Exercises with injure elbow

Fitforevermore
Fitforevermore Posts: 399 Member
edited March 2021 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, I have some kind of elbow injury, I'm going to the doctor, but I would appreciate advice if how to retain muscle and keep working out. My usual routine is kettle bells, run, pilates and yoga, kettle bells, cycle.

So I need to change the Kettlebells and adapt the yoga and Pilates. So far I have been doing resistance bands leg and glute exercises with Caroline Girvan but it doesn't feel as intense as my kettlebells.

Any advice? I just don't want to lose fitness progress, but I understand what Im doing may be all I can do.

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,027 Member
    edited March 2021
    Likely either tennis elbow or golfers elbow. Repetitive movements on the joint with overload is what usually causes it. And unfortunately once you get it, it NEVER goes away completely. It usually becomes chronic and you'll have phases of where is hurts more sometimes and sometimes not as much.
    I would invest in a pair of good neoprene elbow sleeves not only for support when you lift, but to keep the joint warm while you do it. Only use them when you workout and not all day.
    You may also need to consider changing the way you lift or how much you lift to compensate for the tendonitis.
    I have both tennis elbow and golfers elbow, but sleeves have made all the difference and I've shortened my ROM to help alleviate it so I can still keep weight training.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    Retaining muscle is fairly simple with sufficient volume and appropriate intensity. I wouldn't be very concerned unless you are in a extreme deficit.

    Find a intensity you can tolerate. If not tolerable, then small adjustments of ROM, then adjust exercise selection.

    Most injuries are rooted from improper load management so dissecting the form of regulation you are utilizing will not only be helpful for returning to useful training but lower risk of reoccurrence or other injury.

  • Fitforevermore
    Fitforevermore Posts: 399 Member
    Thank you for the responses. I think it's bursitis as it actually doesn't hurt is just swollen with fluid and feels strange. I don't think it's from exercise but sitting awkwardly with my baby.

    Is weights ok a bit whilst waiting for it to heal then you think? (Obvs I will ask a doctor) at least then I could hold dumbells to do leg exercises
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Generally, if it doesn't hurt, it's not harming.
    For upper body, you can try these, which don't bend the elbow: dumbbell pec flys, rear delt flys, and lateral raises. Instructions are on youtube.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Fitforevermore wrote: »
    Thank you for the responses. I think it's bursitis as it actually doesn't hurt is just swollen with fluid and feels strange. I don't think it's from exercise but sitting awkwardly with my baby.

    Is weights ok a bit whilst waiting for it to heal then you think? (Obvs I will ask a doctor) at least then I could hold dumbells to do leg exercises

    I hurt my elbow over two years ago, didn't stop lifting enough and it's only recently become less of a problem. Mine is golfer's elbow though. I had acupuncture treatments for six months, a break for six months for the lockdown, and physical therapy for three months but I didn't notice a big improvement until after I started doing this:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIdAPUA3GY4&list=PLUXvX9BaxgqG9yO5XWB3gA_QshvrrcjVr&index=3&t=1s

    Elapsed time without working out was likely a factor too.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,027 Member
    Fitforevermore wrote: »
    Thank you for the responses. I think it's bursitis as it actually doesn't hurt is just swollen with fluid and feels strange. I don't think it's from exercise but sitting awkwardly with my baby.

    Is weights ok a bit whilst waiting for it to heal then you think? (Obvs I will ask a doctor) at least then I could hold dumbells to do leg exercises
    Get it checked. Elbow joint pain is NOT uncommon for people who exercise. How you workout to keep it to a minimum is how you want to lift. As I've mentioned, I have both golfers and tennis elbow and have had them since my 30's and still been lifting into my late 50's.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Likely either tennis elbow or golfers elbow. Repetitive movements on the joint with overload is what usually causes it. And unfortunately once you get it, it NEVER goes away completely. It usually becomes chronic and you'll have phases of where is hurts more sometimes and sometimes not as much.
    I would invest in a pair of good neoprene elbow sleeves not only for support when you lift, but to keep the joint warm while you do it. Only use them when you workout and not all day.
    You may also need to consider changing the way you lift or how much you lift to compensate for the tendonitis.
    I have both tennis elbow and golfers elbow, but sleeves have made all the difference and I've shortened my ROM to help alleviate it so I can still keep weight training.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
    There are ways to resolve tendinopathy. It took me probably two years to figure it out for myself and now have had great success with clients without relapses. It just takes a longer time than most people are willing to rehab along with we will usually still experience pain that might confuse a person if it is actually helping.

    Dr Buraki co-wrote a extremely useful article on how to do so and it is almost exactly my strategy of success.

    Perhaps some people here would benefit from reading it hopefully.

    https://www.barbellmedicine.com/blog/the-barbell-medicine-guide-to-tendinopathy/
  • ZNnerissa
    ZNnerissa Posts: 26 Member
    I injured my elbow in the gym last fall. Not sure what I did but it took a long time to heal. I started using an elbow sleeve during workouts. This helped some however I also had to modify exercises and use grips and angles that did not aggravate. It has improved greatly but today I was not able to do face pulls. If the joint hurts move to something else. Seeing your doctor is a great idea too.

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