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Lifting & Elbow Health

IronInsanity

IronInsanity

TID Board Of Directors
May 3, 2011
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Since I began lifting again in 2008, I have had regular problems with my elbows. The most I seem to be able to go without issues is 3-4 months. Then I have to begin working around one or both elbows. Most of my problems are with golfers elbow, but right now I have golfers in my right and tennis starting in my left.

I'm just wondering what others do for prevention and recovery. I'm open to suggestions. Right now, when I feel golfers coming on I lay off of pulling movements for about 3 weeks or so.



Tennis elbow is a condition that causes pain around the outside of the elbow. It's clinically known as lateral epicondylitis. It often occurs after strenuous overuse of the muscles and tendons of the forearm, near the elbow joint.

Golfer's elbow is a condition that causes pain around the inside of the elbow. It's clinically known as medial epicondylitis. The pain is caused by damage to the tendons that bend the wrist toward the palm.
 
R

Realize

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Sep 7, 2010
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Bump, I've had tennis elbow for years.
 
The other Snake

The other Snake

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Aug 19, 2016
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I'll give what I know personally about this.

What jumps out at me is that "3-4 MONTH" thing. Obviously you know both of those conditions are repetitive motion injuries. The question is normally, "What's motion is causing it?" when it tends to be more of "What combination causes it?".

If I want a good case of Tennis Elbow I can promise to have it in 3 months doing Skull crushers and over working my shoulders with pressing movements. Something about those skull crushers movement my body does not like regardless of weight or reps.

As for the Golfer's Elbow; straight bar curls or preacher curls seem to give me fits if I do them for over 2 months. Yeah, the movement is a bicep exercises but you're locked in with a barbell and that seems to cause a problem; DB's are a better option. Now if I want to accelerate the road to pain, I will over do some wood splitting in the summer. There's something about that motion, the force needed to be applied or the energy that comes back through the body at impact that will just fuuk my inner elbow. The pain is always in my dominant over-hand.

As for a fix, right now, 3 days of a double dose of naproxen to bring down the inflammation. Also if you don't have them, get some voodoo bands. I preach the healing properties of those all the time. I can go into more detail about them if need be but you have to commit to using them. This problem didn't come on in a few days and it's not leaving that quick.

All that and I didn't really give you any solid answer, sorry. Best I can say is to let it heal and reboot. Find what is causing it or what combination of things bring it on. Best wishes!
 
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davidscheff80

New Member
Dec 15, 2020
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Since I began lifting again in 2008, I have had regular problems with my elbows. The most I seem to be able to go without issues is 3-4 months. Then I have to begin working around one or both elbows. Most of my problems are with golfers elbow, but right now I have golfers in my right and tennis starting in my left.

I'm just wondering what others do for prevention and recovery. I'm open to suggestions. Right now, when I feel golfers coming on I lay off of pulling movements for about 3 weeks or so.



Tennis elbow is a condition that causes pain around the outside of the elbow. It's clinically known as lateral epicondylitis. It often occurs after strenuous overuse of the muscles and tendons of the forearm, near the elbow joint.

Golfer's elbow is a condition that causes pain around the inside of the elbow. It's clinically known as medial epicondylitis. The pain is caused by damage to the tendons that bend the wrist toward the palm.
This could be a real problem for weightlifters. My brother had a similar issue but no so severe. He had his time with his physio using shockwave treatment to get over this. It depends on how critical the condition is. Since he was not that severe within 4 weeks, he was cured and relieved out of pain
 
BrotherIron

BrotherIron

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Mar 6, 2011
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Make sure you put hammer curls in your training regimen. Tendonitis can be a result from an imbalance.

Also, look up voodoo floss. Youtube will vids how to do it and that has helped me as well.
 
SAD

SAD

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Feb 3, 2011
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I’ll throw in to the already good suggestions, to use a rubber band and open your hand into/against it to give yourself the opposite work of the constant gripping that we do as lifters and men who work with our hands in general. It’s all too easy to overwork the grip, and not the (extensors I believe) that open the hand against resistance.

Basic rubber bands and you’ll figure out the sweet spot. Not too much resistance. Should be something you can casually do while watching Jeopardy, but it worked for me. I also dropped squatting for a bit because of the stress on the elbows but as I remember, you high bar squat so shouldn’t be too bad. My $.02
 
The other Snake

The other Snake

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Aug 19, 2016
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Just ordered some voodoo bands.

You'll thank me! If you need any details on using them, hit me up. They are simple but there's a few things you can do slightly different to get a slightly better result.

You will be happy you did it in a few weeks.
 
C

ceo

VIP Member
Oct 12, 2010
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Sugar, dairy, wheat (gluten) can all cause inflammation.

I never really had issues with tendons until about 12ish years ago. Issues started here and there and I treated with rest and/or ibuprofen. Since then I suffered with tendonitis for years. It got so bad in my elbows that often it would hurt when I picked up a glass to drink.

A couple years ago I did the 23 and me kit that does both lineage and health. In health results it said that there are 2 genetic variations for celiac, and I had one, so I might have a gluten allergy.

Reading that, all of a sudden things made sense. I had many of the symptoms. I decided to go gluten free. It was hard as there is gluten in almost every damn thing. But one week of absolutely zero gluten (after 2 or 3 weeks of mostly gluten free but accidently eating gluten here or there) and I was feeling good. Then i noticed that my elbows that had been aching constantly for the past 6-8 months, with nothing easing the pain...were completely pain free.

I don't miss gluten and I certainly don't miss the pain in my elbows and all the GI issues and other general malaise.

Try 2-3 weeks of zero gluten. Be careful though. You'll have to read labels carefully because it is everywhere.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
 
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CFM

CFM

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I was told long ago, whether swinging a hammer, bench pressing or striking, keep your elbows in.
 
OldManStrength

OldManStrength

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Apr 8, 2015
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Technique, diet, and muscle imbalance, I sure to get it crazy bad all the time. Yes its also part repetitive injury. I helped my with a change in Diet, Physical therapy that showed me where the imbalance was, and general technique changes that place the stress in other areas that can handle the pressure.

Good luck with The elbows...
 
woodswise

woodswise

TID Board Of Directors
Apr 29, 2012
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I’ll throw in to the already good suggestions, to use a rubber band and open your hand into/against it to give yourself the opposite work of the constant gripping that we do as lifters and men who work with our hands in general. It’s all too easy to overwork the grip, and not the (extensors I believe) that open the hand against resistance.

Basic rubber bands and you’ll figure out the sweet spot. Not too much resistance. Should be something you can casually do while watching Jeopardy, but it worked for me. I also dropped squatting for a bit because of the stress on the elbows but as I remember, you high bar squat so shouldn’t be too bad. My $.02

Agreed.

I have had recurring tennis elbow and golfer's elbow for 20+ years. In the past a long break from lifting seemed the only thing that really helped.

But in recent years I have been training with a coach and he has me doing hand extensor exercises and they really help.

I purchased a set of extensor exercisers by Airisland: https://www.amazon.com/Airisland-Stretcher-Resistance-Exerciser-Strengthener/dp/B071JL6PYZ

These things work like magic. Literally after a few days of hand extensor exercises an d all of my pain goes away.
 
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