QuestionHi, My forearm muscles on are usually sore or tender and tense. This is do to the constant use of the mouse while on the computer. What would be the best way to relieve the soreness and tighness of the muscles and tendons? Would a heating pad be the best way to go? Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks in advance.
AnswerHi Eddie,
Computer users get a LOT of problems due to repetitive use of the mouse, keyboard, and other (usually ergonomically incorrect) devices. These problems have been widely misunderstood, even by those in the therapeutics industry. In fact, when computers emerged into the workplace during the 80s, tens of thousands of cases of "carpal tunnel" were ineffectually treated by surgically cutting the ligaments that close the carpal tunnel to make way for the nerves that go under the wrist. Those failed surgeries are done by otherwise competent orthopaedic surgeons, and they tend to be bright people.
Now that a few decades of study have gone into computer-caused forearm problems, we have a better idea of what causes them:
A) prolonged tension of the muscles that keep the hand in position
B) repetitive small movements of the fingers and wrists while in a weird position
These cause tetany (continuing stiffness of the muscles) that has to be balanced by other muscles, which in turn become tetanous; one muscle becomes stiff and shortened, which leads its antagonists to become stiff and shortened in response, which leads to other muscles to become stiff and shortened. Over months to years, we see a decreased ROM (Range of Motion) which is generally pain-free. At this point, the joint is more prone to injury (sprains) because the muscles do not tolerate even a normal ROM and an otherwise normal active ROM (such as a fall onto an outstretched hand, or a shock such as playing raquet sports or doing yoga) can cause more damage than usual. The joint gets increasingly fatigued and weak (from the muscles wasting their energy on ineffective contractions). Gradually, ROM is decreased almost to zero.
What to do?
a) PREVENT. Your body has been getting tighter and tighter, and you have been ignoring the warning signs.
Treat yourself like a professional athlete: warm up, cool down. Do some exercises for these poor undermaintained forearm muscles before your work session - that's what your body is telling you to do. Ignore it at your own cost as it breaks down for lack of a bit of athletic self-care...
a) STRETCH. Improve your range of motion by going into the ranges of motion that challenge that tightness, and then leaving the muscle in that challenge for 90 seconds. Switch positions to the next challenge range, and so on. (There are 14 "extensor" muscles on the back of the forearm, and 13 on the "flexor" front of the forearm - I can't describe how to stretch all of these muscles here in text form but Youtube has many good explanations of how to do these stretches; see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh9WZ5VglFI for an example.
b) HEAT. Yep, you're right. Heat increases the bloodflow to these muscles by increasing the size of the blood vessels leading to and from the area heated. The body is trying to maintain a steady temperature, but *presto* we can use this side-effect to get fresh blood to starved muscles. A heating pad 10-15 minutes at a time is a good artificial 'warmup' for tired muscles.
d) MASSAGE. Deep-tissue self-massage helps to stretch the smaller elements within the muscle. Put your forearm on a table, and use the opposite 'soft fist', forearm, or elbow to get the necessary pressure to get penetrating pressure. Use directions that penetrate pressure deep into the tightest muscles (which will feel like ropes because they're maintaining residual contraction). Or, use techniques that laterally bow the muscle, like pulling the string of a bow back. As a massage therapist, I have sometimes found it necessary to even kneel on my own forearms to get enough pressure to massage these powerful, tight muscles!! Remember to massage TOWARDS the heart, as bloodflow in the veins is limited by 1-way valves which you don't want to damage.
Hope this helps; follow-up questions are always welcome, Eddie.
Best regards,
Glenn Kukkee, RMT
