[Charles]

I've done a search on here but it strikes me that elbow injuries can be fairly unique to each person.

I've had a niggling left elbow for a few weeks, but it hasn't stopped me climbing. It's not a pain, more of a discomfort. Anyway, I was fingerboarding today and happened to look at my elbow and found that it had swollen on the outside of the joint, like a sprain. As such, I've been icing it this evening.

I've got a sport climbing trip to Mallorca in a month (exactly). Just wondering what I can do to make sure its as strong as it can be for then?

Cheers.

[Twiglett]

Well I've had a few elbow injuries, nothing ever swollen though. I found a bit of rest follwed by theraband-ing to be pretty good for elbows. I would say take it easy on the fingerboard, especially with full on locks etc

[Charles]

Yeah I'm going to take a few days off. Then I'm thinking of just sacking off the hardcore training and spending all that time climbing routes. Hopefully get me fit and let my elbow breathe for a bit!

Are there any particular exercises you'd recommend for the theraband?

[iain]

Try the dodgy elbows article here: http://www.athlon.com.au/articles.htm

[St Hubbins]

Nice article.

I think i'm on the verge of elbow trouble. I'm choosing to ignore it and do these exercises religiously

[Charles]

That has been a pretty useful article. From reading that I'd make a tentative self-diagnosis as something to do with my brachioradialis.

Its almost definately caused by a muscle getting too strong for the tendon as I've upped the frequency and intensity of training/climbing recently and have seen improvements in strength.

I've also noticed that my left arm is significantly weaker than my right, and I'm wondering if doing the same training on both arms has lead to this injury, as my right arm can handle it but my left can't.

[Fiend]

Yeah I'm going to take a few days weeks off. Then I'm thinking of just sacking off the hardcore training and spending all that time climbing routes. Hopefully get me fit and let my elbow breathe for a bit!

[Charles]

Not really an option. I'm going to Mallorca in 4 weeks.

Switching from bouldering/fingerboarding 4 times a week to just sport climbing 3 times a week should surely be the right drop in intensity to keep climbing, but let me elbow heal. I'm not taken with the idea of having a long time off from climbing, influenced mainly by Dave Macleod's articles.

Current plan is to climb at a lower intensity, perform the exercises detailed in the article previously posted (http://www.athlon.com.au/articles.htm) together with some antagonistic exercises (tricep dips, press-ups etc) and generally avoiding anything that makes my elbow explode (one arm lock-offs, mantles pushing down on left arm etc). And combine all this with ice/cold water treatment.

[abarro81]

I had wack elbows last winter and switching into stamina mode definitely seemed to help them get better.

[Fiend]

I had a wack elbow last winter, switched to easier stuff rather than resting straight away, and it was fucked for the entire year and is still injured a year later.

Remember the maxim don't train when injured / tired / ill??

4 weeks is enough time to have a couple of weeks rest, a week gently working back into things, and a week of light pre-trip training.

What's more important, trying to be on your "best form" for one particular trip, or managing this injury??

Maybe the goal should be not to make sure it's as "strong as possible" by then, but as "uninjured as possible" by then.

[tommytwotone]

I had a wack elbow last winter, switched to easier stuff rather than resting straight away, and it was fucked for the entire year and is still injured a year later.

Remember the maxim don't train when injured / tired / ill??

4 weeks is enough time to have a couple of weeks rest, a week gently working back into things, and a week of light pre-trip training.

What's more important, trying to be on your "best form" for one particular trip, or managing this injury??

Maybe the goal should be not to make sure it's as "strong as possible" by then, but as "uninjured as possible" by then.

Amen to that - I tried to 'climb off' a bad elbow last autumn and ended up on the verge of tears in The Foundry, and spent over 2 months with golfers.

In terms of treatment, ice baths are good - get a big washing up bowl, fill with cold water, a tray of ice cubes and elbow. Leave for 30 mins. Repeat as necessary. I gather this method is preferable to ice packs, as the bath gets gradually colder rather than going in freezing from the off.

[Charles]

Well I bimbled about at Horseshoe today and my elbow was fine. If I do feel pain in it I will take time off, but at the mo' I'd rather keep climbing.

Definately going to ice bath it in a bit though.

Cheers for the replies.

[mrjonathanr]

Nice article.

I think i'm on the verge of elbow trouble. I'm choosing to ignore it and do these exercises religiously

My elbows frequently feel sore after a session. Some of Saunders' exercises and Hey Presto! All nice and ready for more abuse.

[jay1lk]

Just had 3 months off with tennis elbow. Ditched the climbing upped the cycling and swimming. Other than that rest. Also took Cissus Quadrangularis. Good for bone and connective tissue repair.

[duncan]

Also took Cissus Quadrangularis. Good for bone and connective tissue repair.

Not come across that before.  I can find evidence for it's effect on osteoporosis (in 6 Indian rats) but nothing else related.  What's the deal about it's use for connective tissue repair?

In reply to the OP, most people underestimate their need to rest at the early stage of an injury and overestimate the need to rest at late stages.

[jay1lk]

Here's a little more info on Cissus

http://www.soylabs.com/formula/cissus-bone-health.htm
http://anabolicminds.com/forum/usp-labs/23856-cissus-quadrangularis.html

[duncan]

Thanks for the links. 

The original articles on fracture healing are all in an Indian medical journal from the 60s and 70s, which I can't access although I work somewhere that can usually find these things.   We don't know how many people were involved in the studies, whether they were randomised or blinded, or whether the results were significant.  I would be very cautious about drawing any conclusions from them. 

The links present no evidence at all for Cissus and connective tissue healing but suggest it "may" be helpful. 

I'm as keen as anyone to enlarge the limited armory of treatments for soft-tissue injuries but this one seems pretty tenuous.

[St Hubbins]

So its been nearly 3 weeks since i first noticed the twinges in the elbow. I suspect brought on by spending all night on the 50 degree board and campus board?

I straight away started doing sets of: press ups, dips, reverse wrist curls, pronators after training sessions along with taking cod liver oil and glucosamine/chondrotin.

Elbows seem to now be fine (Fingers crossed they stay that way) , i didn't ease of training either so I'm going to conclude that the sets must have helped and it may not have been as bad an injury as i first thought?

How many people on here do these opposing/antagonistic*  and what frequency/amounts

[Charles]

I started doing pressups on rest days and my elbow has improved quite a bit. Hasn't been giving me any grief lately apart from when I got carried away at Raven Tor. Then it was really sore for about 3 days.

The plus side of this (oh yes, I can find an upside!) was that as it was hurting so much, I finally found the exact spot thats giving me trouble!