Concentric Vs Eccentric Imbalance
When concentric contractions occur too frequently without the counterbalance of eccentric contraction, collagen begins to degenerate from the chronic shortening. Eccentric contractionthe lengthening of a muscle and tendon under tensionhelps maintain the tendon fiber orientation.
Mechanical loading, particularly in the eccentric phase, protects tendons from injury!
Why Do I Get Sharp Elbow Pain When I Exercise
Sharp elbow pain during exercise is likely due to an overuse injury. Repetitive motions of the wrist and forearm can cause accumulated damage to tendons that attach to the end of the humerus . The tendons attach to parts of the bone called epicondyles, resulting in an injury called epicondylitis. Depending on the exact tendons affected, the pain may be located on the inner side of the elbow or the outer side of the elbow . Sports activities such as golf and tennis can cause or exacerbate pain.
Is Sharp Elbow Pain Caused By A Nerve Problem
Sharp, pins-and-needles pain in the elbow may be caused by problems with a nerve. Multiple nerves run through small spaces in the elbow and can be injured or compressed due to repetitive elbow motions, structural abnormalities, or pressure placed on the elbow. Finger tingling and weakness may occur with nerve compression in the elbow. Less commonly, compression of a nerve in the neck may cause sharp elbow pain.
Read Also: How To Get Rid Of Arthritis In Knee
What Weight Room Exercises May Contribute To Medial Epicondylitis
The weight room can be both a cause and a solution to ME. The first step to getting better is to identify what movements may be contributing to the inner elbow pain and to then either stop these activities or perform them in a way that is not injurious.
Certain exercises will be red flags. Watch out for:
- Exercises where you bend the elbow againstresistance
- Exercises where you flex the fingers or wristagainst resistance
- Exercises that create resisted pronation.
- Exercises that requires a strong grip utilizingthe forearm flexors
Here is a list of specific red flag movements that couldbe contributing to your elbow pain.
Upper Body Exercises
This means lower body exercises that involve grip may betriggers. Keep in mind that someexercises that are triggers can also be fixers such as wrist curls whenintegrated at the right time in the right dose may also fix the issue as theywill make the muscle and tendon stronger.
Symptoms Of Elbow Pain
Depending on the cause of your elbow pain, several other symptoms may also be present at the same time. These vary in incidence and severity but may include:
- Stiffness or reduced range of motion
- Cubital tunnel syndrome
Tennis elbow is a degenerative issue affecting the extensor carpi radialis brevis tendon on the outer part of the elbow. It causes relatively sudden pain in the outer portion of the joint and occasionally into the forearm. Activities like gripping, twisting, typing, lifting, or moving the wrist in an upward direction generally worsen the soreness.
Sprains occur when a ligament is damaged or torn after an acute injury. The ulnar collateral ligament, located on the inside part of the elbow, is most commonly affected. This injury is especially prevalent in throwing athletes and is accompanied by bruising, pain over the inner elbow, and feelings of instability.
Strains also typically happen after an injury or incident but affect a muscle tendon. At the elbow, these most commonly occur in the biceps tendon in the front part of the joint. This condition causes vague pain near the crease of the elbow along with discomfort when bending your elbow or rotating your forearm in an upward direction. Depending on the degree of injury, weakness may also be present with these movements.
Read Also: Symptoms Of Gout In Elbow
When To See A Doctor
In some cases, even though emergency care isn’t necessary, you may need treatment. Make an appointment with your physician if you experience the following.
- Pain worsens or persists
- Tingling, numbness, pain, or weakness in your fingers
- You feel limited: The elbow pain is preventing you from carrying out your usual activities, such as playing sports.
How Long To Heal Elbow Pain From Pull
It’s possible to stop and relieve inner elbow pain or outside elbow pain in 5 minutes , by releasing the forearm flexor muscles, forearm extensor muscles, and triceps muscle and tendon. You can accomplish this by using a self-myofascial release massage ball.
Once the restricted muscles in the forearm are released, it will alleviate the tension on the elbow tendons, which allows the tendons to heal. Using a combination of post-workout treatments , magnesium supplementation, and self-myofascial release, it’s possible to heal elbow pain from pull-ups in 7-10 days.
Keep in mind, simply resting the elbow might temporarily provide relief, but it will not fix the root cause of the pain .
Nurudeen performing V-bar pull-ups during back workout at gym . The V-bar pull-up is a variation of the pull-up exercise. V-bar pull-ups primarily target the lower lats muscle and secondarily the deltoids and biceps. V-bar pull-ups can aggravate golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow .
The Complete Elbow Pain Solution For Athletes
For a video-based guide to cure elbow pain fast, consider the TitaniumPhysique program. A solution created for athletes, by athletes. Take the quiz to start now.
Read Also: Bones In The Wrist And Hand
Common Mechanism Of Injury
For gamers, medial epicondylosis is more common for console gamers due to the position and action of the hands using a controller. Common risks for console gamers include:
- Poor hand position
- Excessive flexion of your wrists while gripping the controller will create over-activation and shortening of the common flexor muscles and tendons
- Lack of eccentric contraction
- As described in Pathophysiology above, the actions performed in gaming do not include eccentric contraction, or lengthening of the flexor muscles
- The imbalance of muscle shortening without lengthening under tension leads to tendon fiber disruption
- Lack of antagonist muscle contraction
- Also described in Pathophysiology above, gripping the controller and pressing triggers and bumpers is a stronger muscle action taking the fingers off the triggers and bumpers is not a forceful action
- The lack of forceful extensor muscle contraction allows for over-activity of the flexor muscles, perpetuating the shortening and fiber disruption of the tendons at the elbow
The Best Way To Fix Inner Elbow Pain
Any athlete that trains hard for their sport may encounter some inner elbow pain at some point. The most common advice is to just stop lifting. But if you want to be a competitive athlete, you cant afford to not keep up your strength and conditioning. Its what gives you an edge. If you are a high school wrestler competing for the state title, you are not going to let a little elbow pain stop you from training and competing. Continue reading to learn how to continue training and reduce inner elbow pain at the same time.
Recommended Reading: My Knee Hurts When I Bend It Backwards
Agonist Vs Antagonist Imbalance
When agonist muscle actions occur too frequently without the counterbalance of their antagonist, there is imbalance in the strength and tension on the joints involved. When strength and tension are not balanced, the muscles can be overworked and injury becomes more common.
The concentric vs. eccentric imbalance is usually the direct cause of any tendinopathy, but the agonist vs. antagonist imbalance may exacerbate the ailment and prolong healing time.
What Causes Medial Epicondylitis
Medial epicondylitis is caused by the excessive force used to bend the wrist toward the palm. This can happen when swinging a golf club or pitching a baseball. Other possible causes of medial epicondylitis include:
-
Serving with great force in tennis or using a spin serve
-
Weak shoulder and wrist muscles
-
Using a too tightly strung, too short, or too heavy tennis racket
-
Throwing a javelin
-
Frequent use of other hand tools on a continuous basis
You May Like: Pain In Knee Inner Side
Get Rid Of Pain In The Elbow
Pain in the elbow or in the pit of the elbow mostly comes from over-stressed and tensed arm muscles.
As a consequence, this leads to irritation and inflammation of the tendons attached to the elbow.
Taking anti-inflammatory medication only provides temporary pain relief, if any relief at all and doesnt doesnt do anything to eliminate the actual cause of the problem.
On this page, you will learn which muscles can be responsible for pain in the pit of the elbow and how you can eliminate this pain.
If your pain isnt located in the pit of the elbow, but rather in the inner or outer side of the elbow, then you should go you to the corresponding article.
What Causes Golfers Elbow
Repetitive or forceful motions of the wrist and fingers can damage muscles and tendons, causing golfers elbow. These kind of motions are common if you participate in:
- Any activity where you repeatedly bend your elbow, including yard work
Improper form or conditioning can also be a reason you develop golfers elbow. At Aurora, we offer conditioning and training programs to help athletes and active adults prevent injuries, including our:
Don’t Miss: Cocktail Dresses Off The Shoulder
Another Important Tip Regarding Pain In The Elbow
Repeat the massage for these muscles daily. Better yet, do them multiple times per day until the pain in your elbow has disappeared.
If you dont feel any pain or excess sensitivity to pressure, then check to see that you are massaging the right muscles.
Did you enjoy this article? Was it helpful? If so, you can download it together with all other articles of this website by getting my eBook.
The Complete Trigger Point eBook Series
Why Am I Experiencing Inner Elbow Pain While Doing Pull
If you experience inner elbow pain while doing pull-ups, the cause is usually a combination of restricted triceps muscle and forearm muscles , and inflamed elbow tendons.
The forearm muscles and triceps muscle contract when you do exercises involving your arms, such as pull-ups. When the forearm muscles and triceps muscle contract during exercise, they pull and put pressure on the elbow tendons.
During pull-ups, the forearm flexor muscles can overstretch and inflame the tendon on the inside part of the elbow.Inner elbow pain can be chronic or acute .
Acute pain is an inflammatory pain experienced during or immediately after an exercise. In this case, experiencing inner elbow pain while doing pull-ups is a sign of acute elbow pain.
A video of Nurudeen performing variations of pull-ups and chin-ups at the gym : wide-grip rear pull-ups, wide-grip pull-ups, close-grip chin ups. “Pull” exercises such as pull-ups and chin-ups can aggravate golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow .
The Complete Elbow Pain Solution For Athletes
For a video-based guide to cure elbow pain fast, consider the TitaniumPhysique program. A solution created for athletes, by athletes. Take the quiz to start now.
You May Like: Elbow Support For Lifting Weights
How To Avoid Elbow Pain When Doing Pull Ups
To avoid elbow pain when doing pull ups, follow these steps:
For a detailed explanation, visit this article to learn how to avoid elbow pain using a simple 3-Step Formula.
How Can I Prevent Golfer’s Elbow
If you developed golfer’s elbow by playing sports, you can prevent new injury by paying special attention to your wrist and forearm during your warmups. You can also try adjusting your sports equipment and technique
For example, if you’re a tennis player, try using a larger grip on your racquet or loosening your racquet strings. If you take tennis lessons, talk to your coach about improving your serve and forehand so you put less stress on your forearm.
If you developed golfer’s elbow on the job, wearing a brace might help by giving your wrist additional support so your tendons can heal. You might also try building in breaks when you can do gentle stretches or simply rest your arm.
Don’t Miss: The Anatomy Of The Knee Joint
A4 Try Adding An Exercise That Involves The Forearm Flexors Or Forearm Pronators
Usually the best place to start is a row, pulldown, or pullup all with a pronated grip. The pronated grip will be better tolerated than a supinated or semi-supinated grip. Also, always use wrist straps to spare your grip. This will reduce the pain tremendously. Be sure to use straps on lower body red flag exercises.
Adding in wrist flexion for high reps is the next progression. . Isolated pronation training is also a great place to start. When adding in bicep work, a hammer grip seems to work best. We have seen the most success with low pulley cable bicep curls from a preacher curl using a hammer grip on a rope. This seems to be the least strenuous to ME.
Quick Fixes For Aching Elbows
Rest, heat, stretching, and bracing are effective ways to find relief right now.
The elbow is a funny joint. It is home to your funny boneyour ulnar nervewhich hurts if it’s hit a certain way. And the elbow is often overlooked as an important joint to help us maintain our independence. Many older adults may not think much about the elbow, because it’s not a weight-bearing joint and because it doesn’t often develop arthritis or require joint replacement in the older adult population. But elbow pain can keep you from getting dressed, cooking dinner, and anything else that requires the use of your arm. Taking care of this joint helps ensure that you can care for yourself.
Read Also: Fleming Matte Small Convertible Shoulder Bag
How Is Medial Epicondylitis Treated
Pain, stiffness, and weakness associated with medial epicondylitis can improve with home remedies.
- Rest your arm. Repeatedly using the affected arm can prolong healing and worsen your symptoms. Stop activities that involve repetitive movements until the pain disappears. Once the pain disappears, gradually ease back into activities to avoid re-injuring yourself.
- Apply ice or a cold compress to reduce swelling, pain, and inflammation. Wrap ice in a towel and apply the compress to your elbow for up to 20 minutes, 3 or 4 times a day.
- Take over-the-counter medication. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen can reduce swelling and inflammation. Take medication as directed. Depending on the severity of pain, your doctor may recommend a steroid injection.
- Do stretching exercises. Ask your doctor about safe exercises for stretching and strengthening your tendons. If you have weakness or numbness, you may be a suitable candidate for physical or occupational therapy.
- Wear a brace. This can reduce tendinitis and muscle strain. Another option is wrapping an elastic bandage around your elbow.
Most cases will improve with OTC medication and home remedies. If your symptoms dont improve, your doctor may suggest surgery as a last resort.
This surgery is known as an open medial epicondylar release. During the procedure, a surgeon makes an incision in your forearm, cuts the tendon, removes the damaged tissues around the tendon, and then reattaches the tendon.
When To Call Your Doctor
If you think youâve fractured or dislocated your elbow — it hurts and doesnât look right — go to the emergency room.
- Elbow pain that doesnât go away with rest and ice, or pain that doesnât go away even when youâre not using your arm
- Intense pain, swelling, and bruising around your elbow
- Pain, swelling, or redness that gets worse, especially if you have a fever, too
- Problems using your elbow, such as difficulty bending your arm
Show Sources
You May Like: How To Cure Tennis Elbow
Can You Hurt Your Elbow Doing Pull Ups
When performed properly with good technique, pull-ups is a safe exercise and will not cause injury to the elbow. However any or a combinations of the following factors can cause you to hurt your elbow during pull-ups:
- Inadequate warm-up of the elbow tendons and triceps tendon before pull-ups
- Inadequate stretching of the triceps muscle and forearm muscle before pullups
- Lifting a weight too heavy
- Bad pull-ups form or technique. To learn proper pull-ups technique, check out this pull-ups guide .
- Sudden increase in training volume
- Doing pull-ups while experiencing ongoing mild-to-severe elbow tendonitis
Ulnar Nerve Entrapment Of Elbow
Ulnar nerve entrapment of elbow is also called cubital tunnel syndrome. The ulnar nerve begins at the spinal cord in the neck and runs down the arm into the hand. This very long nerve can become compressed, or entrapped, by other structures at certain points along the way. Entrapment often happens in the cubital tunnel, which is the narrow passage at the inside of the elbow.
The exact cause for entrapment may not be known. Fluid buildup and swelling inside the elbow previous elbow fracture or dislocation or leaning on the elbow for long periods of time can put pressure on the ulnar nerve inside the cubital tunnel.
Symptoms include numbness and tingling of the hand and fingers, sometimes leading to weakness and even muscle wasting in the hand.
Diagnosis is made through physical examination, x-ray, and nerve conduction studies.
Treatment begins with wearing a supportive brace and adjusting activities to avoid further irritating the nerve. Surgery is usually not needed unless the nerve compression is causing weakness and loss of use in the hand.
Rarity: Common
Top Symptoms: hand weakness, weakness in one hand, numbness in one hand, pain in one elbow, pain in one forearm
Urgency: Primary care doctor
You May Like: Women’s Over Knee Boots