Quote Originally Posted by caged
I've had difficulty enduring a single-sleeve armbinder, experiencing numbness in my hands after only a few minutes.

I would appreciate your advice and experiences on these questions:

1. Is it likely that just having it laced a little looser will help a lot?
2. Is an armbinder something one 'can get better at'? It's a very unfamiliar position for my arms to be held back so extremely, might my body adjust with practice?
3. Am I just worrying too much? I can certainly handle the numbness, and the 'pins and needles' afterwards, but I worry about the possibility of acual damage. So, how long can you endure such numbness/lack of proper circulation, without risking genuine harm?

Many thanks for your reply...
I would definitely loosen them and probably quite a bit at first. You can build up a tolerance for this kind of bondage, but you should take it slow. Your worries aren't unfounded either. A major artery passes very close to the skin just above and below the elbows, and bondage that's too tight can put pressure on it. When that happens, numbness can spread rapidly throughout the arms, followed by pain. Repetition can cause permanent damage to your tissue, circulation, and nerves. So if you're experiencing numbness you should loosen up the armbinder until you don't.