Tennis Elbow...

[wildsteve]

Anyone have any experiences with this? It only hurts when I do curls, not much else. Time off? or continue lifting through it?

[ronbrgundy]

Had it pretty bad after going big on t bar rows too fast like a moron.  Took a week off it helped.  Now before any back or bicep day I do the following stretches with an exercise band:

Grip open and close 3 sets of 20 medium resistance
Wrist curl standing 3 sets of 20 medium resistance
Reverse wrist curl standing 3 sets of 20 medium resistance

Mine is not that bad since I took the time off and do those exercises beforehand now.  If mine did get bad, I would get a wrap that goes over the elbow from sports authority.  I chit chat with people in the gym and share strategies.  One guy basically told me the wrap made a world of difference for him.  I quit doing T bar rows; he said his injury was also caused by t bar rows.  I do bent over barbell rows and dumbbell rows instead.  Another guy gave me this advice: if the exercise irritates the injury, its most likely the placement of the hands.  Simply changing the hand placement can in some cases cause it to not hurt during the motion.  I took that as quite simply try other exercises and see what hurts and what doesn't. 

[Montague]

Anyone have any experiences with this? It only hurts when I do curls, not much else. Time off? or continue lifting through it?

If you’re questioning if you should work through it, I can only presume it’s not that bad.
If you had bad tendonitis, you wouldn’t even want to scratch your ass - much less think about lifting.

I had moderate to severe medial epicondylitis (golfer‘s elbow) for about 18 months.
I probably could have been rid of it sooner had I known off the bat what I do now.

Most cases of tendonitis are caused by overuse.
That being the case, rest is the first remedy.
Sometimes it’s as simple as just avoiding the exercises that hurt.
At your point, simply laying off the offending movements may do the trick.

More severe cases may require more rest than that, which may necessitate abstaining from ALL training for a period.
However, you don’t want to stay inactive for too long.
One of the reasons that tendons/tissues in the wrists, elbows, ankles, etc. take a long time to heel is because of poor blood supply.
Eventually, you’ll need to do something to bring circulation through that area.  

My recommendation - in that instance - is to take at least two weeks off from all upper body training.
During that time, perform wrist & forearm stretches that include the condyles.
Ice is also a good idea.

When you start back training, train smart.
Use moderate weight, good form, and most of all - AVOID ALL EXERCISES THAT CAUSED YOU PAIN IN THE FIRST PLACE - at least for a few months.
Even if you feel 90% better, don’t curl (or whatever was bothering you).
With adjustments in technique, weight, etc., you’ll probably be able to return to curling again - just don’t rush it.

Your top priority right now is healing.

Most of all, listen to your body.
It will tell you when it’s ready to progress.
Just don’t move faster than it’s ready to.

[Montague]

And in case it didn’t come through in my previous post…
NO - I do not advocate “working through it” (unless you make some modifications like I mentioned above).

If you continue doing things the way you are now, you will likely facilitate more damage and run into the same problems I did.
And yes, I had the same “work through it” mentality…
And so yes, I speak from experience.

[jpm101]

Of course I might ask; how do you know it's a tennis elbow? Quite a few arm/forearm and even wrist pain may fall under the list as tennis elbow, but really not. Have you overextended the elbow joint it's self, I wonder. I guess the one thing you do know is that there is discomfort in the elbow(?) wrist or forearm. If only happening with curls, it may be an inflamed nerve or slight tear in the forearm/wrist tissue/tendon. Linked to the grip used probably.

First caution would be rest the area (including strong gripping) for a week or so. If you wish not and keep up your regular workouts, than try reverse BB curls to attack the biceps. A very overlooked exercise but a good bicep builder. That can relieve the discomfort a bit usually. May even try hammer grip biceps exercises to see how the pain reaction is. Or even don't do any curling type exercise.

Try applying a heating element to the elbow, all the way down to the wris, before exercise. Wanting to keep warmth and a ready blood supply in the area. Also semi tight wraps or tr least a long sleeves sweat shirt. Again warmth is the goal for any potential injury to a muscle/tendon group. Good Luck.

[Montague]

Some of those neoprene elbow sleeves provide compression & warmth to the area, which can be comforting and protective.

You can also buy tendonitis bands that fasten around your forearm.
The better ones have an air cell that you position over the desired spot. This pressure can reduce the friction of the tendon rubbing inside its “sheath,” but it must be positioned properly to be effective.
   
I still use my sleeve on days when my elbows feel a bit tender, which are - thankfully - few & far between now.

[jpm101]

Montague gives very good advice. Even when away from the gym, during injury recovery time, might be a good idea to  lightly  applied a warming agent: lotion, rub, etc. to the area. Can promote healing faster. And do try keeping the area warm with a certain amount of cover. Want that healing blood supply within the injury most of the time. Good Luck.

[tonymctones]

I just have one thing to add....call it tendonitis, tennis elbow sounds gay...just saying