Pain and dry fire practice?

[miller_man]

So does anybody else get a decent amount of aches and pains from lots of dry practice?

Stepping up my dry practice to daily - I've started to feel some wear and tear.
Normal practice for me is around 20-30 minutes (which isn't a ton compared to others - just visit Mr. Whites training journal). I know the importance of keeping my grip/hands/arms strong and tight for dry practice, but am I straining a little too hard? Most of the pain and aches seem associated with keeping the hands and arms flexed.

Most annoying is my weak hand shoulder - gets a nice sharp pain when I join my hands together and press the pistol out. Get a nice ache going in my elbows from keeping the arms flexed while doing trigger presses and after lots of draw/press out reps too. I get a plenty of normal hand and forearm cramping and aching but this goes away when I rest for a minute or two. And getting glock knuckle on my weak hand feels like evidence that I'm getting good calluses built up, but some of the shoulder + elbow aches are tough to work through.

You guys get any of this going on? Anything you have do or have found to help or alleviate any of this?

[Clobbersaurus]

I believe a regular, properly done, dry fire and shooting regimen is likely going to cause most people some repetitive stress aches and pains. I get pain in my right elbow from time to time, some days it is worse than others.

I think if you are getting constant pain it probably good to back off daily dry fire and let your body rest, or do shorter sessions every day. You can get a lot of good quality reps in even 10 minutes if you have structured your dry fire and prepped your targets.

Don't forget stretching of the affected areas. If it's debilitating pain you might want to get it looked at before you do some serious damage.

[Cookie Monster]

I started to dry practice left handed (other strong hand) and got left handed holsters primarily because of pain and soreness that a high volume of dry practice to my right hand.

I would take it slow and back off if practice causes excessive pain/soreness. I remember when I started to use 12lb trigger for practice from the 3.5 lb race trigger, it took a while to get used to/build up strength.

Massage and acupuncture helped me, also go see a doctor before things go sideways.

[Jay Cunningham]

I can't dry practice for more than about 10 minutes without my hands and forearms being smoked.

[RJ]

I only really get pain if I straighten my support arm and bear down. I'm either doing it wrong, or I'll get used to it eventually. I'm generally more accurate live fire, though, if I do. It seems to fix a persistent weak side and low grouping issue for me.

I generally try and do 10-15 minutes of grip dry fire a day. Mainly wall drills, slowwww press, that sort of thing.

[miller_man]

I believe a regular, properly done, dry fire and shooting regimen is likely going to cause most people some repetitive stress aches and pains. I get pain in my right elbow from time to time, some days it is worse than others.

Don't forget stretching of the affected areas.

This sounds like a good description of what I've got going on. Nothing debilitating or too excessive, the shoulder is the only thing that could be a sign of any real trouble.

Stretching is a good idea - lol, have to add a pre warm-up/stretch to my dry fire routine - almost sounds silly, but really makes sense.

Also, got some glucosamine supplements for joint health. Used to take them - they do help.


I can't dry practice for more than about 10 minutes without my hands and forearms being smoked.

Jay, I've read some of your valuable input on dry fire (and shooting) - really good stuff. So do you take a break after 10 minutes - or just keep your sessions to 10 minutes?

[Jay Cunningham]

Jay, I've read some of your valuable input on dry fire (and shooting) - really good stuff. So do you take a break after 10 minutes - or just keep your sessions to 10 minutes?


Thanks, I appreciate it.

I'm usually good with 10 minutes or so. It all depends, of course. If I'm working concealed draws I might go a little longer. If I'm working on SHO/WHO trigger control or what I call Grip Check with my full firing grip, 10 minutes is plenty for me.

As far as the topic goes, I think it's hard to avoid some type of physical effects from doing this. I've had "tennis elbow", I have Glock Knuckle and I think probably some carpal tunnel in my right hand.

[GardoneVT]

Just finished dry firing from my Safariland holster. The inside of my right thumb is both red and hurtin. I suppose a gun grab would hurt worse.

[GRV]

I find it frustrating that the conventional wisdom seems to be: "if you want to be a good shooter, you need to do X Y and Z, which will lead to you having serious tendon, joint, etc. problems of the variety that people usually get injections or surgery for."

I can't help but think like we're either missing out on some sort of workout routine that would prevent this (not just treat the symptoms), or that we're designing guns wrongs, or both.

[Kevin B.]

I find it frustrating that the conventional wisdom seems to be: "if you want to be a good shooter, you need to do X Y and Z, which will lead to you having serious tendon, joint, etc. problems of the variety that people usually get injections or surgery for."

I can't help but think like we're either missing out on some sort of workout routine that would prevent this (not just treat the symptoms), or that we're designing guns wrongs, or both.

I think it is the approach many people take toward their training combined with a failure to consider the impact on joints until issues manifest. An ounce of prevention...

[Peally]

Between working on computers all day and 20 minutes of dry fire at home my wrists (and occasionally elbow) are frequently in mild pain. Theraband for the elbow, stretches for the wrist.

It'll get worse the more I focus on standards skills since I'm more frequently gripping the snot out of the gun versus working on things like footwork.

[TAZ]

If I really go at it I get bad tendinitis in my dominant elbow. Rarely get it from live fire, but then during live fire there are lots of breaks to load mags, assess hits... When folks dry fire, they dry fire over and over and over.

I've found that I need to do short sessions throughout the day or just take breaks. Stretch, jot some notes... anything to give the joints a break and get blood flowing again.

[Kevin B.]

I am just going to leave this here.

https://www.t-nation.com/training/tendonitis-cure?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=article4279