Some people who play sports or do physical work notice some pain in the forearm or elbow. Some people think that it is the famous tennis elbow, although the reality is that the discomfort comes from the brachioradialis muscle.
Although both are usually caused by overuse and overexertion, tennis elbow is inflammation of the tendons in the elbow, and brachioradialis pain is specific to this muscle.
Functions of the brachioradialis
The brachioradialis is a fusiform muscle located on the lateral aspect of the posterior forearm. Together with the extensor carpi radialis brevis and the extensor carpi radialis longus, it comprises the radial group of forearm muscles, which belong to the superficial layer of the posterior forearm muscles.
Although anatomically part of the posterior forearm muscles, which are known to be forearm extensors, the fiber orientation of the brachioradialis allows it to flex the forearm quite a bit, especially when the forearm is semi-pronated. The function of this action is seen in various ordinary activities such as hitting a hammer or rowing.
The brachioradialis is a muscle of the forearms . It extends from the lower part of the humerus (the long bone in the upper arm) to the radius (the long bone on the thumb side of the forearm). Its main functions are flexion of the forearm (raising the forearm when you bend your elbow), pronation (helping to rotate the forearm so the palm faces down), and supination (helping to rotate the forearm so the palm faces up).
The brachioradialis muscles return the forearms to a neutral position after supination or pronation. Additionally, these muscles stabilize the wrist when gripping objects and prevent it from bending, which is the movement that the hand and wrist flexors would perform during powerful gripping motions. Another function is to stabilize the elbow , especially when the biceps and brachialis muscles are working to move the joint. This occurs during rapid movements that generate high centrifugal forces, such as when throwing punches.
It also stands out because its insertion is far from the joint that it moves. As a curiosity, most of the muscles are inserted near the joint that generate the movement. Then, since muscles pull strongest when their fibers are linearly aligned, we can conclude that the brachioradialis will exhibit its maximum strength when the arm is semi-pronated, since this is where the muscle insertions align with each other in a sagittal plane. .
This is why the brachioradialis muscle will work more effectively when lifting with a semi-pronated forearm. In contrast to this, the biceps brachii pulls more effectively when the forearm is supinated and the brachialis when the forearm is pronated. These actions are seen in various activities from picking up a bag to rowing.
Causes of brachioradial pain
The most common cause is overuse . If you overload the brachioradialis muscle for extended periods, it will become tender and painful. While manual labor and weightlifting are the two most common causes, other repetitive movements , such as playing tennis or typing, can also trigger symptoms. Generally, factors contributing to this forearm discomfort involve frequently lifting, twisting, or holding objects, which can increase tension in this muscle, leading to further discomfort.
Pain in this muscle can also be caused by a physical contact injury , such as a fall or being struck by a hard object. The muscle can be pulled or torn if it is strained beyond its physical limits, resulting in injury. The trauma can also cause sharp pain initially, which often progresses to more constant pain accompanied by stiffness, tenderness, and swelling. This is why treatment is needed to relieve the discomfort.
It can even originate from pressure on nerves in parts of the cervical spine, which run down the arm to the brachioradialis muscle, or as referred pain from other nearby muscles. The nerves in the C5 and C6 vertebrae of the cervical spine descend to the radial nerve, which then extends its nerve fibers to the brachioradialis muscle. If we have an injury or damage to the spine that puts pressure on the nerve roots in this area, we may experience pain and spasms in the forearm.
buildup of muscle tension
When we lift weights, they put a lot of stress on the forearm muscles. This pressure can cause muscle tension and stiffness to gradually build up over time.
When our muscles are tense, tight, and overloaded, they can cause a variety of different painful sensations. Some of these may include sharp pain, aching, or even burning. It is recommended that if we are in pain, we should seek the advice of a professional.
wrong technique
The forearm muscles are designed to perform specific movements. When these muscles are placed in unnatural or uncomfortable positions, they can cause pain or discomfort.
When lifting, technique is very important. If we are unsure of the correct techniques to use when lifting weights, we should seek the advice and guidance of someone who knows better. If we're at the gym, personal trainers are often the best people to ask and are often willing to help.
Pain after strength training
The brachioradialis is one of the strongest muscles of the forearm, if not the strongest. And while you might think this impressive feature would protect you from injury, the opposite is often true. As a powerful elbow flexor, the brachioradialis is regularly used when moving heavy objects at work or lifting weights at the gym.
However, when lifting awkward objects, such as furniture, the brachioradialis has to work harder if it doesn't also use the other muscles to maneuver the object. That is, if the brachioradialis is not very strong or strong enough to lift a particular object, we are much more likely to injure ourselves than if it were already adequately strengthened through something like weight lifting.
Also, we may experience brachioradialis muscle pain if we don't warm up properly before lifting and strength training.
Pain after doing bicep curls
If we experience brachioradialis pain after biceps curls or have brachioradialis pain during the curl, the first step is to review the technique.
As the elbow flexor, the brachioradialis is not only active in isolated exercises like hammer curls. It is also used in compound movements such as pull-ups and rows. So if we rely too much on the arms and not enough on the back during pulling exercises, we may have identified the source of the brachioradial pain.
Now, if we are sure that the curls are the exercise that is causing the brachioradialis pain (not just the fact that it hurts during the curls as a result of something else), you should stop performing the exercise immediately. This also applies to any other forearm strain.
Then, once the discomfort subsides and we no longer feel any brachioradial pain when lifting, we can start curling again, but with a light weight. After all, if we're primarily using low reps (and therefore heavier weights) for curls, then that could be the source of the problem.
not stretch
Lifting weights makes a lot of demands on our muscles, and if we don't do anything about it, it can cause pain. Those who train regularly know the importance of caring for and maintaining their muscles. If we don't take care of the muscles with maintenance, this can cause them to become weak, overworked, tired and cause pain.
Stretching the forearms is one of the ways we can help keep them in good shape. However, things like sports massage or deep tissue massage can be a great way to help keep your muscles flexible and pain-free. Some people also use tools like trigger point balls or massage guns that can help reduce stiffness, tension, and discomfort in the muscles. Trigger point balls are a great self-treatment method to help reduce forearm restriction on your own.
Most common symptoms
Brachioradialis pain can be appreciated if the forearm muscles become very tense, giving a shooting pain to the forearm or elbow during use. Some cases cause discomfort that can spread to the back of the hand and even to the index finger and thumb. As we said before, it can be confused with the condition "tennis elbow", but this is due to inflammation of the elbow tendons due to overuse, and brachioradialis pain is only an effect and not a cause.
So the most common symptom of forearm pain is extreme muscle tension. This can cause pain in the forearm and elbow. The pain is intensified when this part of the body is used.
Pain may also be experienced in:
- the back of your hand
- Index finger
- Thumb
There are some moments and actions that can generate even more pain, such as:
- turn a doorknob
- Drink from a cup or bowl
- shake someone's hand
- turn a screwdriver
Treatments to improve brachioradial pain
As with many overuse and repetitive strain injuries, the sooner you can treat the pain, the better. If you're wondering how to relieve brachioradialis pain, one of the best treatments is the RICE method . This consists of four key steps to minimize injury:
- Rest. Limit the use of the muscle as much as possible for 72 hours after the onset of pain.
- Ice. To limit inflammation and swelling, you should apply ice for 20 minutes every two hours.
- Compression. To decrease swelling, loosely wrap a medical bandage around your forearm.
- Elevation. To minimize swelling, keep your forearm and elbow elevated.
Heat and cold can also be applied as natural therapy. Applying ice to the forearm and brachioradialis muscle helps control localized swelling, pain, and inflammation. It should be applied for 10 to 15 minutes. After a few days, once the injury has healed, heat can be applied to promote blood flow and improve tissue mobility. This should be done for 10–15 minutes, several times a day. Care must be taken to avoid burns from heat or frostbite.
recovery exercises
Once the brachioradialis recovers and the pain is gone, some specific exercises can improve the strength of the muscle. This can help prevent future incidents. Some exercises that influence positively are:
- range of motion. Range of motion exercises consist primarily of gentle stretching. Basic movements that include bending the elbow and rotating the wrist. If you're looking for a more advanced stretch, extend your arms behind your back and bring your hands together.
- Isometric exercises. To complete isometric exercises, contract the brachioradialis muscle and hold it for a set period of time. To make the movement more difficult and cause a deeper stretch, grab a small dumbbell.
- Strength training. A physical therapist can check if you're ready to start lifting weights. If so, they will recommend exercises that may include barbell curls and dumbbell hammer curls.
Brachioradialis stretches
Forearm muscles can be easily strained from lifting weights, typing, and all sorts of activities. If we want to learn how to stretch the brachioradialis, here are the best stretching techniques to relieve tension.
Standing Brachioradialis Stretch
If we want to stretch the brachioradialis muscles, it is recommended to do it standing up. With this one, we don't need any materials, just the ability to follow basic instructions.
- We will place the arms in front of us with the elbows completely locked.
- We will put one hand on top of the other and then we will interlace the fingers.
- We will bend the wrist of the lower hand.
- We will rotate the wrist to the left until we feel a strong brachioradial stretch.
- We will hold it for 10 or 30 seconds and we will repeat for the other arm turning the hands to the right.
arms down
This is one of the simplest brachioradialis stretches because we don't even have to raise our hands to perform it. That being said, we will have to maintain a good posture looking forward and keeping the spine in a neutral position.
- We will cross the wrists one over the other and interlock the fingers.
- Next, we will rotate the upper wrist away from the body while keeping the elbows locked.
- We will repeat the same movement with the other arm and we will try to maintain each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds.
Prayer Forearm Stretch
The unfortunate thing about most brachioradialis and wrist stretches is that you need to stretch both limbs independently. This makes the stretching routine take longer, and people forget to stretch their other arm, leading to disparities in flexibility.
The position of this exercise makes the prayer stretch one of the best forearm muscle stretches because you can do it anywhere and get great tension relief in a fraction of the usual time.
- We will stand up or sit upright in a chair.
- We will join the palms of the hands without interlacing the fingers.
- We will raise both elbows so that the wrists begin to bend.
- We will continue raising the elbows until we feel a good stretch in the lower part of the forearms.
- We will hold it for 15-30 seconds.