getting back into working out after tendonitis

[steyrm9a19mmfan]

A while back I developed a severe case of tendonitis (tennis elbow) in my right arm . Took the advice and gave my tendons some rest like they tell you to but it kept me from being able to work out with weights. Now I am slowly starting to work out again but starting with body weight exercises now. I am doing push ups of all kinds, pull ups, dips, inverted rows, lunges, sits ups of all kinds, and whatever else I can think of. I am starting to feel great and feel like my old self again. I under estimated body weight exercises for a long time and now I see how wrong I was to neglect them like I did. Maybe Charles Atlas had something there after all.

[rocsteady]

Had the same thing but in both arms after a brutal two week defensive tactics class. Tried to stay with workout as before and was told to lay off anything that worked the biceps or the tendons would eventually rupture.

When I did come back to it, I eased back to pull-ups by doing inverted rows where you lay under a fixed bar and pull yourself up to where your chest touches the bar with your heels staying on the ground. Looks like a push-up in the opposite direction.

You can make it a little tougher by elevating your feet on a bench or excercise ball to add some core stability too.

Good that you heeded the warning and let it heal up. When I didn't it took almost six months before I was cleared to resume normal workouts.

[Shao]

I fought an awful bout of tendonitis in my right elbow after getting into a drunken arm wrestling match with someone who outweighed me buy a few pounds. I put the crazy strength behind it and won, but woke up the next day with the most awful feeling. I bought one of those neoprene elbow braces and just continued to work out through the pain. It eventually corrected itself after about 4-5 months or heavy weight work.

[TheJRK]

I've played tennis for over 25 years, all the way through college and beyond and I had a bad case of TE a few years back. Doing kendo for the last 15 years didn't help it either.

After treatment and once the pain subsided a little, my ortho recommended I do this exercise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsKGbqA9aNo

with a Theraband Flex Bar. There are different bars with different flex levels, I use the blue.

This exercise saved my arm. I still do it to this day after a match or practice session to help my tendons.

[chungdae]

I got tendonitis in my right elbow as well. Absolutely painful, but I still trained through it. After about a month it went away. I don't advise doing this.

[FlyingHunter]

For Tennis Elbow:

1. Relative rest, avoid activities that cause pain/stress

2. Ice massage until numb 2-3x day

3. Get tennis elbow splint, wear 1-1.5" past point of pain, toward hand

4. OTC NSAID's e.g. ibuprofen if you have no medical contraindications

5. Perform sub-maximal multiple angle wrist isometrics: flexion,extension, pronation and supination

6. Be patient, can be slow to heal, in some cases a year.

7. In severe cases, I use a wrist splint with my patients to block their ability to extend the wrist past a neutral position. This effectively allows the tendons affecting by tennis elbow (ECRB or extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle) to rest and not pull on their bony attachment.

Lastly, See your doctor if symptoms fail to respond to conservative care within 6 weeks or if the pain impairs your ability to perform your daily activities/job.

Be Well.

[EVR]

How many of you guys experiencing this are over 40?

I've had more or less mild cases of it in both arms aver the years.

Currently I'm fighting the worst case I've ever had, 8 months and it is still not healed. 3 steroid shots {1 didn't help at all, 2 somewhat}.

I spend my winters {4-6 months} nordic skiing in remote country. For those not familiar with that, it is alot like climbing rope while wearing skis. I really screwed it up, ignored it, and now am really sorry... Pistol shooting makes it very angry.

Docs say if it doesn't heal in two months more, time for surgery, but I've heard that before with many of my injuries...

Anyway, it is a nasty thing to fight, and you guys who are young {I'm 50} take care of yourselves! From what the Docs say, the more you get it, the more you get it, and it is VERY common after age 40, oddly enough, regardless of exercise and fitness level.

[TheJRK]

I was about 30 when I had my worse case. Shots helped but were less effective as time went on. Mine got so bad that I couldn't even hold a fork in my hand and feed myself, it was that weak and painful. For 6 months I gave up tennis, kendo, and basically tried not to use my right arm for anything that forced me to "grip" something. For exercise I just ran.

[CGSteve]

I'm glad you're back into it. I had it in my wrist for over three months. It's been better now but due to my work schedule, I still haven't been able to fully get back into working out. I've lost 15lbs and I am not happy about it.

[Sentaruu]

i am just getting over it in my right elbow as well, I've had to put many of my workouts on hold for a couple of weeks

[TAZ]

Man tennis elbow sure sux a$$. Been dealing with it for a while now. Can't seem to shake it. I think im going to have to have some of he ergonomics folks come and look at my work area after I get back from vacation. Couple my tennis elbow with a sprained wrist and ok down to cardio and abs for my workouts. Not happy. Infant even think of shooting or dry firing without it hurting. Hoping that being away from keyboards and such while on vacation will help some.