Thumb pain after Cardistry practice(Beginner) HELP!

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Spyink
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Thumb pain after Cardistry practice(Beginner) HELP!

Unread post by Spyink »

Okay, let’s sum this up! I started practicing Cardistry 13 days ago, or maybe 12 since the first thing I wanted to learn was the Riffle Shuffle. I spent like 2-4 hours practicing the Riffle Shuffle until my thumb and index finger hurt like hell. I even had bruises on the top of my index fingers. I also had a sore thumb for a couple of days, can’t really remember.
Then I learned the Charlier cut, Revolution cut and one handed fan with both hands, without major problems. Just some minor muscle soreness. But the huge problem began when I tried the Card Spring with a bit stiff deck, about 7 days ago. I soon as I tried it I could feel pain in my end joint at the thumb(Interphalangeal). And I was dumb enough to continue practicing for a few more attempts. I did it like 15-25 times, and that’s all. I then stopped practicing Card Spring and focused on one handed cuts.
BUT THEN, the pain didn’t get better and I stopped using the cards all together for 3 days or so. And that’s where I am now. The pain has spread from the end joint in the thumb to almost my whole thumb(the pain is not that bad at the moment, just if I do certain grips or push at different parts of the thumb.) And this is in BOTH thumbs/hands! I haven’t even practice the spring with my left hand! I also have pain in my left wrist since this morning after some stretching…
Is it carpal tunnel syndrome? Is it an inflammation? Did the intense riffle shuffle practice cause this? Or was it the not so intense card spring practice?
Have anyone else experienced anything like this?

I’m so annoyed! I finally find a hobby that I really enjoy and then this happens, and it’s my own fault :(
Thanks for your help!
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Re: Thumb pain after Cardistry practice(Beginner) HELP!

Unread post by MagikFingerz »

Sounds like you just need to pace yourself. Certain cardistry techniques like the riffle shuffle and (particularly) the spring are very taxing on the muscles in your hand. If you're just starting out, these muscles will VERY easily get sore. It follows the same principle as any muscular training, a beginner going straight to the squat rack and pounding out reps until he's fatigued is going to get EXTREMELY sore the next day.

Try simply spacing out the practice sessions over the course of the day, something like 5 mins practice every hour. And mix it up so you don't do the most taxing techniques throughout the whole day. Also (continuing with the "exercise" frame-of-mind) do some warm up before (can be as simple as clenching your fists and stretching out the fingers over and over a few times) and stretching after sessions, particularly if they're lengthy.

If the pain is still there after 3 days of rest, you MIGHT be looking at some kind of minor inflammation (no way of knowing without seeing a doctor). I wouldn't worry about carpal tunnel though, that's in the wrist and takes more time to develop. Can you pinpoint the pain to joints/bones or muscles? Some of the biggest muscles in the hands are between the thumb and the palm, so if that's where the pain is - read on.

Keep in mind, you're using muscles you've never used extensively before. Any muscular exertion is physical stress breaking down muscle fibers, which causes them to swell and ache while they're being rebuilt. Like with any other kind of training, your body and muscles will adapt to it over time. While it may not ease the pain, a (relatively) high-protein diet will ensure the muscles have all the amino acids they need to become stronger.
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pearloffus
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Thumb pain after Cardistry practiceBeginner HELP

Unread post by pearloffus »

ls, i think u need to feel for urself if the pain is due the muscle being worked or if the pain due to injury.. for me i know my back pain is because i swam hard this morning...
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Michael345
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Re: Thumb pain after Cardistry practice(Beginner) HELP!

Unread post by Michael345 »

Spyink wrote: Sun Aug 24, 2014 3:11 am Okay, let’s sum this up! I started practicing Cardistry 13 days ago, or maybe 12 since the first thing I wanted to learn was the Riffle Shuffle. I spent like 2-4 hours practicing the Riffle Shuffle until my thumb and index finger hurt like hell. I even had bruises on the top of my index fingers. I also had a sore thumb for a couple of days, can’t really remember.
Then I learned the Charlier cut, Revolution cut and one handed fan with both hands, without major problems. Just some minor muscle soreness. But the huge problem began when I tried the Card Spring with a bit stiff deck, about 7 days ago. I soon as I tried it I could feel pain in my end joint at the thumb(Interphalangeal). And I was dumb enough to continue practicing for a few more attempts. I did it like 15-25 times, and that’s all. I then stopped practicing Card Spring and focused on one handed cuts.
BUT THEN, the pain didn’t get better and I stopped using the cards all together for 3 days or so. And that’s where I am now. The pain has spread from the end joint in the thumb to almost my whole thumb(the pain is not that bad at the moment, just if I do certain grips or push at different parts of the thumb.) And this is in BOTH thumbs/hands! I haven’t even practice the spring with my left hand! I also have pain in my left wrist since this morning after some stretching…
Is it carpal tunnel syndrome? Is it an inflammation? Did the intense riffle shuffle practice cause this? Or was it the not so intense card spring practice?
Have anyone else experienced anything like this?

I’m so annoyed! I finally find a hobby that I really enjoy and then this happens, and it’s my own fault :(
Thanks for your help!
Most likely it can be either a pinched or sprained ligament, I had a similar situation, but it’s true that after training in the gym due to my negligence, otherwise everything was the same. I went to the doctor and he prescribed ointment and fixative for my finger. So the best solution would be to get checked by a professional. By the way, you might be interested, I once read that you can relax the muscles in your arms (hands and wrists) by hanging on the horizontal bar, I didn’t check it myself, but I think it might be true.

[edited to remove link by GandalfPC] - A first time poster answering an 8 year old thread is one thing, but the link provided seemed superfluous and only served the purpose driving traffic. It had nothing to do with the topic at hand.
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