hi i have this tennis elbow for a month now, doc said i can’t do any weight lifting or it will take even longer to heal. i am wondering if anyone out there has similar problem? i am taking myostat and tribex500 everyday, besides these what can i take to speed up the healing? thanks.
Vitalzyme will take care of the inflammation but you might also want a topical pain-killer like that super blue stuff stuff for a temporary releif for workouts and such.
You may want to examine your lifting style to see if it contributed to the tennis elbow (tendonitis in the back of the elbow that affects primarily triceps exercises). For example, a lot of people are sensitive to heavy triceps extensions, especially if they have sloppy form. Other exercises can have the same effect.
For now, I would train what I could (Doc says “no weight training”? I’m not sure how squats could further injure your elbow!). Also, you will be able to bench press comfortably long before you can perform triceps extensions. Bench as soon as you can. Keep your elbows in tight to your body and pause at the bottom of each rep. Eventually, you’ll be back to normal…just don’t rush it! When all is well, try to fit hammer curls and reverse curls into your workouts. These will help keep your elbows strong.
Also, there was an excellent thread some time ago about tendonitis, called “Tendonitis cures”. Check it out. Here is one of my postings about a similar issue"
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Re: Tendonitis cures
Mark R. 2002-03-23 13:29:34
I recommend that you stop doing any type of triceps extensions for a while. Wait until you’re completely pain-free, then wait a few more weeks, and then gradually get back into extensions. Try to include incline some dumbbell flared elbow extensions… these will strengthen your elbows.
While your healing, train triceps with JM presses and close-grip presses. (You can read about JM presses and dumbbell flared elbow extensions in Dave Tate’s Westside articles on this site). You may also want to modify your bench style (close-grip, normal, incline, etc). I recommend that you ALWAYS pause at the bottom of these movements. Also, keep your elbows tight to your body. I’ve had bad tendonitis in the past (gone now, finally), and have not been bothered by any of these movements. Good luck.
ART
Do a search for tendonitis on this site, there is an excelent ariticle. You can do a search on the forum as well, there are some good posts. Best of luck.
Sam, do yourself a favor and buy The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook. It will do wonders for tendinitis and other soft-tissue injuries. It can be found at Amazon.com for $13.97 (A hell of a lot cheaper than ART!). It is an easy-to-read self-help text based on the very detailed work of Travell and Simons, pioneers in trigger point therapy. This is one of the most influential books I have ever read. I use the techniques on myself and my clients with tremendous success.
thanks, that is exactly my problem, i can do curl with no problem but hammer curl?? can’t even lift 5lb!! any one heard about a product call ct cream?? i did some research on the web and that came across says it is the only cream form to heal the injure.
Get the ART done if available. I recently saw two powerlifters with elbow tendonitis which resooved in two treatments. Trigger point work can be somewhat helpful, however I’ve never seen good resolution of a condition with it solely. Thia was in my pre ART days.
Doc, I was wondering if you could elaborate on ART and how it differs from TP and other forms of therapy (MET, Rolfing, etc.). I am considering going through the ART cerification myself, however, the cost is quite high. I am only considering it as there are no practitioners to refer to within 100 miles from where I live (San Antonio, Texas). Would it be worth the investment? Remember, I am a personal trainer and would like to add ART to my repetoire and not turn myself into a full-fledged therapist. I appreciate any insight you might offer.
Acupuncture, when done by a qualified practitioner, gets very good results with tennis elbow. As many have pointed out before me, don’t do movements where your elbows flare out; this not only includes bench press with your upper arms at right angles to the torso, but wide grip pulldowns/pullups, snatches, wide grip militaries.
If you curl with no pain, but you can’t hammer curl 5 lb, that is exactly opposite what normally goes on, though, as usually the neutral hand position is the most comfortable. My two cents, pushdowns will stress your elbows the least.
Re stuff you can take, a qualified acupuncturist may also be trained in herbal medicine, this is also highly effective but must be perscribed on an individual basis. I would not buy any “Secrets of the Orient Muscle Healer” right off the shelf, these are usually analagous to the old Hot Stuff in shotgun-design and effectiveness.