Extreme elbow pain when pressure is applied...

Das Ninja

Hey guys and gals, got a bit, and by a bit i mean a huge, problem with my right elbow.

It's been going on for sometime now, at least a year and a bit, I have been to the doctors and sport doctor several times, and I have an MRI in 2 weeks. But i was wondering if anyone else has ever had such a problem.

I am a weightlifter, so i understand that injuries will be a part of the game, but this is just insane. To give you a quick example, if i were to put my hand, palm down, on a desk and push down using only my tricept, it would hurt like hell. Even if i were to put my arm at a 90 degree angle beside by body and flex my entire arm, my elbow would feel like someone is putting a nail through it.

I don't think that it is a tendon issue, as i hear those do not heal and hurt like hell if they snap/break. I have been taking it easy lately on it, but I cant simply stop working out. It's a lot harder then one might think.

So i guess im just asking for maybe some streches or something i can do that wont aggrivate it anymore and what i could do to loosen it up and get some blood in that area. I really donno. I dont want to hear a doctor say to me "no more working out" because I just couldnt handle that.

Thanks

Popices

Well I'm no expert on the whole arthritis/joint thing, but if you have been lifting for a long duration of time, the repeated motions with such a large stress load have probably broken down that whole buffer system between bones quite a bit. Since you mostly feel it when pressure is applied, I would think that it hurts when you lift as well, but maybe your adrenaline/hormones diminish the pain to a somewhat workable level? My father has been lifting for ~25 years and he's in the same boat as you--he hurts like hell, but it's been in his routine for so long its hard to stop. The only thing I can suggest since you don't want to stop working out, is go much lighter for more reps. You havent said if you lift to build muscle, or lift to stay in shape, but lighter lifting should help cope with pain significantly (versus continuing putting large stressors on your bones and joints).

In any event, there are some intra-articular injections that you can have done which will provide some comfort, I would try to research some of them online or ask your physician about it. Taking 600mg of ibuprofen also helps with inflammation (don't exceed more than 800mg/dose or 3200mg/day)...You could try that before or after lifting to see if it helps out at all.

Das Ninja

Thanks for that response. I do lift to build muscle, but i will have to try lighter weight with more reps. I have been prescribed some anti-inflams in the past, im not sure if they did alot. But i will ask about those injections. Bodies are just pathetic -_-

Thanks again.

Dman

I know you don't want to hear this but I would try stretches and doing aerobic workouts like running/swimming. I'd say don't touch weights for a month and see if it improves. Pain is your bodies way of telling you something is wrong.