Tennis elbow, tendinitis... something else?

[Xpiro]

To preface, I can’t see a doctor or physical therapist at the moment due to insurance issues.

I’d been having very mild intermittent pain in my right elbow for about a week, not debilitating in the slightest, and earlier this week I went to rep out some BB curls and was stricken by pretty intense pain in my forearm (thumb side) and inner elbow/lower bicep. I was able to (tho probably shouldn’t have) complete my sets without any further problems or deterioration in strength. I went to try some hammer curls and again, the pain was there, but without any weakness. I lowered the weight and the pain was alleviated to the state of a nag.

Weird thing is I was able to complete Pendlay rows, pull-ups, and DB rows without pain prior to the curls... at this point I can only do neutral-grip pull-ups—regular pronated are a no—and I’ve yet to test rows at moderate weights, but I have no problem with light weights especially using a thumbless grip.

I can’t do pronated presses, but neutral grip is fine. Can’t do lateral raises (I don’t internally rotate).

Straight arm pulldowns and close/neutral grip pulldowns are fine.

Front squats and curls are a **** no, and I think reverse curls could kill me. Low bar squats suck for my wrists even with wraps, but I had no problem squatting heavy with a thumbless grip.

The pain is more apparent when I hold my arm out and rotate it so my thumb is down.

What’s the deal? I’ve been icing twice a day but I don’t know if it’s doing anything tbh.

[Szyszak]

To preface, I can’t see a doctor or physical therapist at the moment due to insurance issues.

I’d been having very mild intermittent pain in my right elbow for about a week, not debilitating in the slightest, and earlier this week I went to rep out some BB curls and was stricken by pretty intense pain in my forearm (thumb side) and inner elbow/lower bicep. I was able to (tho probably shouldn’t have) complete my sets without any further problems or deterioration in strength. I went to try some hammer curls and again, the pain was there, but without any weakness. I lowered the weight and the pain was alleviated to the state of a nag.

Weird thing is I was able to complete Pendlay rows, pull-ups, and DB rows without pain prior to the curls... at this point I can only do neutral-grip pull-ups—regular pronated are a no—and I’ve yet to test rows at moderate weights, but I have no problem with light weights especially using a thumbless grip.

I can’t do pronated presses, but neutral grip is fine. Can’t do lateral raises (I don’t internally rotate).

Straight arm pulldowns and close/neutral grip pulldowns are fine.

Front squats and curls are a **** no, and I think reverse curls could kill me. Low bar squats suck for my wrists even with wraps, but I had no problem squatting heavy with a thumbless grip.

The pain is more apparent when I hold my arm out and rotate it so my thumb is down.

What’s the deal? I’ve been icing twice a day but I don’t know if it’s doing anything tbh.

maybe pronator teres inflamation?

[Xpiro]

maybe pronator teres inflamation?

Looked it up and the location of the pain when doing daily activities is accurate, but would that affect supination too? Supinated curls of all varieties hurt, as do hammers (is a clean grip w/ front squats considered a pronated one?). I was surprised to find they straight arm pulldowns were unaffected as well, but there’s minimal elbow bend with those...

[StinnerOzz]

Sounds similar to my biceps tendinitis from years ago. Couldn't hold on to do 3 pullups (I'd usually do 20), but could do Hammer Strength plate load pulldowns with 3 plates per side, full ROM, with barely any discomfort. Overhand BB Rows, my usual preferred grip, were painful but reverse grip was not.

Anyway, it came to be that no rest, ice, stretching or attempts at rehab helped, but a steroid injection from the doctor cleared it right up.

Good luck with it, those problems can last years easy.

[MajorTendonitis]

Sounds similar to my biceps tendinitis from years ago. Couldn't hold on to do 3 pullups (I'd usually do 20), but could do Hammer Strength plate load pulldowns with 3 plates per side, full ROM, with barely any discomfort. Overhand BB Rows, my usual preferred grip, were painful but reverse grip was not.

Anyway, it came to be that no rest, ice, stretching or attempts at rehab helped, but a steroid injection from the doctor cleared it right up.

Good luck with it, those problems can last years easy.

Correct about lasting years. I had my first tendonitis in my right forearm while benchpressing heavy using a barbell .
Too much repetitive motion ,and not enough healing . Plus I’m sure age played into it , as it started when I was 47.
Quit for a year and it finally healed ,or so I thought. It’s a strange injury,as it can feel as though it’s completely gone , then one wrong move and it’s back to square one.

One thing that helps me in naproxen and rest . I believe if I had quit using a bar and only used dumbbells , that I could have avoided my problems altogether, but it’s far too late .

Also I found that not making fast explosive moves helps . Obviously try and do exercises that do not enflame it .
Btw , Tricep dips are a tendon killer imo

[isaacr65]

Correct about lasting years. I had my first tendonitis in my right forearm while benchpressing heavy using a barbell .

What treatment did you use?

[MajorTendonitis]

What treatment did you use?

Time off and naproxen. Acupuncture and massage therapy didn’t work, nor did ice heat etc

[Xpiro]

Hell, I thought that laying off for a week would fix it up like it does for my chronic rotator cuff and low back injuries (I mean they always come back, but a short easy week always buys me some months). I wanted to avoid NSAIDS to avoid messing with natural healing since the pain isn’t really bothersome outside of lifting, and I just got on a deload so my plan was just to avoid curls and anything pronated. it’s really going to take longer than that? How severe was yours? Elbow brace y/n?

[Xpiro]

I found myself able to do (light) concentration curls without any pain, but pain was present with DB curls to my sides with the same weight and barbell curls. Pain was felt mostly before reaching full contraction at the top. Chin-ups were strangely okay for the first few reps, but gradually I couldn’t reach full extension at the bottom without triggering it again; the top part of the concentric was fine throughout the set, unlike the curls. Not sure how that works.

The elbow brace seems to be helping somewhat.

[amit4life5]

I found myself able to do (light) concentration curls without any pain, but pain was present with DB curls to my sides with the same weight and barbell curls. Pain was felt mostly before reaching full contraction at the top. Chin-ups were strangely okay for the first few reps, but gradually I couldn’t reach full extension at the bottom without triggering it again; the top part of the concentric was fine throughout the set, unlike the curls. Not sure how that works.

The elbow brace seems to be helping somewhat.

check if you have snapping/ might be ulnar nerve or snapping triceps

[Xpiro]

check if you have snapping/ might be ulnar nerve or snapping triceps

Like clicking? My elbow clicks with pronated pressing

Although like Szyszak suggested earlier, it may be an issue with my pronator teres... I was prescribed two new medications and the bottle’s caps are from hell... I literally have to put all of my strength into twisting them off which forces me to twist my arm into pronation, and I have to do this twice per day. As for the elbow clicking, I’m not sure, but it happens occasionally with my other arm so I wonder if it’s an unrelated thing.

That being said, I’ve been doing pronator teres rehab exercises daily and not seeing terribly much improvement, but maybe I’m onto something because I can do front squats now. Still can’t really curl though.

[sowilson]

Well now son let me check the medical degree I got from Misc University and see what it says. Hmmm, it says go see an orthopedic specialist and quit seeking medical advice from internet bro's. If you have an issue with money and not having insurance then look into University run clinics. You might actually have to do some research for what's available in your area. Comparing bro-nostics is foolish.

[Szyszak]

Well now son let me check the medical degree I got from Misc University and see what it says. Hmmm, it says go see an orthopedic specialist and quit seeking medical advice from internet bro's. If you have an issue with money and not having insurance then look into University run clinics. You might actually have to do some research for what's available in your area. Comparing bro-nostics is foolish.

Orthopedic specialist becuase his forearm is painful?

[Fatkidwholifts]

No idea what you got going on……but if it is tendinitis be aware tennis elbow and golfers elbow are two different things, and you should be doing different stretches depending on which it is.

[StinnerOzz]

Orthopedic specialist becuase his forearm is painful?

If it's tendinitis, he's best to do so because many people will never improve it without professional help. Unless you can get cortizone shots off the shelf these days and know where to place it yourself, I suppose.

[Xpiro]

Well now son let me check the medical degree I got from Misc University and see what it says. Hmmm, it says go see an orthopedic specialist and quit seeking medical advice from internet bro's. If you have an issue with money and not having insurance then look into University run clinics. You might actually have to do some research for what's available in your area. Comparing bro-nostics is foolish.

I do have insurance, but everybody’s computer thinks I don’t. Going to make a thread real soon about a blown gasket in my head. Anyway, I’m working on it.

Oh and my index finger went numb for a sec.

[Szyszak]

I do have insurance, but everybody’s computer thinks I don’t. Going to make a thread real soon about a blown gasket in my head. Anyway, I’m working on it.

Oh and my index finger went numb for a sec.

extremlly weakness, lack of range of motion or inflamation in pronator teres can cause median nerve entrampment. If I were you, I would try to gently massage it, stretch and strenghten.
I used to have tendinitis with nerve compression (radial nerve compressed by brachioradialis) and I know how annoying it is to heal.

[bigcat3655]

Any numbness in your little and ring fingers? I detached my ulnar nerve in 2017 and had surgery for it in 2018. Still problematic

[Xpiro]

Nope, just the index. It went back to normal after 5-10 minutes and hasn’t happened since.

[Xpiro]

Side question that I don’t need a doctor to answer for me... can I maintain size with boringly light 30-40 rep curls to failure while this is being taken care of?