Elbow pain associated with Tricep work

Greetings,

I've been having some nasty elbow issues in the past few months with my left elbow, any time i train my triceps. I feel fine with any kind of pressing movement while training chest and shoulders, but my elbow always flares up when I train my tri's directly.

It feels like something soft tissue related in my elbow is going to snap or burst thru the skin and leaves me with pain and a constant ache for a good 3-4 days afterwords. I try to keep the joint as warm as I can and wear sleeves on both elbows, which seems to help a bit in regards to helping keep the joint warm. My physician has said that this is just tendonitis and it will subside with rest and anti inflam's, but this is never the case.

Has anyone else been thru something similar to this?

Yes many have...its tendonitis. Rest means stop training the joint in question...have you done this? For how long?

Rest, ice, Pennsaid, anti-inflammatories.
P

I had pain in my elbow when training tris for aabout three months and I ignored it. Then it got so bad I couldn't bench or shoulder press without pain. It wasn't tendonitis, it was bursitis. Big fluid filled sack that needed draining, icing, rest and Voltaren gel. Rest was huge. I took two months of of pressing anything and it got a little better. Still hurts a bit but much better. Like Prae said, likley tendonitis unless you end up with the fluid - then bursitis is most likely. I'd rest it for at least a month and go see an ART practioner.

Been there my friend. Tendonitis I've had on and off from earlier years of heavy pressing. Like prae said, heat, anti inflammatories and take a break from tricep movements for a bit. What I've found worked for myself when I began training it again is to wear a tensor band or even better a tensor wrap and wrap it tightly on heavier your pressing and extension movements. Another trick I've learned is to ice below the injury and put a heating pad above. What this will do is dilate the blood flow around the area and the heat will flush new nutrient filled blood to the lower pressure blood vessels, increasing circulation while decreasing inflammation, and this should speed up the amount of healing time needed. I've done this after a slight re tear in my meniscus and it healed MUCH quicker than before.

btufts: Very interesting idea you have, I may give it a go. I have been thinking of going and getting a one sized smaller neopren elbow sleeve to wear and see how that feels.

Hosehead: Did you find ART to be effective?

Prae: I've taken 3-4 weeks stretches off while following a regular routine of Naproxan and ice

Not working out and I got tennis elbow!? go figure, it kills.... Voltaren Joint Pain relief seems to help, Need to take an Aleve before bed or I can't roll over :)

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Originally Posted by Papa Het

btufts: Very interesting idea you have, I may give it a go. I have been thinking of going and getting a one sized smaller neopren elbow sleeve to wear and see how that feels.

Hosehead: Did you find ART to be effective?

Prae: I've taken 3-4 weeks stretches off while following a regular routine of Naproxan and ice

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The most positive thing that has happened since my car accident is that I have had the pleasure to work with a great physiotherapist and massage therapists specializing in active release during my recovery. I have gotten to pick their brains on their own theories and my own. Its incredible how much personal training, bodybuilding, nutrition and ART work hand in hand. Its given me an amazing outlook on just about everything that I have implemented with my own training and even my own injuries since my car accident, not to mention with my personal training clients, friends, family. its incredible how applying methods relevant to myofascial chains have an impact on tendon issues, mechanical functions, nervous system related issues, and oxygen delivery. Very interesting stuff

^ which ART individuals do you go to? I think there are only 2 with certification in ART in halifax area. I go to one near work here.

heat and ice at the same time is ridiculous..
Papa Het, are you taking omega 6 and/or 9? if so stop them completely and up your dose of omega 3.. rest and ice.. also maybe your shoulder/elbow is not aligned properly

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Originally Posted by Sandwiches

heat and ice at the same time is ridiculous..
Papa Het, are you taking omega 6 and/or 9? if so stop them completely and up your dose of omega 3.. rest and ice.. also maybe your shoulder/elbow is not aligned properly

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The theory being a very simple one. Take for instance the tendonitus in elbow. By manipulating high to low pressure systems intravenously, applying ice below the elbow causes constriction of blood vessels in the surrounding area and by applying heat above the elbow causes vasodialation. The whole circulatory system is constantly being regulated to keep equalized pressure throughout its closed track. Therefore the body's response to the dialated area is to bring oxygenated blood to maintain equalized pressure, hence freshly oxygenated blood being rushed to the injury in between high and low pressure systems. That being further examined, with our high to low pressure systems in place, freshly oxygenated and nutrient rich blood is sent to the injured area, speeding up the healing process than if the body were to do itself.

B

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Papa Het

btufts: Very interesting idea you have, I may give it a go. I have been thinking of going and getting a one sized smaller neopren elbow sleeve to wear and see how that feels.

Hosehead: Did you find ART to be effective?

Prae: I've taken 3-4 weeks stretches off while following a regular routine of Naproxan and ice

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I found it to be very effective on my badly otrn hamstrings in the past but I can't honestly give it a thumbs up or down for tendonitis. I have tendonitits in my right elbow/bicep (the bursitis is in the left) and I don't think it has worked as well as it could because my therapist says bodubuilders/weightlifters don't have much success with that particular injury. What he means is that we won't take the necessary time off to let ART and rest do the trick. Also I think because the connective tissue in that area gets worked all the time , as opposed to my hamstrings for instance. I gave it about 10 sessions an finally said **** it I need to do something else. I think in time ART along with a month or two rest , RICE it will come around. But typically it will go on and on and on. So yes, ART should work but it didn't for me - because of me. But I'm ****ing retarded.

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Originally Posted by Hosehead

I found it to be very effective on my badly otrn hamstrings in the past but I can't honestly give it a thumbs up or down for tendonitis. I have tendonitits in my right elbow/bicep (the bursitis is in the left) and I don't think it has worked as well as it could because my therapist says bodubuilders/weightlifters don't have much success with that particular injury. What he means is that we won't take the necessary time off to let ART and rest do the trick. Also I think because the connective tissue in that area gets worked all the time , as opposed to my hamstrings for instance. I gave it about 10 sessions an finally said **** it I need to do something else. I think in time ART along with a month or two rest , RICE it will come around. But typically it will go on and on and on. So yes, ART should work but it didn't for me - because of me. But I'm ****ing retarded.

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I've tried the tensor bands too. They don't constrict enough for how we train. During your recovery process I would recommend getting the powerlifting straps from your local supplement store and wrapping the shit out the whole strand from mid forearms right up most of your arm so you can hardly move the joint during pressing exercises. This way drastically took the pain away from me and put more focus on other muscle groups. This way I find Holds things tightly enough that the tendon isnt irritated by the stress loaded along the chain of muscles in that arm.

Same deal with the miniscus tear I had in my right knee. wrapped the hell out of it from mid shin to mid femur tightly and I could squat full range again with minimal inflammation during training. Extensions were still painful however

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Originally Posted by btufts

Same deal with the miniscus tear I had in my right knee. wrapped the hell out of it from mid shin to mid femur tightly and I could squat full range again with minimal inflammation during training. Extensions were still painful however

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About your meniscus tear :
1) how bad was it ? I am told mine is either partial or fully torn - I see a surgeon on May 31st to go over my MRI
2) how long did it take to heal ?
3) did you require surgery ?
4) what supplements/gear/ancillaries did you take to help with the healing process ?
5) how did you do it ?
6) do you train your legs differently now ?
7) are wraps just going to mask my injury or can they spare my meniscus in some way while I build my quads back up ? Never used wraps and I don't use a belt under 425 lbs.

Some history on mine - near as I can figure I tore it slipping in the bathtub OR possibly twisting at the top/lock out on leg extensions ( I go quite heavy - 350lbs). Whatever I did it wasn't painfull enough to where I knew when it happened. That was late January of this year. Took 2 months off of leg training. 4 weeks back in and I was squatting (just to parallel) 365 x 8 easily until I went too deep and felt it go. That was first week of May. So obviously I wasn't healed 100%. This time I hope I can convince the doctor that I need surgery but in the event I don't get it I need to do it right this time and not push things too much. Any advice you can offer would be great. My legs have lost about 1.5 inches since January.

Edit : sorry to the OP for the post hijacking

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hosehead

About your meniscus tear :
1) how bad was it ? I am told mine is either partial or fully torn - I see a surgeon on May 31st to go over my MRI
2) how long did it take to heal ?
3) did you require surgery ?
4) what supplements/gear/ancillaries did you take to help with the healing process ?
5) how did you do it ?
6) do you train your legs differently now ?
7) are wraps just going to mask my injury or can they spare my meniscus in some way while I build my quads back up ? Never used wraps and I don't use a belt under 425 lbs.

Some history on mine - near as I can figure I tore it slipping in the bathtub OR possibly twisting at the top/lock out on leg extensions ( I go quite heavy - 350lbs). Whatever I did it wasn't painfull enough to where I knew when it happened. That was late January of this year. Took 2 months off of leg training. 4 weeks back in and I was squatting (just to parallel) 365 x 8 easily until I went too deep and felt it go. That was first week of May. So obviously I wasn't healed 100%. This time I hope I can convince the doctor that I need surgery but in the event I don't get it I need to do it right this time and not push things too much. Any advice you can offer would be great. My legs have lost about 1.5 inches since January.

Edit : sorry to the OP for the post hijacking

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I'm not quite sure to this day how it initially happened. It was after nationals and I blew up after, creating a ton of extra stress on my knees. Miniscus tears are extremely common, especially in bodybuilders. Most causes is due to what lies below the knee: the feet. the miniscus tendon connected the medial side of the tibia underneath the knee cap. Most of the time someone with a miniscus tear has some sort of flat foot. a fallen arch on the medial side of the food. This imbalance put extra pressure on the whole medial length of that leg and extra stretch on the tendon. If you look at the tendon and the fascia tissue that surround the muscle its like a plastic bag. Its not elastic like the muscle inside but more so like a plastic bag in the sense that it can be slowly stretched over time but any radical move can easily tear it. So with the added stress put on the medial line of the leg due to a fallen arch, this puts excess stretch continuously on the tendon under the knee cap. And in my case putting added weight on top of that only worsens the stretch. Most of the time the tear happens when pressure is applied to the food and pronation of the knee follows, causing now a stretch and a rotation the already worn tendon which may cause an partial or full tear. Mine was just a partial tear I believe, i never really went to see a doctor but i couldnt walk on the leg most of the time for about 3 months. But I of course kept training and wrapping the hell out of it and taking aleve before workouts. At the time I believe I was on cycle taking test and deca. The deca more than likely masked the amount of pain of the injury but it had healed enough within 3 months after continuously wrapping it tightly every workout and most days that It was irritated. It still bother me sometimes but I have a few methods of activating the tiny muscles on the medial side of my foot to strengthen that side and it has helped. Orthodics might be in your near future but i suspect you wear a lot of flat foot, nikes dunks, skater shoes at some point in time. I recommend if your going to keep training on it to wrap it tightly and avoid movements that cause discomfort and more than likely you have a tight medial hamstring. Focus on stretching the whole Posterior chain (see my theory on training the posterior chain for more details) from the hips down. So isolate the issue being your knee on the medial side. This means theres too much tension on the inside hamstring. by pronating your foot, flexing your toes and hinging at the hip you can stretch this side. Also I have a method for taping your foot to elevate the medial side thus taking strain of the whole medial side of your leg and easing tension on the miniscus. Its also again almost 4 am and I'm probably rambling on so use what information you can from the above and go get a pair of orthodics made up, show them this post and see how accurate I am to the prognosis.

Hope this helps,

B

Thanks bro - lots to swallow but you certainly were not rambling. Makes sense to me.

Sweet! Good to hear haha stretch the medial side of the whole leg that is bothering you and stretch out the quadriceps that should help