Nasty Elbow Joints - Hurting My Workouts

[EPROM]

My elbows feel like bags of gravel, broken glass and scotch tape. I feel the most amount of joint pain when doing curls. What happens is I can only do one or two reps with medium weight, and I STILL get this excruciating sharp pain in my elbows. ...It's screwing up my sessions!

Once I get to about the 4th or 5th set (after 4 shitty ones) I am able to lift heavy and do more reps ....but I feel like I'm doing more damage than good. The pain is present every day even on off days.

Anyone have this happen? What is a good remedy? BTW: I'm 47 years old, so age may be an issue.

Birdman

 

[SaiBoT]

I think you should see your doc.

 

[EPROM]

I think you should see your doc.

I guess I'm looking for others who have suffered this before dropping loads of money at the doctor's office. BTW: I don't have healthcare right now.

Birdman

 

[routerman99]

I am also 47yrs old and my elbows were hurting like hell whenever I lifted. I went to the Doctor 2 years ago and had 2 cortisone shots within 6 months. Each shot only lasted 3 months or so. I realized that this would just further tear up my elbows, so I have not had another shot. I also tried using anti-inflammatory meds, but they eventually tear up my stomach. The last thing I did was go to my Chiropractor and explain my situation with elbow pain. He then did a technique called Active Release Therapy which involves releasing the tension in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons of the body. He focused on my elbows and I started getting some relief within a week. I still have some pain when I lift, but with my Chiro's help I can stay relatively pain free now. Also, I only lift 2 or 3 days a week now! Hope this helps!!

 

[EPROM]

I am also 47yrs old and my elbows were hurting like hell whenever I lifted. I went to the Doctor 2 years ago and had 2 cortisone shots within 6 months. Each shot only lasted 3 months or so. I realized that this would just further tear up my elbows, so I have not had another shot. I also tried using anti-inflammatory meds, but they eventually tear up my stomach. The last thing I did was go to my Chiropractor and explain my situation with elbow pain. He then did a technique called Active Release Therapy which involves releasing the tension in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons of the body. He focused on my elbows and I started getting some relief within a week. I still have some pain when I lift, but with my Chiro's help I can stay relatively pain free now. Also, I only lift 2 or 3 days a week now! Hope this helps!!

WOW! ...and here I thought Chiros were quacks.

Your condition sounds just like mine. Sometimes the left elbow area in trashed ...then it heals up some only to have the right elbow get trashed. I have considered a three-day workout, but I'd rather do six.

Also, did you end up lowering your weight amount and using higher reps? I don't know if higher reps will help or hurt.

Birdman

 

[PWR]

I'm 33 and have the exact same problem. Mine is from years of heavy work, lifting and tendonitis. I had cortizone put in both elbows back in 2001 and it helped for maybe a year or so. But now that I am back in the gym heavy they hurt like hell all the time again. I use to crush a naproxen and use transdermal cream and rub it in my elbows and it helped alot. I am going to try that Animal Flex and see if it helps.
Mine hurts really bad until I get about 2 sets of flat bar curls in then after that I can go heavy again. I wear albow wraps and that seems to help too. Bench is rough on theem aswell.

 

[FunFun]

I have considered a three-day workout, but I'd rather do six.

Also, did you end up lowering your weight amount and using higher reps? I don't know if higher reps will help or hurt.

Birdman

There's your problem right there. You just don't know when you had enough. Obviously serious joint pain is a sign of damage that should be heeded long before it has become as bad as yours seems to be. You're trying to train through pain...you go on to do 4 sets of curls when even the first warmup sets hurts.

6 days a week?? How many of those days involve elbow work? Don't forget that chest, back, shoulder and arm work all involve the elbows heavily. All upper body workouts heavily involve the elbows.

I'm 49 with pretty good elbows but I have had a lot of trouble with them in the past though. I don't believe in doing anything which aggravates them. If they do hurt on a particular exercise, I change to something else or experiment with different hand positions.

Heating sleeves (thermoskins) can help a lot too. If I have a problem I always use them.

To be honest, going on how you seem to trash your elbows despite the pain, your injury is probably going to take a long time to heal, especially at your age...if ever...even with therapy and rest.

 

[b fold the truth]

Stretching every day?
Elbow sleeves?
Squatting with elbow sleeves?
Icy-Hot before every workout?
LOTS of warm-ups?

Have you determined what is bothering them so that you can do it differently or work around it?

There are SO many ways to get to the same goal, it is crazy to keep doing the one that is hurting you the most.

 

[Knoxfan]

Stretching every day?
Elbow sleeves?
Squatting with elbow sleeves?
Icy-Hot before every workout?
LOTS of warm-ups?

Have you determined what is bothering them so that you can do it differently or work around it?

There are SO many ways to get to the same goal, it is crazy to keep doing the one that is hurting you the most.

Solid post!

 

[EPROM]

Stretching every day?
Elbow sleeves?
Squatting with elbow sleeves?
Icy-Hot before every workout?
LOTS of warm-ups?

Have you determined what is bothering them so that you can do it differently or work around it?

There are SO many ways to get to the same goal, it is crazy to keep doing the one that is hurting you the most.

If I halt the use of my elbows, then I might as well give up on weight training. The pain does subside in later sets, but I'd rather be blasting the weights from set #1. I have had these elbow pains for years and my story is similar to PWR's. I aggravated my left elbow using a floor sander and I think that's what's causing me the frief. Usually my right arm is the one that's screwed.

I might just opt for a cortisone shot. I just began a cycle and I don't want to stop. I did take a couple of days off ...but past experience says that the pain will be around for months.

I will also try some elbow wraps.