Help for Sore Elbows

Bigger Stronger Leaner Over 35 Lifter
1

Need some advice. just started working out for the first time last November, and i have made some tremendous gains. However, in the last few weeks, I have developed pain in my inner left elbow when doing preacher/concentration curls.

My limited research skills have led me to the conclusion that I may have developed some type of tendinitis. But the internet has a lot of junk info out there and I know my T-Nation bros have better (real) experience and advice.

I avoided any stress on that arm for a week but it does not seem to have gotten any better.

Any suggestions for helping/fixing this? I am sure I am not the first one here to have strained a joint.

Thanks!

2

You are developing medial epicondylitis.

It will take more than a week to heal, and if you continue doing the same stuff that is hurting you (like the tard I was once), you’ll end up with permanent, chronic pain (which is what I have.)

Unlike muscle, ligament takes months, if not years to fully heal. And if the damage is severe, it will never heal 100%.

Now, the thing is, since you are getting that pain from curling (as opposed to tricep work like skull crushers), that will lead me to believe your forearms are very weak compared to the biceps.

So I would suggest you to stop doing curls for a while. Ice the area several times a day, 10 minutes each time. And take ibuprofen or some other over-the-counter NSAID. For ibuprofen, take it every four hours (around the clock if necessary) for several days. That was pretty much what I had to do to stop my epicondylitis to get worse.

Focus on barbell rows and avoid bicep curling and horizontal pulling exercises (like pull downs and chin ups) for several weeks (I’d say a month or two).

Also, avoid direct forearm workouts. Focus on working your finger extensors with rubber bands (see my profile, I have a pic showing how to do it), 2-3 sets every other day, 15-120 reps, never to failure.

Also, use this time to work your triceps with bench pressing and cable pull-downs (avoid skull crushers). You might need to tie the forearm with ACE bands to give extra support to the ligaments. And use this time to improve your wrist flexibility (both laterally and radially.)

The barbell rows will give enough stimulation to your biceps, and the tricep work will also help keep muscular balance on the upper arm.

Once you assess the pain is not there, or it’s at least manageable, start with hammer curls. You might want to add a pool noodle around the barbell handles to increase the gird (again, see a pic on my profile for this.) This will force your grip (and thus your forearm) to work extra hard and get strong.

If you are not truly fucked, this SHOULD help you get back to normal.

If you are truly fucked, you are going to have to learn how to deal with chronic pain at the elbow. It sucks and there is no other way to put it :confused:

3

Also, if you can afford it, I’d suggest you get a massage therapist to look at your arms. Any type of scar tissue or tightness from the neck down through your triceps will affect your forearms.

BTW, deep tissue massage on the triceps or on the side of the elbows is horrendously painful, but worth it.

4

Thanks for the great advice - knew I could find it here.

5

Thanks for the great advice - knew I could find it here!

6

Frankly, I don’t know how anyone can assume to diagnose a medical condition over the Internet!

FWIW, go read the last few pages/posts of my thread. (Full Capacity Training. This Forum) I’ve been dealing with a chronic, very painful forearm/bicep issue for several months.

Go get a REAL diagnosis before you end your lifting career … and just about anything else that requires use of your arm!

Good Luck!

Cappy

7

I got that really bad when I first started Jiu Jitsu. For me, it was tendinitis. When it is on the inside it is commonly referred to as golfer’s elbow (as opposed to tennis elbow). Sometimes it would hurt so bad that I would have to stop driving on my way home b/c I couldn’t grip the wheel.

I used ice several times a day, especially right after training. I reduced my training but did not eliminate it. It took several months to go away. Avoid anything that causes pain.

You can read up on it, but basically tendinitis is caused when the micro tears in your tendons reach a tipping point. At that point, it is more than your body can handle, and the inflammation sets in. I’ve heard that it can get bad enough to cause infection.

Also, I agree with the post above, it is never a bad idea have a professional evaluate it. I knew what caused mine and what it was b/c it is somewhat common in grappling. When I did see a doctor (general practitioner) she told me to ice it and avoid anything that causes pain… thanks doc, big help there! LOL

Best of luck getting back into it, but if you rush it you won’t be doing yourself any favors.

8

I too have golfer’s elbow. Pain was at it’s worse during chin ups. After 6 months of no chins or curls and fairly regular deep tissue massage, I’m finally improving. You could also do a google search for elbow tendonosis. Note the spelling, it is a bit different from tendonitis.

Funny coincidence is my wife recently developed the same problem and she does not exercise. I am beginning to wonder if we are aggravating the condition by the way we sleep. We have a full thickness memory foam mattress and the thing is so comfortable we often wake up in the same position we fell asleep. (no alcohol involved). I wonder if we are simply lying on our arm the entire night and somehow aggravating the soft tissue around the medial epicondyle/ulner nerve.

You wouldn’t happen to sleep on a memory foam mattress would you? By the way, I’m not knocking memory foam. It is easily the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever had. Good luck on the likely tendonosis.

9

[quote]StAustin15 wrote:
I got that really bad when I first started Jiu Jitsu. For me, it was tendinitis. When it is on the inside it is commonly referred to as golfer’s elbow (as opposed to tennis elbow). Sometimes it would hurt so bad that I would have to stop driving on my way home b/c I couldn’t grip the wheel.

I used ice several times a day, especially right after training. I reduced my training but did not eliminate it. It took several months to go away. Avoid anything that causes pain.

You can read up on it, but basically tendinitis is caused when the micro tears in your tendons reach a tipping point. At that point, it is more than your body can handle, and the inflammation sets in. I’ve heard that it can get bad enough to cause infection.

Also, I agree with the post above, it is never a bad idea have a professional evaluate it. I knew what caused mine and what it was b/c it is somewhat common in grappling. When I did see a doctor (general practitioner) she told me to ice it and avoid anything that causes pain… thanks doc, big help there! LOL

Best of luck getting back into it, but if you rush it you won’t be doing yourself any favors.
[/quote]

Thanks! Been doing the icing and it helps tremendously. I have also been avoiding anything that causes pain as well. I know this is a long-term heal and have resigned my self to patient healing.

10

[quote]anhospog wrote:
I too have golfer’s elbow. Pain was at it’s worse during chin ups. After 6 months of no chins or curls and fairly regular deep tissue massage, I’m finally improving. You could also do a google search for elbow tendonosis. Note the spelling, it is a bit different from tendonitis.

Funny coincidence is my wife recently developed the same problem and she does not exercise. I am beginning to wonder if we are aggravating the condition by the way we sleep. We have a full thickness memory foam mattress and the thing is so comfortable we often wake up in the same position we fell asleep. (no alcohol involved). I wonder if we are simply lying on our arm the entire night and somehow aggravating the soft tissue around the medial epicondyle/ulner nerve.

You wouldn’t happen to sleep on a memory foam mattress would you? By the way, I’m not knocking memory foam. It is easily the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever had. Good luck on the likely tendonosis.[/quote]

I’ve been wondering if my sleeping habits haven’t aggravated the issue. I discussed in another thread that I had noticed recently that my left arm was going numb on me at night when I lay on my side. Now that the pain has become pronounced I notice that after some nights of sleep with my arm bent, the pain is worse in the morning - not sure if the exercise or sleeping habits were individually responsible - it’s more likely a combination of the two. And no- we have a spring mattress - but a very soft one and I do often wake up in the exact same position I fall asleep in.

11

I have had tendonitis issues in the past. A systemic enzyme supplement can help reduce inflammation as well as a number of other positive effects on the body unlike nsaids and other meds. Another very effective treatment is ART (Active Release Techniques). The treatment is a bit like chiropractic and is extremely effective. Many top athletes get ART weekly including Olympians. Go to Dr. Leahy’s ART website and find a practitioner. You will be glad you did. Hope this helps!