Aches and Pains

Just wondering if anyone had any advice on getting rid of aches and pains and things of that nature. It seems like I'm always stiff or sore or something. There must be a good way to get rid of it and I was wondering if anyone found a way.

I found massage helps (when I started Aikido I took a bad fall, hurt my shoulder and kept rolling on it until it got worse) but it's expensive. Is there anything you can do on your own to help that at all? I'm cross training in Kung Fu as well so it's becoming more and more bothersome.

Thanks in advnace.

Greetings,

Years back, I lent my electric muscle stimulation unit (similar to the TENS units that physiotherapists use) to a friend of mine who had had cronic elbow pain for years. He then worked out his elbow morning (20 mins.) and night (20 mins.) for 6 months. It took care of 100% of his elbow pain. A physiotherapist had shown him where to put the unit in order to use it properly. He was religious about its use.

Note that he also protected his elbow greatly during training. Wraps and an X on the gi to remind everone that his elbow wasn't any good. Time and patience prevailed and all is good now.

Hope that all works out and take care of your injuries.

KAI

Hot baths

Train more. Seriously.

Conditioning and better form can prevent some aches and pains.

Massage and Tiger Balm works well for me.

RICE: rest, ice, compression, elevation.

Physical therapy rehabilitation exercises.

Thanks to everyone who replied. I'll try what I can, I've got something like Tiger Balm which is nice for temporary relief but for something long-term I needed something else.

Hopefully I'll get in better shape soon.

Hi Owen,
When I feel like I've had an exceptionally strenuous class, I'll go home immediately and soak in a hot tub for at least a half an hour. It works wonders for me.

I also use tiger balm and a jow.

For things like tightness and general aches, I really find that continued training helps, and if I don't have a class that day, spending a half hour stretching will alleviate a lot of it.

Of course this advice is for general aches and pains - I once injured my shoulder and nothing but rest helped.

Hope that's of use,
Carrie

Owen Matchim wrote: I found massage helps (when I started Aikido I took a bad fall, hurt my shoulder and kept rolling on it until it got worse) but it's expensive.

Does it still bother you? When I injured my shoulder the ONLY thing that helped it was rest and immobilization. Training slowly/carefully didn't allow it to heal. I had to stop training for a short while to let my body take care of itself...small price to pay in the long run. As for massage you might try looking for some local massage schools. Some of the ones around here will have the senior students give massages for very discounted rates.

Owen Matchim wrote: Just wondering if anyone had any advice on getting rid of aches and pains and things of that nature. It seems like I'm always stiff or sore or something. There must be a good way to get rid of it and I was wondering if anyone found a way.

Rest. What is your training schedule like? Are you hittin' the mat hard for 3 hours every night? I had to to cut my training back to about half of what I was doing to find balance for my body, mind, and non-aikido life. Had I not cut back I would have burned out and quit years ago....now I take a much longer view of my training. Thinking in years instead of weeks/months.

Bronson

No my shoulder doesn't hurt like that anymore though I do get aches in them anyway, as for my complete training schedule:

Monday + Wednesday: Kung Fu for 2 hours at night
Tuesday, Friday & Sunday Morning: Aikido 2 Hours

plus school and a dance class and things like that but I doubt they are contributing.

-Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation

-Drinking lots of water

-Stretching before class

-Hot baths(maybe with some epsom salt) and massages

Owen Matchim wrote: as for my complete training schedule: Monday + Wednesday: Kung Fu for 2 hours at night Tuesday, Friday & Sunday Morning: Aikido 2 Hours plus school and a dance class and things like that but I doubt they are contributing.

How's your sleep? What are you eating? These are rhetorical btw. If your body isn't getting the time it needs to heal/repair/rest i.e. sleep, it can have quite an impact on how you feel. Same with food. You need to make sure you're giving your body the raw materials it needs to maintain itself. A big one for me was overall stress level. Although I love aikido the stress of training everyday was greater than the benefit I was getting by doing so....I ended up with a net loss. Basically taking one step foward and two back. By cutting my schedule down and filling that time with other activities I was much better able to deal with the demands training made on me, both physically and mentally.

This is what worked has worked for me. You are, of course, different and this may not work for you...just throwing it out there.

Bronson

Here are some options for you:

Several folks in our dojo use Arnica & Ruta, homeopathic remedies. I recently used Arnica to help with a nasty hamstring tear (hakama "grab" with my heel during sumi otoshi). The orthopedic was shocked that I was back on the mat in 2 weeks. I'll take Ruta if my wrists get a lil creaky.

I was skeptical about using these remedies at first, being brought up in a western medicine is king household. But the proof for me was in the results.

Arnica Montana products can help reduce post-operative bruising (ecchymosis), swelling (edema), and discomfort. Arnica Montana is a natural and safe homeopathic remedy that is frequently taken in oral pill or cream form. Grown in mountain regions, this homeopathic herb not only helps reduce bruising and swelling but also promotes healing and lessens post-operative pain and discomfort.

Ruta gravens - Aids with injuries to muscles, tendons and ligaments, where there is bruising over the bone.

As some other folks have mentioned, strength training is probably the best thing you can do for yourself. A strong muscle is a flexible muscle, one that is more vascular, and able to heal itself faster.

Peace,
eD

Thanks again everyone. I'll try and put more into stretching before class. I usually do drink lots of water and eat well enough (though perhaps not as well as I'd like).

As for stress, I'm finding that I've had less stress since beginning Aikido. I find that if I'm sitting around the house too long I start to get lethargic and my stress seems to increase. Aikido really takes the edge off it, it's very nice around exam time.