Elbow Tendonitis.....

pawnstarNate
pawnstarNate Posts: 1,728 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I haven't been diagnosed but, I'm pretty sure that's what I have. Its been bothering me a little for several weeks and I've been wearing an elbow compression sleeve the past two. Today it's really giving me fits. I'm too stubborn to go see a doctor so, question is....should I just cardio and lower body for a couple of weeks or is there a quicker remedy?

Replies

  • stetienne
    stetienne Posts: 560 Member
    In to hear answers...I have the same issue creeping in. Other than maxing out on anti-inflammatories and rest, I'm at a loss.
  • Lemmynade
    Lemmynade Posts: 160 Member
    It may help to take some ibuprophen 3x per day. That's what I do when tendonitis creeps in on my feet. It's also what the doctor prescribed the times I've been in for it.

    Also, if you are experiencing any tingling, numbness, or twitching in your hand, it may be nerve related. I had a compressed ulnar nerve in my elbow a few years back, it helped a lot to stabilize it during sleep (basically just wrapping the arm with an ace bandage and a pillow while I slept).

    Good luck guys!
  • fhartog
    fhartog Posts: 10 Member
    Interested as well, I have had it on and off for 10 years. Mostly when I was in construction, however weightlifting has caused it to flair up to the point that I could hardly hold a pen. My experience has been that it is not something that you can push through. For me, it keeps getting worse until I take some time off. My doctor recommended massage therapy, however i honestly havent tried that yet. Very interested thought if someone has something that works well for them.
  • badgerdh
    badgerdh Posts: 179 Member
    I have the same issues and it caused me to chill on the weight lifting for about 2 months now. I have tried to lift periodically but it just flares up again. I do use a elbow brace and that seems to work well. I also ice after a flare up as well. It IS starting to feel better but i'm taking my time to let it heal. I've lost some of my muscle mass specifically in my biceps and triceps but the pain and discomfort was becoming too much.

    On the bright side, I have learned to appreciate and actually enjoy cardio.
  • SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish
    SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish Posts: 831 Member
    How did you guys fare with this? Is it still bothering you? How long did you have to sit out for yours to calm down? After telling others they need to do this, now I actually have it myself and it just wont go away, reducing my bench press the past year just has reduced the frequency but its back each and every time I bench, even if I go light. I have such a hard time taking a few months off though. Rest, ice, anti-inflammatories, glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate....is so unsatisfying right now...
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    There are different kinds of elbow tendinitis, depending on the location. It can be pretty stubborn and difficult to treat.

    One thing I found that might have some promise is called a Thera Band FlexBar. There is some thought that dynamic eccentric loading can be helpful for some types of chronic tendinitis/tendinosis such as this and with the Achilles. The FlexBar is designed to eccentrically load the elbow joint.

    You can google FlexBar for more info and links to videos on the technique. It costs about $20 on Amazon (comes in different strengths--red one is probably best).

    I have no relationship with this product and no first hand knowledge that it is effective, so this is NOT an endorsement. I investigated because I have a lingering case myself and I was thinking of trying it with one of my clients who has it much worse. I figured $20 was not that big a risk. I am just throwing it out as another alternative to look into, because there is no quick fix to this problem.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,043 Member
    What you want to try not to do are exercises that aggravate it more. For many it's doing extensions of some sort with heavy weight and "locking" of the elbows. Also probably want to stay away from supination since this may also aggravate it more.

    I believe the best remedy is to lay off any work on them for a week or so, then gradually add back some light work to see how the elbow responds.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • la_te_ra_lus
    la_te_ra_lus Posts: 243 Member
    I had this flare up a few times on my right (non dominant hand) doing up right rows. I tried to work through it, but It got progressively worse. I took two weeks off and started to apply heat and ice to the elbow and the surrounding area. Using a lacrosse ball I slowly rolled it over the muscle fascia along the fore arms and triceps. This Has helped getting over that throbbing pain. Now I avoid up right rows and substitute other lifts in for it.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    I haven't been diagnosed but, I'm pretty sure that's what I have. Its been bothering me a little for several weeks and I've been wearing an elbow compression sleeve the past two. Today it's really giving me fits. I'm too stubborn to go see a doctor so, question is....should I just cardio and lower body for a couple of weeks or is there a quicker remedy?

    Need more info from you. #1 - Inside or outside of your elbow? #2 - What do you think started it?
  • dtimedwards
    dtimedwards Posts: 319 Member
    II've had "Tennis Elbow" several times. You most likely don't need to immobilize/ support your elbow. What you need to do is immobilize your wrist. Go to a drug store and get the small "splint" that looks kind of like what bowlers wear, and wear it pretty much 24-7. A week of that and some anti-inflammatories should take care of the problem. If not, you need to see a doctor.
  • Jeneba
    Jeneba Posts: 699 Member
    I had tennis elbow in BOTH elbows and, to make things worse, during the time of the injury I kept knocking into doorknobs over and over againnnnnn! I feel your pain!

    What really helped me the most was massage therapy - NOT PT. The pt's just spend 20 minutes of a so-called half hour appointment and that just isn't enough. A skilled massage therapist really knows the body and doesn't treat the injury in isolation.

    Also - I broke all the rules about inactivity after the initial HORRIBLE pain wore off. From what I can gather, the muscles around the injured area were getting weaker and that caused some kind of cascading effect of general achiness. So - I began lifting heavier and heavier - lat rows, chest presses and flys, and then arms, forearms and shoulders. (This is probably NOT for everyone!!!!) Within a week or two, the pain had subsided. It is now completely gone!!!

    Also - there is a very simple exercise that can help - but I am not sure I can explain it....

    You get a softball (not a squishy ball) & support your arm with an arm rest. You squeeze in sets of 5 pulses and feel the motion in your forearm. Then as you get stronger, you begin to move the arm further and further away from your torso, always supported by the arm rest.

    Hope you all feel better very soon!
  • h7463
    h7463 Posts: 626 Member
    Hi there.. Out of painful experience with this...and so many other annoying sports injuries....I can only say REST... I ended up with one arm in a half-cast and the other arm tightly wrapped for 6 weeks, because I wouldn't stop training... I played volleyball at the time...and rehab after taking off the cast was a b@&$h.... I have taken this experience to weightlifting, and I'm glad I did. Many here seem to push themselves too hard, trying to 'lift through the pain'. It's not worth it. Let it heal! Start back slowly, with lighter weights.
    The treatment of injuries is a lot different for me now, since I have started lifting. Any pain medication that I'm using is not helping like they used to, because my fitness goals have changed. Keep in mind, lifting means, that we are (micro)tearing up muscle tissue in order to stimulate healing=growth...torn muscle tissue is called an 'inflammation'.... Taking anti-inflammatory medication will mess with my bodies natural urge to repair itself. I can't speak for the general population of lifters, but for me, eating up my supplements (creatine, glutamine, bcaa..), cold wraps, and spot treatments at the site of the injury have worked much better than popping pills.
    I have learned, not to push or work through injuries, but around them. I go back to isolation lifts, carefully and slowly strengthening muscles, that might have to carry an extra load to make up for the injured part. There is a ton of stuff that can be done, even if both elbows are useless for a while. Crunch away, or step-up with a barbell on the shoulders....try to find replacement exercises that work the same body parts with different or lighter weights. Check out this website, they have an enormous exercise library: bodybuilding.com
    Good luck! Now go and see a doctor, before you set yourself up for a chronic condition and get well soon!

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