Partial Elbow Replacement and Blood Pressure Variation

Bigger Stronger Leaner Injuries and Rehab
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I had a partial elbow replacement in my left elbow a few years ago.

I successfully completed physical therapy following surgery and regained 100% ROM for extension and 97% for pronation.

I’ve found that my blood pressure is usually 10-15% higher in the injured arm.

I’m curious if this is normal for those of you in a similar situation, and if it’s potentially dangerous during weight training induced spikes?

I assume my heart and brain are fine, it seems to be in the injured arm itself, likely due to damaged veins during the injury and surgery.

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I have severe elbow arthritis with bone remodeling. I have no strength issues but I do have to work around the limited ROM in sports. Eventually I’ll need a replacement. Hopefully a partial like yours. So does yours have any limitations?

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TL/DR, daily life presents close to zero limitations, training can be cumbersome or require adaptations to some lifts and can cause a constant, low key aggravation.

I regained 97% mobility after physical therapy. Inflammation from weight training reduces that mobility, but I couldn’t give an exact degree of difference.

I have a hard time fully supinating the hand on my injured arm (I think supination. Turning my palm up). To the naked eye and for 99% of daily activities it’s not noticeable or limiting. No issues otherwise.

Areas of concern are getting change at drive thru windows if I use cash, mixed grip deadlifts (I refuse to train them this way without being able to flip over/under hands for balance) and I’m pretty sure pressing.

I can press but it legitimately hurts as i get heavy and I always feel like there’s still some gas in the tank even after my body shuts down the movement due to pain. Sometimes curls if I’m heavily rotating the dumbbell and I can’t do straight bar, but knurl bars are fine. I do a lot of knurl bar curls, hammer curls, drag curls and spider curls as these don’t cause unbearable aggravation.

I’m used to the constant background aching at this point, and am aware it would go away if I quit lifting.

I compete casually in powerlifting for the record. And I’m no Ronnie Coleman but when I show up in a group of normies and casual exercisers I get the side eyes, stink eyes, people standing taller or holding their arms out et cetera for absolutely no reason.

Elbow sleeves and wrist wraps help me a lot, and increased blood flow and stability would probably help your arthritis too. I wear sleeves for an entire workout, not just specific lifts and wraps for pressing.

Old fashioned balm goes a long way, ice packs and heat intermittently too. I do take anti- inflammatory supps annd occasionally smoke a little weed but avoid regular NSAID or prescription painkiller use. And I highly recommend a Rollflex forearm massager and regular stretching/mobility as I will occasionally tighten up and then other parts of my body begin to overcompensate.

It sounds worse than it is. I think stretching, mobility work, heat/cold and massage should be in everyone’s repertoire anyways.

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Thanks for taking the time. I rarely have pain which is good because I have CKD and NSIADS are out unless the pain is really bad. When I do get pain it’s because my elbow got bent to hard in BJJ. The elbow loves anything that puts it in traction like DL and dead hangs, but I have to be careful because there is a lot of tension on my biceps. Ascetically my left arm is hangs straight by my side while the right one does not, and that elbow is larger. I have a strong genetic predisposition for arthritis, and I never took my foot off the gas until it was too late. I have two joint replacements and a laminectomy. The only thing that would shut me down is a total elbow replacement and my doctor says as long as I stay smart and medical science advances, I may avoid that.

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Thats about normal variation. There is more direct flow to arteries of the left arm and they’re closer than the right side.

Sounds silly, but I asked my cardiologist after noticing the same thing.

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My favorite coach says to occasionally use a looped tricep strap like this on rows, pulldowns and face-pulls to get some elbow/wrist traction out of the assistance moves you’re doing anyway.

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That’s interesting! And good to know it’s actually normal. Thanks!

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That’s a good idea. I’ve used figure 8 straps and cable machines to let the weight hang and stretch, I’ll try some of these looped straps too.

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