Friction Burns on Wrists?

Hi all,

Whenever I go to weekend seminars I seem to come back with quite bad abrasions on the insides of both my wrists.

I was told by my teacher that they were friction burns and you can be more or less prone to them depending on how much you sweat. He said he used to get them himself but they just suddenly seemed to stop happening to him.

I spoke to another yudansha in the club and he'd never seen anything like them before, but advised that next seminar, I should try applying some cream to them between sessions.

Is there any more advice out there?

Incidently, it just seems to be due to extended periods of training - I'm certainly didn't notice anyone using the Evil Grip of Death on me at the time!

Thanks in advance,

Ian

If by abrasions you mean what medical folks mean, the actual removal of skin via scraping away, leaving raw skin and capillaries and the like exposed, my immediate concern is that you are at risk for both picking up and transmitting a variety of pathogens, and need to COVER the abraded areas to be in line with blood-born pathogen policies that any dojo should have in effect.
I don't know what kind of "cream" is being recommended. The term could include topical antibiotics, topical antifungals, topical steroids, topical arnical gel, topical analgesics....and without knowing why your problem exists, it would be folly to apply something that is, at best a waste of money, and at worst, going to make the problem worse. Again, if the skin is actually abraded away, washing with plain soap and water, then dry dressing, would not be a bad general treatment; a thin layer of bacitracin to prevent infection could be used if you are prone to skin infections.
If you just mean you are getting red areas of skin, without actual skin breakdown, disregard the above....either way, I'm afraid I've no idea what the cause might be.

I think if you have friction burns on your wrists, then perhaps you need to look at how you are doing your techniques. It sounds like you are not getting a proper connection, because if you were then there wouldn't be any slipping or sliding. Connection is very important. If uke is grabbing you too loose then ask for a little tighter grip. If it is because you are very sweaty, which happens to a lot of people, then consider keeping a handtowel in your dogi to wipe your sweat between techniques. About what Ms. Rosen said, if your skin isn't broken but you just have redness, then I think they might be bruises. I have had a few of those from some people who had forearms like Popeye and loved to choke the blood out of my hand. Take care.

Janet Rosen wrote: If by abrasions you mean what medical folks mean, the actual removal of skin via scraping away, leaving raw skin and capillaries and the like exposed, my immediate concern is that you are at risk for both picking up and transmitting a variety of pathogens, and need to COVER the abraded areas to be in line with blood-born pathogen policies that any dojo should have in effect.

Hi Janet,

Yes, that's what I meant by abrasion, although it's only been that dramatic once, for the most part it's just redness with red pinprick-like marks that scab over. Your advice for covering the areas is spot on, and matches what I was told both at the dojo and by my GP.

Janet Rosen wrote: I don't know what kind of "cream" is being recommended. The term could include topical antibiotics, topical antifungals, topical steroids, topical arnical gel, topical analgesics....and without knowing why your problem exists, it would be folly to apply something that is, at best a waste of money, and at worst, going to make the problem worse.

Not even if it fights the seven signs of aging? I think the suggestion was for a moisturiser to prevent a reoccurrence of the problem at the next event, rather than to treat the current problem.

Thanks for your advice!

John Matsushima wrote: ... If uke is grabbing you too loose then ask for a little tighter grip. If it is because you are very sweaty, which happens to a lot of people, then consider keeping a handtowel in your dogi to wipe your sweat between techniques.

Thanks for your advice, I'll give them both a try.

I don't believe a moisturizer would do a thing to helpthe problem, esp if sweating during training is believed to be a contributory factor.