Hi Cathe a quick question as I know you are busy filming. I have been lifting heavier lately doing Muscle Max and Slow and Heavy. Lately with the increased strength and heavier weights I have been getting pain in my elbow. It's just where you bend it on the top by that boney knot. I made a Dr.'s appt. just in case, but is this tendonitis and can I keep lifting thru it. I am not a wimp, I usually have a pretty high pain tolerance but it kinda aches through out the day. I don't want to stop lifting as I am making progress and it doesn't debilitate me but it's pretty ouchie if that's a word. Thanks, mary b.
Elbow
- Thread starter naranjo
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Traildoggie
Cathlete
Obviously not Cathe but it sounds like epicondylitis. Does it feel like the pain is concentrated in about a quarter size area on the outer elbow?
I have it too. It's usually caused too much motion and torque between the wrist and the elbow. I stacked a lot of wood a piece at a time. I've also had it from shoveling heavy stuff in the garden.
Treatment is an immobilizing wrist splint from the drug store, one with a metal "stay" to keep your wrist fairly immobile in a neutral position. Wear it every night while sleeping. They come in right and left and usually a couple sizes. This rests the area & lets it heal. I've had good relief in a couple weeks. anti-inflammatories like advil etc will help too. I have been doing Muscle Max lately & found the only exercise that bothers it is the one with the barbell where you lift it straight out and pull it towards you, and then back out. I am skipping that one til this settles down. Pushups, curls etc don't ( for me) make it hurt. If I were you I would skip exercises that make "the spot" hurt, at least until the pain diminishes, and I would pay attention to what seemed to cause the problem....cause it can come back. probably different for all of us.
It's not a bad idea to get a professional opinion. I've had it several times before and it's always in my dominant arm. x( x(
I have it too. It's usually caused too much motion and torque between the wrist and the elbow. I stacked a lot of wood a piece at a time. I've also had it from shoveling heavy stuff in the garden.
Treatment is an immobilizing wrist splint from the drug store, one with a metal "stay" to keep your wrist fairly immobile in a neutral position. Wear it every night while sleeping. They come in right and left and usually a couple sizes. This rests the area & lets it heal. I've had good relief in a couple weeks. anti-inflammatories like advil etc will help too. I have been doing Muscle Max lately & found the only exercise that bothers it is the one with the barbell where you lift it straight out and pull it towards you, and then back out. I am skipping that one til this settles down. Pushups, curls etc don't ( for me) make it hurt. If I were you I would skip exercises that make "the spot" hurt, at least until the pain diminishes, and I would pay attention to what seemed to cause the problem....cause it can come back. probably different for all of us.
It's not a bad idea to get a professional opinion. I've had it several times before and it's always in my dominant arm. x( x(
Thank you and yes exactly. It is the upper elbow and on top of the bone anf that is the excercise that hurts it the most along with shoulder raises and overhead presses. The bending with the weight action. I am going to the drug store now. I have a Dr.s appt in 2 weeks, but it hurts now. I am using that bubble thing you get at the drug store for tendonitis, it workd ok but not great. Thank you! mary
Traildoggie
Cathlete
I forgot to say, most commonly called tennis elbow but I've never gotten it from playing tennis! Icing might help also but icing tends not to work well for me. the splint works because it holds your wrist neutral and it's easy to sleep in. I've worn mine for about 3 nights and am already having some improvement.
If you recently added something to your routine or upped the weight you might want to back off. ( I'm beyond my area of expertise here, but that's what I'd do) if it hurts like this hurts and you keep aggravating the same area it can hang around a long time. I've heard about people getting cortisone injections for this but I would exhaust all other options first. Hope the splint works for you.. it's cheap and can't do any harm.
If you recently added something to your routine or upped the weight you might want to back off. ( I'm beyond my area of expertise here, but that's what I'd do) if it hurts like this hurts and you keep aggravating the same area it can hang around a long time. I've heard about people getting cortisone injections for this but I would exhaust all other options first. Hope the splint works for you.. it's cheap and can't do any harm.
Do you use a computer for work? I've been having problems with this also (along with neck pain on the same side - right), even seeing a physical therapist, and I'm a medical transcriptionist (typing at a computer for 8 hours a day) so I'm pretty sure it's work-related. Since I'm right-handed, I try to switch my mouse to the left and take frequent breaks away from the computer and that seems to help, but I find I really have had to modify my workouts until I can get this under control...good luck and let us know what happens. 
WeatherGirl
Cathlete
>Obviously not Cathe but it sounds like epicondylitis. Does
>it feel like the pain is concentrated in about a quarter
>size area on the outer elbow?
>I have it too. It's usually caused too much motion and torque
>between the wrist and the elbow. I stacked a lot of wood a
>piece at a time. I've also had it from shoveling heavy stuff
>in the garden.
>
>Treatment is an immobilizing wrist splint from the drug
>store, one with a metal "stay" to keep your wrist fairly
>immobile in a neutral position. Wear it every night while
>sleeping. They come in right and left and usually a couple
>sizes. This rests the area & lets it heal. I've had good
>relief in a couple weeks. anti-inflammatories like advil etc
>will help too. I have been doing Muscle Max lately & found
>the only exercise that bothers it is the one with the barbell
>where you lift it straight out and pull it towards you, and
>then back out. I am skipping that one til this settles down.
>Pushups, curls etc don't ( for me) make it hurt. If I were
>you I would skip exercises that make "the spot" hurt, at least
>until the pain diminishes, and I would pay attention to what
>seemed to cause the problem....cause it can come back.
>probably different for all of us.
>It's not a bad idea to get a professional opinion. I've had it
>several times before and it's always in my dominant arm. x(
>x(
YES, YES, YES! I have it as well- in both elbows- and wearing the braces at night is really the only thing that helps mine. And ITA on that Muscle Max move- *kills* me, too! Another tip my PT told me- make sure when lifting you try and keep a slight bend in your elbow. I think mine started by locking out my elbows on deadlifts. Also- doing lots of forearm stretches when lifting and throughout the day helps me as well. Mine started in my dominant arm, then when I started to favor that one and use my non-dominant, it started to flare in that one as well.
>it feel like the pain is concentrated in about a quarter
>size area on the outer elbow?
>I have it too. It's usually caused too much motion and torque
>between the wrist and the elbow. I stacked a lot of wood a
>piece at a time. I've also had it from shoveling heavy stuff
>in the garden.
>
>Treatment is an immobilizing wrist splint from the drug
>store, one with a metal "stay" to keep your wrist fairly
>immobile in a neutral position. Wear it every night while
>sleeping. They come in right and left and usually a couple
>sizes. This rests the area & lets it heal. I've had good
>relief in a couple weeks. anti-inflammatories like advil etc
>will help too. I have been doing Muscle Max lately & found
>the only exercise that bothers it is the one with the barbell
>where you lift it straight out and pull it towards you, and
>then back out. I am skipping that one til this settles down.
>Pushups, curls etc don't ( for me) make it hurt. If I were
>you I would skip exercises that make "the spot" hurt, at least
>until the pain diminishes, and I would pay attention to what
>seemed to cause the problem....cause it can come back.
>probably different for all of us.
>It's not a bad idea to get a professional opinion. I've had it
>several times before and it's always in my dominant arm. x(
>x(
YES, YES, YES! I have it as well- in both elbows- and wearing the braces at night is really the only thing that helps mine. And ITA on that Muscle Max move- *kills* me, too! Another tip my PT told me- make sure when lifting you try and keep a slight bend in your elbow. I think mine started by locking out my elbows on deadlifts. Also- doing lots of forearm stretches when lifting and throughout the day helps me as well. Mine started in my dominant arm, then when I started to favor that one and use my non-dominant, it started to flare in that one as well.
SirenSongWoman
Cathlete
I have the same thing in my right elbow. I went and bought an E-Z curl bar today, hoping a change in my grip when doing bench presses (on GSCT) will help, since that move makes the pain most acute. I'll try it and see.
Actually I work in the airline industry and it is the arm I drag all of my bags with. I have been in the business for 23 years and maybe always caring the bags with my right arm has been part of the problem. I guess I never thought of that, thanks. One of my co-workers also told me about a band you can buy at the drug store that wraps around the elbow (above or below). I got one and it really helps along with changing the wrist postion. Thanks everyone for you help. mary b.
Traildoggie
Cathlete
I have always used an easy-curl bar. I don't lift real heavy but I've known I was prone to epicondylitis and thought the angle made it easier to grasp. I think we all do not have the same "angles" going from elbow to wrist and that's why some of us get more stress on the elbow. I find it uncomfortable to rotate my wrist so my palms face up, even in a yoga position. I'm much more comfy when my palms face down. the easy curl bar doesn't force me to rotate my palms "outward" as much as a straight bar does. I also have extreme difficult holding dumbbells so they are straight, even light ones. but I still get epicondylitis, so ???