# Nerve damage



## Aefibird (Jan 16, 2009)

Hi all, I've recently returned to martial arts (well, so far just to TKD, not to Karate as well just yet) after a couple of years out due to an stupid accident I had.

I was slicing a tomato and, well, let's just say the tomato wasn't the only thing that got sliced open. Anyway, I ended up severing the tendons for my first finger on my left hand as well as the main nerves for my first 2 fingers and part of my thumb as well. Yup, I sure made a mess.

The tendons have healed pretty much OK (a little 'clicky' and 'sticky' but not too bad) apart from not being able to properly bend the tip of my first finger (a bit of a pain when it comes to making a fist!). However, it is the nerve damage to my hand that is the most painful.

I've finally been given the OK by the docs/physio etc to re-start training and I wear a sports hand and wrist support when training to help protect the injury site.

My TKD instructor has been totally fantastic, he's very protective towards my injured hand and just lets me do the techniques that I can (for instance I can't do push ups any longer as my hand just won't bend like that any more, nor can I do palm strikes as a lot of the nerve damage and scar tissue is in my palm), which is good. 

However, I'd like to try and be able to get as much use and training from both my hands, as it's all very well not training many techniques with one hand because it causes me pain, but in any situation that I might NEED to use my MA skills my attackers aren't going to be as considerate to my disability as my instructor is. 

I was wondering if anyone else on here has had nerve damage, particularly to hand/fingers, and I'd be interested to hear how it affected/affects your training and what you do to try and minimise any restrictions from such an injury.

Thanks.


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## tshadowchaser (Jan 17, 2009)

Nerve damage may never be completly recoverd as a rule.  The only thing I will suggest is to do just what you are doing, that being keep practicing and slowly trying to work more flexion and extention into the hand over time.
Sometime nerve damage can be worked around but it is still there and the pain or lack of feeling will flare up from time to time.


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## terryl965 (Jan 17, 2009)

tshadowchaser said:


> Nerve damage may never be completly recoverd as a rule. The only thing I will suggest is to do just what you are doing, that being keep practicing and slowly trying to work more flexion and extention into the hand over time.
> Sometime nerve damage can be worked around but it is still there and the pain or lack of feeling will flare up from time to time.


 
This is probaly the best advice,best of luck in your training.


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