can i still train around tennis elbow?

[britishguy]

Hey guys I have a slight discomfort in my left elbow from doing tricep extensions, no pain, maybe a little dull ache but I can still straighten arm no problem, I was won
Out tris, u rekon I could still train them just don't contract with the joint at the bottom too much, or even chest work, please help thnx

[jam88]

I started with some very minor discomfort in my elbow when doing triceps exercises as well. I worked through it for at least a month as it was not really causing me that much pain and I was still making progress. I avoided tricep isolation exercises which i thought was enough but apparently not. Now I really regret it and im looking at minimum a month recovery. I've been resting for a full week already and wrapping my arm but it seems to be getting worse as I rest it (maybe part of the healing? im not really sure).

So, i would say take a week off and see how it is because if its a tendon problem and it gets worse your going to be looking at some serious time off.

[hedfullofmusic]

I would take some time off, so you don't make it worse. I'm doing this now for a different injury (golfer's elbow). I might try to work out tomorrow. That is after six days off.

[alexb650]

I have tennis elbow too (from self diagnosis), which was caused by playing golf last tuesday. At first it felt like a minor sprain and then I made it worse by doing hammer curls on Friday. I'm taking this week off at least but so far it seems to be getting worse as each day passes, so we'll see.

I asked two separate friends and one suggested a brace and the other recommended massaging the area with ice. I'll tag along here to see if anyone has suggestions.

[ltbs]

http://www.sportstek.net/elbow-strap.htm -- Any time grip is needed or if lifting weights use a strap while going through this. I had golfer's elbow that even made it hard to close car doors due to the pain of gripping. Was tested and given a strap and relief was immediate and 110% better when retested by physio (grip/wrist test). I would put a wrapped ice cube under the strap to help reduce inflammation.

Beware I 've had this ongoing for 5 months now without doing any lifting, friends have similar issues for a good 10 months so far, takes a long time for these little things to clear up.

Complete rest is the only cure but it's so hard not to go do something in the gym.

[blackdove212]

If it's tennis elbow, you can still train with wrist straps. Tennis Elbow (or lateral epicondylitis) can be very painful as I have experienced. Warm compresses and massage can alleviate the pain. I found these exercises to give instant relief to tennis elbow. For long term strengthening of the forearms, here are some forearm exercises for tennis elbow that you can do. You only need an adjustable dumbbell and plates to perform these exercises. Hope these help.

[alexb650]

So, it's been three weeks since I injured my elbow and, at first, I was really worried that I was going to be out for months as others here and friends of mine have explained. However, I was back in the gym this week (doing light workouts). So far everything feels good and I plan on keeping it light until the pain is gone for a while. I'm at about 90% so if it gets worse or doesn't improve I'll take some more time off. Here's what I've tried and what has worked, in the order of least helpful to most helpful.

Ice: I did this for the first couple of days and I really can't say it did much. Although, I can't be certain, as those first few days may have been when it was really needed.

nsaid's: I took a generic aspirin for the first two weeks and it really helped out with at least temporary relief, but I decided to stop taking them because I wanted to be able to feel when it was hurting/when I was hurting it more.

wrist curls: I started these after a week of rest. I didn't have any weights at home, so I started out with some really light household items and worked my way up to heavier ones. Water can be a good weight. The other thing i started was to set my forearm on my lap and hold a hammer straight out. Then twist it from left to right. This one hurt at first but you can start by holding the hammer closer to the head to help with this.

Stretches: you can look up various ones online. The one that I liked was to put my thumb on the tendon (right in the middle of the forearm) and push down on it. Then, while pressing tightly, try to stretch the tendon by sliding (slowly) towards the elbow. I found that this gave relief almost immediately. Do the standard stretches as well though.

Tennis elbow strap: this was one if the first things I did/bought to help with the pain. At first it didn't do a damn thing but after talking to several people, I learned that you have to try several differt types until you find one that works for you--and i did. I wore it all day long at first and now I only wear it to sleep (so that I don't mess it up while passed out) and to the gym.

Flexbar: I was reading about wringing out a towel to help with tennis elbow and I came across an article about a "flexbar," which does the same thing as wringing a towel but with more resistance. From what I read, everyone recommended using it by doing a "Tyler Twist" (or something like that), which you can look up videos for. Anyways, I decided to try it out. I'll admit, it hurt at first and to the point where I thought I was re-injuring my elbow but it said that it's supposed to hurt a little. By the third set, it didn't hurt at all and it started to feel better everyday. If you don't feel like buying one, try wringing out a towel...I read good things about that as well. I was just desperate so I went with a specifically manufactured product.

Rest: I did absolutely nothing with my right arm up until this week. The only things I did was to do the above stretches and exercises.

I'm not saying to do what I did and you'll be back in the gym in three weeks. I happened to stop the minute that I knew there was something wrong with my elbow, so my injury may be mild compared to some of you that can't lift a coffee cup. Just sharing what I've learned.