Bondage Safety 2.2; nerve damage
Nerve damage is one of the more significant risks of rope bondage and is serious enough to warrant its own post. Pinching a nerve can result in excruciating pain and even loss of mobility in severe cases. There are pressure points on the body (I will make a separate post about this) that should be avoided, but in general, avoid tying ropes on the following areas;
Knees
Elbows
Armpits
Neck
Major nerves
Nerve damage can also be caused by stretching the nerves, by stretching the limbs out too seerely, and by compressing them; by tying ropes too tightly. The more force and the longer the time, the greater the damage will be.
Symptoms of nerve damage;
Sharp, shooting pain
Tingling
Numbness
Pain, tingling or numbness in an isolated area and not an entire limb (big warning sign)
Nerve damage can appear without any warnings, and with a Dom who does everything right; every person’s body will have different pressure points and varying levels of sensitivity. This is why it’s important to be vigilant, and to have problems addressed AS SOON AS THEY APPEAR. Subs, trust your instincts. You know your body better than anyone else. If you feel that something is going wrong, SAY SOMETHING.
Caring for nerve damage immediately is so, so important. How do you care for it?
Untie the sub immediately. I will say this again: a shortened scene is much better than an injury. Not all situations are indicative of nerve damage, and a limb “falling asleep” can often be solved by shifting the ropes or changing position. But listen to your sub; if they feel something is wrong, LISTEN TO THEM.
Erring on the side of caution is always good, especially if you are beginners, and especially if the sub reports a shooting pain or an isolated pain/numbness.
If adjusting the ropes doesn’t resolve the problem, untie.
How to avoid nerve damage
Sadly, even as we said before, nerve damage can appear with no warming signs and even when everything is done “right”; this is due to different bodies and it’s why kinkstered to know the risks. But there are some general tips you can follow.
Do not tie ropes around the armpits, the knees, the throat or the elbows.
Encourage your sub to be open about any concerns they have and to tell you if anything doesn’t feel right.
A simple test to preform is to have the sub squeeze the Dom’s fingers - hard - for several seconds. If the sub can’t squeeze hard or for long, they may have some nerve damage. It’s a good idea to preform this test before the scene, to compare.
Make frequent shifts in rope and don’t put too much stress on extremities for too long.
As with the rule for a dog’s collar, you should be able to fit one or two fingers under a rope without much difficulty.
Have something to cut the rope on hand for emergencies
Thin people are more likely to have more sensitive nerves; extra care should be taken.
Study a nerve chart and avoid these areas
http://remedialropes.com/Bondage%20Nerve%20Damage.html http://kinketc.com/2013/07/rope-bondage-safety/ http://kinketc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/nerve-damage.jpg https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QDsKqquUG88fvs3I4Cl4NGgbpNS351qvPMZgbEzLMoA/edit?hl=en&pli=1
