Dips and Sharp Shooting Pain

[Esque]

I'll try to keep this short and simple, and add more information if needed for context.

I have been using machine assisted dips for a few months now, but recently have started to develop sharp, shooting pain in my ulna of my left and right arm. The pain creeps up while doing forearm, biceps, or triceps exercises.

My best guess is this is a combined result of moving down to less and less assistance with the small size of the assisted dip machine's handlebars. The bars are either 1/2" to 3/4" in diameter, with no padding. I am assuming as I lower my assisted weight, and therefore put more weight onto my arms, I am adding additional weight pressure onto my hands. Due to the size of the handlebars, this weight is distributed upon a much small surface area, thus causing this pain.

At my gym, there are two pull up racks that have handlebars that are either 1 3/4" to 2" thick. Currently on the assisted machine, I am only using 30 lbs of assistance.

What are my options? I'm thinking it's time to take off the training wheels and just roll with the pull up rack handlebars. For all I know, it may even be easier with the increased surface area for my hands to hold my weight up. The other option in my head is to get some additional padding, but I'd hate to waste my time when I know in a few weeks I'll have weened myself off the assisted machine regardless.

[cent1k]

cramps most likely, overworking, not enough hydration, minor muscle pull. take a little break and check on the exercise in a week.

[braskibra]

what kind of pain, burning tingling like nerve symptoms, or aching type of pain like muscular> when u say ulna are you talking about the proximal or distal portion> is the pain intermittent? does it only hurt while performing the exercise or does it remain after your done? have u been taking NSAIDs at all? how are you doing the dips/straight up and down or leaned forward > may want to try it out differently, If the pain is on the medial aspect of the arm u might be looking at golfers elbow since the common insertion for the forearm is on the medial aspect of the humerus, and when doing dips you may be stretching the forearm flexors without even realizing it

[comps]

Sharp pains are normally tears.

[Esque]

It's not a cramp, the sharp pain is coming from my ulna, not my forearm muscle. I am absolutely sure the pain is coming from the bone, and not the muscle. The pain was only prevalent in mainly dips and curls, but it's a lot more prevalent after my chest, triceps workout day. Today I did backs, biceps and the bone was absolutely killing me on pullups.

Right now, I'm just going to stay away from dips and try to strengthen my triceps with another exercise until I can move to the larger diameter dip bars.

@Bra
Here's the answers to your questions, as it seems you may better be able to identify for clarify the issue.
- The pain is a sharp, bone pain. Imagine hitting your "funny" bone into a door. Take the same effect, and put it on the bone that runs through your forearm. I would describe it as someone taking a small hammer and hitting you in the bone.
- The pain is about 40% down my proximal towards my distal portion of my ulna. Not quite half way, but fairly close.
- The pain is not persistent while doing the exercise, but comes after I am done and lasts several seconds. It's starting to spread to other exercises as well.
- I take Tylenol here and there, but nothing in excess. The answer is no, no NSAIDs.
- I lean forward. If you do dips up and down, it shifts a lot of the focus to your chest. I mainly used dips in order to focus on my triceps.

[7X4Lyfe]

Op, your shoulder can't handle them. I have injured myself 6 times on my Right Delt from dips and bench with barbell.

Stop doing dips ASAP. Its an anatomy thing

[gtslmfao]

some peoples shoulders can't handle some exercises. dips is one of them. others are things like upright rows, behind the neck presses, etc.

[wugazi]

i had the exact same problem like a week ago i did dips and my upper right chest/shoulder/collar bone area hurt and they still hurt.

[alannigz]

Try with the pullup rack handles, if it doesnt give you pain, use that.

[braskibra]

honestly the way your describing it, if it feels as if your hitting your funny bone you may have entrapment of your ulnar nerve in the cubital tunnel, or have flared up your ulnar nerve, google some ulnar nerve tests, specifically the elbow flexion test ( make sure u depress your shoulders), if you can reproduce your symptoms then you most likely may have flared up your ulnar nerve, and btw if you do dips straight up and down u bias the triceps if you lean forward you bias the chest, i doubt you have a bone problem as the elbow is a very stable joint, not saying that its not possible but its much more possible to inflamm. the ulnar nerve in the cubital tunnel or even stress the brachial plexus(basically a strand of nerves that innervate your upper extremities from the neck-ulnar n. comes off it) when your doing dips, if it was me i would ice massage after exercise with a dixie cup throw it in the freezer and do it for 10 mins after you workout or if you flare it up, also if it was me id google ulnar nerve glides it may help restore motion of the nerve