Gear Review: Armaid

Here's a review we did of the Armaid. If you haven't seen it before, it could help you with forearm tightness and other common overuse injuries.

Armaid Review

Hope this helps,
Aaron Cassebeer & Paisley Close

I have one of these. Awesome tool! I also use it on my skinny calves.

Anyone have any experience using this for golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis)?

Daniel Winder wrote:Anyone have any experience using this for golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis)?

That's what I use mine for. It never cured it completely (it comes back if I stop using the device for any extended period of time), but as long as I do some maintenance work every couple of weeks, it keeps it in check.

I tried lots of other stuff and the Armaid is the best of the bunch.

(I have had some issues with one of the parts of the device breaking multiple times, but some far the company has been good about warrantying it).

Daniel Winder wrote:Anyone have any experience using this for golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis)?

I bought it for just that. It can't hurt - glad I have it, but I have had a helluva time getting over it. Not using elbow is the best, recently got some Voltaren Gel - that helps as well, a script is required for the gel.

I got one specifically for my medial epicondylitis and it nailed it - either that or I love the placebo effect. My pain was all but gone in two weeks, and I found a bunch of nasty trigger points in my forearms and biceps which it dealt to as well. Hugely impressed. YMMV.

Daniel Winder wrote:Anyone have any experience using this for golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis)?

Yes, and it took me a bit to discover the trick to curing this nasty condition. I tried all kinds of exercises with weights, bands, and even bought one of those Theraband Flexbars.

None of that seemed to help much, but a combination of techniques with the Armaid did. In addition to religiously working out your forearms, both flexors and extensors, you'll notice if you watch the included DVD that there is a section on medial epicondylitis, where this technique is described. The key is to put pressure on the painful spot on the medial side of your elbow, and maintain pressure while you flex and extend your arm at the elbow. I tried applying pressure with the Armaid, but ultimately found that digging in with the thumb of my opposite hand was the most effective. Initially it can be excruciating, but again this is the key, as you may or may not be able to cure the condition simply by working out the muscles of the forearm (although this too is very important). Hope that helps!

Mitch Musci wrote:I tried applying pressure with the Armaid, but ultimately found that digging in with the thumb of my opposite hand was the most effective.

That's my approach now with most pain-strain things in my arms and shoulders from climbing. I own an Armaid and I think it's well designed. And it was a great learning tool for me.

But to really dig deep and hard into the "trigger point" which really needs it, my own knuckles do it in a way that the ArmAid cannot. Also sometimes I use corners of large pieces of furniture (to reach the back of my shoulders).

I suspect for lots of people, the Armaid is as good as they're going to get with self-massage. But climbers have stronger fingers and arms, so we can do better on more precisely-targeted, intense self-massage.
(after starting with the Armaid tool and videos as a learning phase).

Ken

I've experience great results as a pre-hab/warm-up tool as well. The video and learning to manipulate/massage yourself is worth the 99.95. The single orange ball can also do a better job of pin-pointing specific locations

The single orange ball sounds new. Mine didn't have it when I bought it a few years ago. Perhaps that helps for deeper more intense focus on trigger points.

The idea of using it for warmup suggests ..
perhaps use it for a "refresher" mid-workout or between-tries -- sounds promising. Because in that case your own fingers and arms might be too tired to give effective massage without assist.

Fundamental problem for climbers is that the finger/forearm muscles for finger flexion (critical for gripping handholds) are deep ("profundis") under the skin of the forearm. The finger extension muscles are near the surface where it's easy for the ArmAid to reach, but those aren't the ones critical for gripping.

Ken

I have one and use it daily. I prefer the orange ball. I 've found that simply moving it up and down my inner and outer forearms loosens them up, even when I don't have any pain. I remembner hearing a doctor being interviewed and he mentioned that during surgery on climbers, he's seen a lot of built up scar tissue in their forearm tendons. So, I'm hoping that I can break up some of this tissue proactively. It also really helps when I have a slight strain.

I mimic what my physical therapist does: massage, then ice.

I've also used my thumb and fingers, but when I have bilateral pain, the armaid is a little easier to use.

After about six months of hitting it pretty hard (campus board, lifting, climbing) and not taking enough rest days, I'm now struggling with what I assume is golfer's elbow/medial epicondylitis in my right arm. I've taken 2.5 weeks completely off to rest, and am now regularly stretching and using the forearm exercises outlined in the Dodgy Elbows Rock and Ice article as well as some pronation stuff. Also massaging the area with a lacrosse ball and my thumb.

I'm starting to climb again and taking it sort of slow, but I'm getting impatient and want to start projecting again. Almost to the point where I can justify dropping upwards of $100 on a goofy looking device from the interwebs.

For those that bought this Armaid thing; would you recommend it? In retrospect, was it worth the price? I'm still not convinced after reading through this thread and other reviews..

I own an ArmAid, and never use it any more.
For climbers who want to massage their finger-forearm muscles+tendons, and for climbers with elbow tendonosis, I think the Bodo is much more effective in digging into the critical gripping deep muscles - (and much cheaper). See
this thread

After a few days trying my first Bodo, I bought three more to stash in various places that Sharon or I are around frequently, so I'd have it readily available (in case I lose one of them).

Ken

Jon Zucco wrote:After about six months of hitting it pretty hard (campus board, lifting, climbing) and not taking enough rest days, I'm now struggling with what I assume is golfer's elbow/medial epicondylitis in my right arm. I've taken 2.5 weeks completely off to rest, and am now regularly stretching and using the forearm exercises outlined in the Dodgy Elbows Rock and Ice article as well as some pronation stuff. Also massaging the area with a lacrosse ball and my thumb. I'm starting to climb again and taking it sort of slow, but I'm getting impatient and want to start projecting again. Almost to the point where I can justify dropping upwards of $100 on a goofy looking device from the interwebs. For those that bought this Armaid thing; would you recommend it? In retrospect, was it worth the price? I'm still not convinced after reading through this thread and other reviews..

Hey Jon! Call in sick some weekday and let's go climbing...

Did you see JStar's review on Training Beta?

trainingbeta.com/armaid-rev…

Mark E Dixon wrote:Did you see JStar's review on Training Beta?

Thanks for a link to a more modern review. The Orange ball didn't exist when I bought mine. So the newer version of the ArmAid is now more suitable for reaching the deep FDP + EDP muscles + tendons.

But surely not as good for critical-for-climbing-grip FDP + EDP as the Bodo .

Also can use the Bodo for intense focus on other muscles like the front of the shoulders and chest, and front of legs, for which ArmAid does not help.

And the Armaid is like 10 times the price of the Bodo?
I guess I need to offer mine on Ebay.

Ken

kenr wrote: I guess I need to offer mine on Ebay. Ken

You should give Jon a deal, he's a good guy and not exactly rich.

I broke down and bought one of each... one armaid plus the orange ball and black roller attachments, and one medium bodo. I figure I'll keep the bodo in the pack for trips and the armaid by the couch at home. I'm not exactly rich... which is why I'd rather drop some cash initially now on gadgetry instead of doctor, pt, and massage therapy bills down the road. Hopefully it doesn't come to that, and hopefully I can start trying hard again without feeling like my right arm is going to detach at the elbow! I'll follow up with a progress report for anyone interested.

Mark, we should definitely climb soon. I'll be at Movement Denver pretty much all weekend I think (on call). I went up to Rifle on Sunday and hit Easy Skankin on the anti phil wall BTW. It was actually a pretty decent day temperature wise. Really great line if you haven't been on it yet.

Jon Zucco wrote: Mark, we should definitely climb soon. I'll be at Movement Denver pretty much all weekend I think (on call). I went up to Rifle on Sunday and hit Easy Skankin on the anti phil wall BTW. It was actually a pretty decent day temperature wise. Really great line if you haven't been on it yet.

Nice! You are climbing well- splurging on an armaid is a small price to pay.
Will text if I can get down. Denver Movement is a great gym.

Jon,

I'm glad you took some steps to heal yourself instead of letting it get really bad. I wanted to add that if I train too much I notice a significant increase in tightness and pain around my elbows. It's a careful balance between progression and over-training. I would suggest quality over quantity. The extra rest and self-massage will probably take care of it.

Just my 2cents,
Aaron

Jon Zucco wrote:I broke down and bought one of each... one armaid plus the orange ball and black roller attachments, and one medium bodo. I figure I'll keep the bodo in the pack for trips and the armaid by the couch at home. I'm not exactly rich... which is why I'd rather drop some cash initially now on gadgetry instead of doctor, pt, and massage therapy bills down the road. Hopefully it doesn't come to that, and hopefully I can start trying hard again without feeling like my right arm is going to detach at the elbow! I'll follow up with a progress report for anyone interested. Mark, we should definitely climb soon. I'll be at Movement Denver pretty much all weekend I think (on call). I went up to Rifle on Sunday and hit Easy Skankin on the anti phil wall BTW. It was actually a pretty decent day temperature wise. Really great line if you haven't been on it yet.

Any update would be appreciated!
-Joe

Did anyone else read this as Aramid or am I just stupid?