Help, chronic "tennis elbow"

[Gators]

I've had it for going on 6 months, i've worn the forearm brace, tried resting my arm, ice (helps temporarily), and nsaids, but still won't get better, oh, and tried Ligatend supplement. It doesn't take much at all to make it hurt like a mutha, really can't lift now It's about to aggravate the crap out of me. I will check into prolotherapy, but currently i don't have health insurance (scary) so before i spend a bunch of cash w/ a MD, wanted to see if there's any other solutions from those that have had a similar situation. Could it be a torn tendon that's giving me such a fit? Thanks

 

[JED]

I was getting the same problem untill i lowered my sets & reps then started to use lighter weight with better form.. I also stopped using my eze curl bar & only used a straight one with a minimum of shoulder width grip..

Give it a go bro coz it worked for me.

 

[j4ever]

i have had a problem with chronic tennis and golphers elbow for 4 years,i took supplements and tried doing stretches on my own to include different kind of exercises,also there were peroids of 3-4 months at a time that i would not workout, all of this had minimal effect,i started A.R.T. about 6 weeks ago and i am very close to being 100%, not there just yet but probably will be in another month,before this as mentioned above i had to drop weight way down and only do certain movements,i see that you have no insurance but after trying different things over the years this is the only suggestion i can give.

 

[MattyFresh]

go buy a bottle of super cissus rx from usp labs. Be the best $30 you'll spend, it's a fucking miracle, the best tendon, ligament, and joint compound I've ever known.

 

[swole79]

I have the same problem from time to time the best thing to do is to lay off of it for a while and slowly work back into your usual wieghts. Use some anti-inflamatories, and if you want to go a little more maverick use a little DMSO on the area after training. The DMSO really helps to speed the healing process and keep inflamation down.

 

[titec2]

I did not think you could even get DMSO any more. I have used it many years ago and it does seem to help things like tendonitis and muscle sorness.

 

[Quad-smack]

Farm supply stores carry DMSO. It is sold for tendonitis in horses.

 

[TRYN2]

In my opinion,

I woul dmake sure nutrient intake is optimal, add glucosamine, and take plenty of good fats/fish oils.

I would do strectches and rehab work, back off anything that hurts it. I feel like you will say all here, but is all right?

Rows, Squats, pin wheel curls, laterals, partial movement tricep work? I mean what doesn't hurt it?

Ice exchanged with heat.

When mine was beat up I found what didn't hurt it and did it. What I found was the tendon grew too fast inside the sheath, so the pain was the friction inside.

Time will help and it will feel like it will never get better. Don't get greedy, keep trucking and see what happens. Time and rehab, work what doesnt hurt it.

List everything that doesnt hurt it....everything.

 

[mitochondria]

is dmso just temporilary pain releiver or does it fix the prob? anybody been using it long term

 

[stevo78]

I got bad news for you, this type of injury isnt something you could just cure. I had it for years, sometimes being worse than others. I would suggest some ant-inflam for a while along with some rest. I feel your pain as this is a real nagging irratating injury. Good luck

 

[mojo jojo]

I had this and kept trying to take a week or 2 off and it never helped. Finally I took 11 weeks off from lifting upper body and then I very slowly started getting back into lifting. I also kept using the forearm brace too. After that it was better.

Tendons heal very slowly so you are going to just have to suck it up and give it time if you want it to get better You can try taking everything everyone above has recommended but if you keep working out then it probably isn't going to get better. On the bright side you can still lift legs during that off time.

 

[LEX]

for about 7 years I couldn't lift a coffee cup normally...I'm serious...I tried everything and this is what worked for me.
To wrap up and exhaustive self study
1) if it hurts do not do it. Even that little twinge when warming up
2) seriously if it hurts don't do it...
3) in like 6 weeks when you try to do same movement and you feel just that slight pain...DONT DO IT
wait it out and be careful to experiment with new movements

it takes a long time to go away but if you are smart and patient you can eventually get rid of it..

for me a wide grip back movement with overhand grip almost instantly will bring back symptoms...

 

[Gators]

Some good info, thank you very much for all the input. Think i'll cut my arm off at my elbow and go beat my ex wife with it

 

[MT]

Tennis elbow is commonly caused by a muscle imbalance in the forearms.

Put simply there are flexor muscles and there are extensor muscles in the forearm. The flexors are used when the hand grips an object and are therefore well used. The extensor muscles which are used when the hand moves from a clenched/fist position to an open palm position are very rarely used. When the extensors are used, they do not encounter any resistance. This keeps the extensors weak and leads to muscle imbalance which as previously stated is a very common cause of tennis elbow.

The solution is to strengthen the extensor muscles of the forearm. This can be done by placing an elastic band around the outside of the fingers and thumb and extending them, thus the elastic band is providing resistance to you extending your fingers. An ingenious little device that I invested in about 6 months ago is called The Handmaster. There are videos of how this is used and how it works on Youtube. I would highly recommend this.

The ideas suggested by others in this thread will simply mask or otherwise hide the problem and I am quite confident that should you redress the balance of strength of your extensors with your flexors that your problem will soon subside.

Best of luck.

 

[robot]

Look up...

RICE (Rest Ice Compression Elevation)
1. Don't aggravate it - if it hurts don't do it.
2. Ice 2-3 times a day and after workout for 20 minutes
3. Wear a tensor bandage every night - it seems like most people don't understand the purpose of compression. - IT REDUCES SWELLING and in this case aids in reducing inflammation.
4. doesn't help much.

for a week or so then

MEAT ( movement, exercise, analgesic, treatment )
1. Stretch your wrist through full range of motion with your arm straight - some pain is just fine here but don't be stupid.
2. Workout with light weights, start rehabbing (again without pain)
3&4 - I like Rub A535 after I'm done 4.
4. Self massage - If you are chronic and you then you have scarring/adhesions. Cross-Friction (dig your thumb in where is hurts and rub across the tendon) and Myofascial (roll around with a tennis ball) really help - do this every 3-4 days - Don't do it every day as it needs to heal between massages, things get tender
5. Continue to ice post treatment and post workout.
6. Use the tensor to reduce swelling as needed.

This will take time and stubborness. It can take several months to unscrew your injury if you are consistent. If you aren't it will just nag you and reoccur forever.


.... Review your lifting technique... What caused your tendonosis? Deadlifting with bent arms? Chinning and jerking? Swinging the Dumbbells? You need to remove the cause of the injury or you will reinjure.

 

[mohawkmike]

had the same problem myself and went to a sports medicine doctor and they after numerous test i was told that i had a partial tear in my fore arm. he told me that i could opt for surgery or just let it heal naturally, he said that if i did opt for surgery that i would have to totally isolate it for 3-4 months which wasnt an option, he was actually AGAINST me getting surgery to reattach the muscle. After approx. 3 months I got numbness in my thumb and 2 other fingers and he said that that was due to the muscle healing around nerves. That was years ago and just recently it started hurting again. I've come to the conclusion that if i want to continue working out, which i do, that i'm just going to have to deal with it.

 

[soonerman74]

Some good info, thank you very much for all the input. Think i'll cut my arm off at my elbow and go beat my ex wife with it

I already tried that didn't make arm feel better but did make me smile

 

[doug1]

i have the same problem, it gets aggravated especially from a heavy press movement for chest. thanks for responses