Wrist/Arm Tendon/Nerve Issues - Grip? Lighter Weight/More Declines?

[FearOwnReproach]

I'm getting tendon inflammation throughout my arms (wrists, elbows, forearms) after a chest, arm, or back workout. When I do a pullup with bodyweight, a nerve pinching sensation in the right side of my left wrist (near the thumb-wrist junction) occurs.

I'll take time off and get massage therapy done and the wrists feel fine- yet when I hit the gym again the wrists get inflamed and sore. This is really getting old fast as I've seen multiple doctors and can remove the symptoms doing anything but lifting.

Like I said, pulling and pressing exercises seem to irritate it most. I guess I'll have to stick with extremely light weight. When I hold the bar, I wrap my thumb around and try and keep my wrists in line with my forearms. Do you guys have any other tips for how to keep the wrists lined up for pulling and pressing movements so they don't hurt? I tried wearing gloves and wrapping my elbows, which doesn't seem to make a difference. I don't want to hear "you probably have carpal tunnel syndrome". I'd rather hear tips on how you guys hold the bar and pull. When do you advance weight? In general I'm probably going too heavy and working my tendons more than my muscles. Maybe more declines are the answer for now...

[Old_Swole]

Originally Posted by FearOwnReproach

I'm getting tendon inflammation throughout my arms (wrists, elbows, forearms) after a chest, arm, or back workout. When I do a pullup with bodyweight, a nerve pinching sensation in the right side of my left wrist (near the thumb-wrist junction) occurs.

I'll take time off and get massage therapy done and the wrists feel fine- yet when I hit the gym again the wrists get inflamed and sore. This is really getting old fast as I've seen multiple doctors and can remove the symptoms doing anything but lifting.

Like I said, pulling and pressing exercises seem to irritate it most. I guess I'll have to stick with extremely light weight. When I hold the bar, I wrap my thumb around and try and keep my wrists in line with my forearms. Do you guys have any other tips for how to keep the wrists lined up for pulling and pressing movements so they don't hurt? I tried wearing gloves and wrapping my elbows, which doesn't seem to make a difference. I don't want to hear "you probably have carpal tunnel syndrome". I'd rather hear tips on how you guys hold the bar and pull. When do you advance weight? In general I'm probably going too heavy and working my tendons more than my muscles. Maybe more declines are the answer for now...

Of the things you have described the only one I have had was pain in my forearms. And what seems to aggravate it the most is straight bar curls. use the ez curl bar or even better than that use dumbells. You also mentioned you might be going to heavy this is very possible. back off on the weights and concentrate on stricked form until the pain goes away and then start upping the weight..just not to fast.

[chodan9]

I was having some pain with pullups (wide) until I started strapping them.
I have some versa grips that I use now, they are much easier than straps. When I started using straps or the grips with pullups I had 0 pain, I also could focus on the movement and not the grip. I wear VG's for my entire back day now.

[S-D]

I'm 45 so size is not as important as overall fitness. I had to take time out of all lifting because of the pain I had in my left arm. I get tennis elbow so bad that I can't pick up anything. For me the problem starts at C7 in my neck. When it's bad I feel all the way down the outside and back of my arm and into my hand. I have learned to work around this though. Reverse curls are a thing of the past for me along with pull ups. I am just getting back to where I can do seated pulls with weight. I can do curls with a straight bar and a curling bar but I have to be careful with dumbbells. When I curl I focus on not squeezing my hands too much. It just what works for me.

[Strongbadia]

It depends on the movements you are doing with the exercises and the kind of pain too. Do your fingers get numb? If so which ones?