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How I overcome the limitations of tennis elbow.

  • mch172
  • Apr 21, 2021
  • 3 min read

Three years ago on June 10th 2018 l experienced a life altering stone in the road. I was stretching int he gym getting ready to hit another personal best (PR) for bench press. The PR was supposed to be 225 pounds (lbs) for a single rep. However, things did not go as planned. After stretching and warming up as I normally would; I felt a tingling sensation in my elbow at the end of an anterior shoulder stretch. Of course, I ignored it. Today was supposed to be a huge day. However, what followed was not my idea of a perfect day.


During lifting the weight off the rack I felt as if someone shocked me with those "shocking pens" we used to have as kids. Only this pain was one thousand times worse. I immediately experienced no strength in my left hand and dropped the weight on to my chest. Fortunately for me my good friend Christopher caught the weight before it could do any serious damage to my body. I realised that as I extended my hand I could feel a serious grabbing sensation immediately followed by numbness and tingling in my medial hand. This was a clear indication of medial epicondylitis (golfers elbow). However, I soon realised that I also was experiencing lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) in the same hand as well. This is a weightlifters nightmare!


Over the next few years, my progression slowed and frustration became the new order of my already tiring weigh-lifting sessions. So, how did I over come it? The quick answer is that I didn't. Still to this day I struggle with tendonitis and it has not spread to my right hand through overcompensation. Nevertheless, It has not stopped me over the years from doing what I love.


Here are three things that has helped me over the years to deal with the pain and slowly strengthen my forearms:

  1. ICE ICE ICE! - I cant stress this enough. On good days, ICE. On bad days, ICE. When you are in the middle of a party talking to that girl that you never thought you'd have the courage to talk to, ICE. It is your best friend and only lover when it comes to keeping the inflamed site at bay. My recommendation is use any ice cup / pack / raw ice in a napkin and move it around the top and bottom of the elbow for at-least 5 minutes after every workout. If the injury is new; ice for 20 minutes every 2 hours for the first week. Then switch to 5 minutes after every workout.

  2. Compression elbow wraps and wrist bands - Elbow wraps that compress the area promote blood flow during lifting. They are crucial for getting blood into the inflamed area and preventing further injury to the tendon during elbow extension with resistance. They have helped me perform without pain and I even use them during the day to promote blood flow after icing. Wrist straps act as stabilisers for the wrist and allow you to keep a neutral hand when gripping bars and free weights. This ensures that you are keeping proper form during movements and limits the chances of overcompensating with the wrist. Plus, you feel like a pro in the gym wearing these!

  3. Don't be dumb; see a specialist if pain worsens! - One of my top pieces of advice is to make sure you are getting enough rest to allow the inflammation to dissipate from the area. However, more importantly, see a specialist if the pain worsens over time. If pain and inflammation does not subside with icing and rest after 2 weeks, don't be one of those gals or guys that work through the pain! As we say in Trinidad, "bad mind go kill dem in de end!"; Translation: Bad mind (bad thinking) go (will) kill dem (hurt them) in de end (in the end)!"

Tendonitis sucks just as much as any injury. But if you take care of it you can learn to live with the pain and eventually it will disappear for good. Think of it as a blessing and a curse. The blessing is making sure that you don't cheat proper lifting form ;).


Here are the links to my lifesaving tools:




 
 
 

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