Reddit reviews The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief (A New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook)

http://antranik.org/lacrosse-ball/

Also this book is amazing.

sure! I found out how to do it in this. I had a hard time trying to find an online tutorial but this is the closest one I found. I recommend that book whole heartedly. It's helped me a lot with pain and mobility coupled with other things like becoming a supple leopard and such.

Hold your belt with your injured arm. When my shoulder is messed, I just train one handed (if it's not bad enough to require not training).

Also, look into trigger point work. I have found this book to be quite good. Also, weight lifting, you'll want as much strength as possible to support the injured shoulder.

I've been in a similar situation for the last 6 years. First it was fingers, then my outer forearms. I work in IT, love gaming, very depressing, tried all the things. Last year, I bought this book: https://www.amazon.com.au/Trigger-Point-Therapy-Workbook-Treatment-Guide-Relief/dp/B00ECLGALG
It's taken a year of poking around (juggling real life commitments alongside), but recently I finally managed to mostly eliminate the arm pain through the massage prescribed in the book. The problem wasn't my tendons, rather the muscles that controlled those tendons. I worked out the kinks, and I've started to enjoy some late night gaming sessions again.

I recommend getting a lacrosse ball since they are quite cheap and versatile: https://www.amazon.com/Kieba-Massage-Lacrosse-Myofascial-Therapy/dp/B017V7UKW2/ref=sr_1_2?s=team-sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1486000450&sr=1-2

In addition, read up on trigger points and how to massage them. I suggest reading https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ECLGALG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

> I've been told by EVERYONE that building a strong back helps but have found that to not be true.

I would concur. IMHO, people who don't suffer from scoliosis just repeat what is in the literature. Obviously, there is a back imbalance, but what kind? I've been told by a medical doctor that swimming would help, but why? 'Because it is "good" for the back.'

In terms of exercises, I've found !transverse rotation! to be the key, and unfortunately, it's hard to replicate that movement with bodyweight training. It's probably the biggest gap in bodyweight after lack of leg development.

No comment about 'wall angels,' I never did them.

Foam rolling & triggerpoint release - it might be that your foam roller is too soft, or you don't know where the hot spots are (I'm hazarding a guess). Now, I'm not a medical doctor, but you'd do yourself a favour by getting [Clair Davies' book] (https://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Point-Therapy-Workbook-Self-Treatment-ebook/dp/B00ECLGALG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494967995&sr=8-1&keywords=clair+davies+trigger+point+therapy+workbook) and getting suitable tools. I have several, but I've found the jackknobber and the [Massage Block Twinblock Pro] (https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Headache-Performance-Myofascial-Recovery/dp/B00W4LZZK8/ref=sr_1_cc_1_a_it?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1494968059&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=massage%2Bblock&th=1) to be my go-to tools. [This chart] (http://www.proudback.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/trigger-points.jpg) might also help.

S-curve - So I've seen your vid 3 times, and I can't see your S-curve, especially because you don't face your back directly to the camera. It is likely not as pronounced as you think (if image was an issue).

What strikes me though is how stiff your thoracic spine is. It is kyphotic even when you are hanging from the bar (I had a 'permanently' kyphotic T-spine too). I'd do research on how to mobilise it, because it is evolved to be mobile, whereas yours seems to be a solid block.

> how my spine effects my ability to progress

I've not found my scoliosis to hinder my calisthenics training. The major concern is can you make it worse by training? And I believe you can. That's why I use foam rolling / triggerpoint release to keep it at bay, though /u/xBrodysseus has experienced improvement because of training.

>I don't understand the mechanics at work.

The mechanics of the front lever are the same whether you have scoliosis or not. Maximum effort retraction and maximum RoM depression of the scapulae, and then pushing the handle down to your hips.

>Making it impossible to get my back truly straight (It also makes form checks pretty frustrating)

As far as I can tell, your T-spine is not mobile in the sagittal plane. This is a kyphosis issue, not a scoliosis one.

Front Lever - Regarding form-checks, was this your last set? If I may be frank, the L-sit pullups were not clean, you were struggling with the front pull to tucked front lever, and your jack-knife front lever did not have any scapular retraction.

If this is your regular strength level, you need to regress to horizontal rows and work those moves with maximum scapular retraction. This would be my advice to you whether or not you have scoliosis.

Front lever is certainly (easily) within your build, but you are likely not strong enough to be practicing front lever holds (insufficient scapular retraction).

Not the OP, but have read the "Trigger Point Therapy Workbook." I highly recommend it. As do the vast majority on Amazon. It has many diagrams that are very important so I would NOT recommend the kindle version for that reason.

Sounds like a overuse injury, but the source of the problem might not be in the same spot where you feel pain. Because of how nerves run to your limbs issues with your back or shoulder can cause pain in your arms. Or it could be something in your forearm muscles.

You'll have to do a little learning about it on your own but I'd recommend using trigger point self-massage. Basically you find these little knots in key points in your muscles, and by loosening them up they can relieve pain and other symptoms.

This site isn't really well-written but it has some good info:
http://www.triggerpoints.net/
http://www.triggerpoints.net/forearm-and-hand.htm

If you get serious about treating it yourself I'd highly recommend this book. It's my go-to for any kind of pain:
http://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Point-Therapy-Workbook-Self-Treatment-ebook/dp/B00ECLGALG/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1396739344&sr=8-6&keywords=trigger+point

Let me know how this goes for you.