certainly get to the Doctor or trained health professional to be examined if you think it is bad enough. BUT in the meantime, some simple steps may help. PRICE.
The PRICE protocol will usually help just about any musculoskeletal injury.
P = Protection; protect the area from further injury- stop what you are doing, can you
pad or bandage the area ? Tape the area? Do something to protect the area !
R = Rest; rest the area as much as possible, if a part is damaged, give the body time to
repair the area
I = Ice; ice is a potent anti-inflammatory; it will slow swelling, help with pain control
(ice is analgesic), place ice over cloth over the injured area for 5, 10 minutes, off the
injured area for 30 minutes; then back on again
C = Compression; to help prevent swelling compression may be helpful- for example
if it is an ankle, wrap the ankle with an ace bandage and ice the area. Many body
parts may not be applicable to compression. P.R.I.C.E. = P protection. R rest. I ice. C compression. E elevation.
E = Elevation; again to fight swelling and pain, raising the injured body part above the
heart may be helpful- ie raise an ankle or knee, you lay down, raise the injured part
PRICE may help : Sprains, Strains, musculo-skeletal injury, bruise, contusion
Sometimes a slip, trip, fall, heavy lift, athletic injury, or a motor vehicle accident can cause a bump or bruise, sprain or strain. Sometimes also involved with the injury is a vertebral subluxation (or other joint subluxation) (subluxation is a mechanical problem- of any joint- and requires a mechanical correction). In the spine, a sprain/strain is a misalignment, a 慿ink?in the joint, a stretch of the muscles, tendons and/ or ligaments:- more properly termed a Vertebral Subluxation. Sometimes symptoms can come immediately, sometimes days, weeks or even months later!- Well after the actual trauma !!!
Spinal = Vertebral Subluxation Complex (a.k.a. 憇ubluxation? ; ( subluxation COULD be any joint )
The vertebral subluxation complex is the underlying cause of many healthcare problems.
A subluxation interferes with the proper functioning of the nervous system (the master system which controls and coordinates all function within the body) and may cause various other conditions, symptoms and problems.
This is a serious condition identified by its five parts:
Spinal Kinesiopathology:
This is fancy way of saying the bones of the spine have lost their normal motion and position. It restricts your ability to turn and bend. It sets in motion the other four components.
Neuropathophysiology:
Improper spinal function can choke, stretch, or irritate delicate nerve tissue. The resulting nerve system dysfunction can cause symptoms elsewhere in the body.
Myopathology:
Muscles supporting the spine can weaken, atrophy, or become tight and go into spasm. The resulting scar tissue changes muscle tone, requiring repeated spinal adjustments.
Histopathology:
A rise in temperature from an increase in blood and lymph supplies result in swelling and inflammation. Discs can bulge, herniate, tear, or degenerate. Other soft tissues may suffer permanent damage.
Pathophysiology:
Bone spurs and other abnormal bony growths attempt to fuse malfunctioning spinal joints. This spinal decay, scar tissue, and long-term nerve dysfunction can cause other systems of the body to malfunction.
The Vertebral Subluxation Complex describes what happens when spinal bones lose their normal movement patterns and position.
Automobile accidents, improper lifting, improper posture, alcohol, emotional stress, chemical imbalances, and long periods of sitting can cause the Vertebral Subluxation Complex.
Vertebral Subluxation cannot be corrected through chemicals (medicine), stretching, yoga, vitamins or physical therapy alone. Subluxation- a neuro/skeletal/muscular- mechanical- problem requires a mechanical correction- - - a manipulation, best performed with the chiropractic adjustment. For good health- Treat the Cause, not just the Symptoms. Sprain/ strain/ bump/ bruise?= may result in subluxation of the nearby joint. CORRECT the subluxation !!!!
Dr. Victor E. Dolan, Doctor of Chiropractic; Diplomat, American Chiropractic Board of Sport Physicians; Diplomat, American Academy of Pain Management; Certified Clinical Nutritionist (IAACN); FIRST Chief of Chiropractic in a Hospital in New York State (DHSI); As Seen in PREVENTION Magazine
and if you are interested in improving performance:
Athletic Performance Improvement, Accelerated Recovery
Chiropractic is well known to improve athletic performance, prevent sport injury, and accelerate recovery from injury or hard training. With Doctors of Chiropractic serving on almost every nation抯 Olympic Team, with Chiropractic holding official status with the USOC and serving almost every US Olympic Athlete: the results of chiropractic cannot be denied. Coaches and athletes are aware of terms such as
enhanced performance, performance improvement, .
accelerated recovery, restoration and regeneration. .
Many coaching conferences discuss strategies on these aspects of exercise, competition, sports and athleticism.
An interesting study was performed and published way back in 1991. The January 1991 issue of the Journal of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation published findings that demonstrate significant increases in athletic performance after a twelve week program of Chiropractic treatment.
Athletic Ability Research:
Male and female athletes between the ages of 18 and 42, representing a variety of sports backgrounds, were recruited to participate in this study. None had ever before been under chiropractic care. Each of these participants underwent eleven separate tests, each test designed to measure a specific aspect of athletic performance. Then, half the participants were evaluated through chiropractic analysis and placed on a twelve week program of chiropractic treatment ( consistent regimen of chiropractic, similar to a consistent regimen of physical athletic training/ exercise ). ( measured aspects: side step test, dodging run, right boomerang run, modified bass tests of dynamic balance, vertical power jump, standing broad jump, distance perception jump, horizontal linear space test, nelson hand reaction test, nelson speed of movement test, nelson choice of response-movement test )
All subjects continued to train and practice as usual in their sports. At the half-way point of six weeks, they were all reevaluated and changes in scores for each group were compared. All increases in performances by each group were measured by the average percent of change in all eleven tests combined.
The control group, those not receiving chiropractic care, showed slight improvement in eight of eleven tests ( this group had been training 慳s usual?for the time period ). By combining the average percentages of change on each test it was found that the control group showed an overall improvement of 4.5%.
Those receiving chiropractic treatment (along with their 憉sual training?, the test group, had dramatically different results. They showed improvement on all eleven tests for a total 10.7% average increase after six weeks. And when retested again after the second six week period of care this test group demonstrated a remarkable 16.7% average increase in athletic ability.
( consider that one/ onehundredth of a second ( 1/100th ) is the difference between win ?lose,,, 16.7% is HUGE )
What Do Chiropractors Do?
Chiropractors analyze the structure of the body, looking for misalignments, primarily in the spine, and also the extremities. Spinal misalignments, termed vertebral subluxations, irritate the nerves which in turn inhibits the body抯 ability to function optimally. Like a high performance automobile, the human structure must be balanced and in alignment to be at it抯 best. A Ferrari with pistons that don抰 fire in sequence, wheels that are out of balance or alignment, and high performance specifications that are improperly set will not only have it抯 performance compromised but will also have dramatically increased potential for parts to wear out and breakdown. The human body, far more delicate and complicated than even the most advanced automobile is similar. If the framework, particularly the spine, isn抰 properly aligned and balanced- the body cannot perform to it抯 potential and is more susceptible to illness and injury, with slower recovery when injury does occur.
What Do Vertebral Subluxations Do?
Vertebral subluxations cause nerve conduction interference. This inhibits millions of messages from the brain from flowing smoothly along the nerves and in this in turn interferes with the coordination of the actions of the body. The only health care provider trained to diagnose and correct vertebral subluxations is the Doctor of Chiropractic. Like a properly tuned Ferrari, the chiropractic patient athlete, when properly aligned, functions at a level of peak performance.
Famous Athletes Utilize Chiropractics.
Many athletes have discovered the relationship between proper spinal alignment and their own level of achievement. San Francisco Forty-Niner Greats Joe Montana and Roger Craig as well as heavy weight champion Evander Holyfield are examples of professional and world-class athletes who realize(d) the value of proper structural alignment and balance in their bodies. They have learned through their own experiences what research has shown; that through chiropractic care - one can demonstrate faster reaction time, better balance, improved coordination, increased muscular power; and when injured- accelerated recovery and regeneration.
The Competitive Edge.
Emphasis on athletic excellence continues to escalate in this country in terms of both dollars and extremes in personal sacrifice. Though the dangers of taking anabolic steroids have been widely publicized for years, the number of athletes who suffer serious health problems caused steroids continues to grow. Now, however, the athlete looking for the competitive edge need not look beyond the framework of his(her) own body. Increased public awareness is leading many to realize that a natural method is available in achieving performance enhancement. The method is Chiropractic!
Dr. Victor E. Dolan, Doctor of Chiropractic; Diplomat, American Chiropractic Board of Sport Physicians; Diplomat, American Academy of Pain Management; Certified Clinical Nutritionist (IAACN);
FIRST Chief of Chiropractic in a Hospital in New York State (DHSI); As Seen in PREVENTION Magazine
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I would recommend you look at your regimen: Too much increase?- overuse sprain/ strain/ contusion; possible stress fracture or traumatic fracture; posible poor technique.
I would recommend that you have an examination with an appropriate health professional.
I would recommend that you keep up the good work- keep exercising, keep fit.
I wish you good luck, and good health naturally,
your Staten Island Chiropractor friend signing off,
Dr. Victor Dolan, DC
http://drvictordolan.chiroweb.com (email newsletter)
