Sore forearm

Hi everyone, I have all of a sudden started getting a really sore right forearm and outside above the elbow that is lasting for days after a paddle! I am making sure I don't grip hard to the paddle so it's not that... Any suggestions?

Belinda, that's usually form related or just plain Ole overuse.
I had the same problem about a year ago and I bought on Amazon a Thera-Band Flexbar. Surprisingly it really works.

Are you a right hander doing a PC job that involves heavy mouse usage? Did you have extensive working hours the days before paddling? Do you sit with an angle towards the desk and lean on that forearm? If, change working position. Might not be the reason, could be paddling alone (e.g. too much pushing/pulling/twisting with control arm) but that's what amplified my elbow strain in those "stressy work related mouse pumping" times when combined with paddling. My cure, make seating postion more correct or .. work less, paddle more lol

I think it maybe form related... I changed seat pads and leg length a little while ago, feels so much better-more snug but I feel I am using my arms more now for some reason! I might need to have a fiddle.

I think it's definitely the paddling as it hurts as soon as I'm off the water. I think I'm going to have to try a different seating position... Easier said than done though... I'm really happy with my seat pad and leg length but I think it's definitely affecting my stroke.

Hi,
I get a sore forearm occasionally. I paddle most days and it seems that when I work too hard trying to pull over waves my forearm blows out. I usually shorten my paddle a couple of centimetres and the pain eases. I paddle with the shorter paddle for a few days then lengthen it again.
Paddling is no different to any other sport. If you over exercise you'll get an overuse injury. Sometimes your body (or arm) needs a rest. Resting an injury doesn't necessarily mean stopping exercise completely. It can mean reducing the amount you exercise, the intensity that you exercise at etc. I think that shortening the paddle just takes the strain off your arm for a while until it settles down. Bit like changing to a lower gear on a bike.

Wow that's something to think about... I hadn't thought of adjusting my paddle. The pain has now travelled up to my biceps which is strange. Thankyou for the advice... I think a rest is a really good idea.

Shorten paddle length, angle, smaller blade side etc are all good. Go and see a specialist, could be a legitimate problem, could be something simple, a few massages or back/neck/hips out of alignment or use a foam roller for a few weeks solution - been down this path, regular body maintenance is a must.

Thanks, I can't go any shorter with my paddle length but I can certainly adjust my angle... Might look at this.

sounds like lateral epicondilitis, better known as tennis elbow. be careful. I had that and tried to keep paddling, ended up damaging the tendon so it would never heal. had surgery on where tendon attaches to the elbow. they just move the tendon to a new connection spot, which works pretty well. but the recovery time is 6 months. if it is tendintitis, you need to calm it down with ice and rest.

I experienced a similar issue. In my case the original injury may have come from another sport, or from overuse across a number of sports, however the paddling clearly exacerbated it.
Doing the obvious had a benefit. I gave the arm some rest and recovery time. There’s a risk that repeatedly re-injuring the already damaged muscle creates a more permanent problem. The recovery period allowed the initial soreness and inflammation to subside. Following this giving the arm some light, non-paddling exercise to encourage blood flow and promote flexibility seemed logical, and didn’t cause a problem, but allowed me to recognise that the injury was hanging around.
Next I returned to the surfski and looked closely at my stroke action, with the objective of achieving a more efficient stroke that didn’t re-injure the arm.
I can’t be overly specific as to which stroke corrections worked, because your original stroke will be different to mine (and your injury may be slightly different – mine was the classic tennis elbow, with the pain on the outside of the upper forearm below the elbow), however the elements of technique which seemed to impact (and now that I list them up its pretty much everything) and which I adjusted were:
Grip tension, throughout the stroke, in both push and pull phases. My injury was on my control arm, and the continuously strong grip on the paddle was a clear contributor. I still like a firm grip, but lightening this up assisted.
Grip angle. Too much cupping in the back of the wrist during the pull phase creates some ugly angles between muscles. I worked on achieving a more ergonomic paddle/hand/forearm angle, so the muscles pulled together rather than twisting against each other.
Spearing angle. The angle at which the paddle enters the water and the subsequent application of pulling force. This impacts on the amount of resistance placed on the forearm.
Amount of pushing force during stroke. Inadvertently applying an excess of pushing force with the high hand during the stroke also created some poor muscle angles and an excess of tension in the forearm. Decreasing the amount of push with the upper arm, and increasing the amount of pull with the lower arm assisted.
Shoulder rotation (pre-stroke), Direction of Pulling Stroke, Direction of Pushing Arm and Synchronisation of Shoulders and Arms. These elements all contribute to which muscles are being applied and the tension and alignment of the arm muscles during the stroke. I progressively adjusted these to achieve a stroke involving a more co-ordinated pulling action involving arm and torso, better muscle alignment during the pull, and with less (and possibly minimal) hand and forearm pulling or pushing.
Seems to have worked so far with two added benefits. My stroke is better than it was, and with a better understanding of what was involved I can lighten the load on my forearm mid-paddle with a few technique adjustments if I feel the muscle become stressed.

Wow you've given me alot to think about. I have had a week or so off but scared to aggravate it further! I will be taking it very slowly. Thanks for all the info.