What Customers Say...

Elbows, knees and shoulders are all complex joints upon which we sometimes place stress and activity they’re not designed for.  Let’s take a look at three main injury types for elbows.

But what is the elbow, exactly?  It’s the complex intersection of three bones:  the humerus in the upper arm, and the ulna and radius in the forearm.  Together with the muscles in the forearm, it facilitates the flexing, rotation and of the arm and hands.

Overuse and Technique Injuries

Golfer’s Elbow and Tennis Elbow are common names for two types.  Each results in pain on the underside of the forearm, often spreading into the elbow area, and in both cases pain can be felt particularly when something is being squeezed or turned with the hand, such as when you shake hands firmly or turn a door knob – or grip a racquet or a golf club.  The difference between the injuries is that Golfer’s Elbow reflects use of the inner forearm muscles and the thumb and first two fingers more, and Tennis Elbow the outer fingers and muscle connection at the outside of the elbow. In each case, tendon inflammation is the chief source of pain.

Causes in each case are generally overuse and/or poor technique, which might typically include poor club or racquet grip, an over-heavy racquet, poor throwing technique, too much swinging of an axe, or simply a grip on a water blaster trigger that makes your hand and arm unhappy.

Avoidance and Treatment

Warm up properly.   When building strength increase weight at 10% or less per week, and if you stopped for a while, step your load back a bit to avoid stress your joint may be unprepared for.  Get advice on and/or change your grip, swing or technique.   A doctor or a physio can advise on exercises to build strength.  Give it a rest till the pain goes.   Put ice packs on the elbow area for a half hour at a time if it’s really sore.

Impact or Stress Injury

Another major type of elbow injury arises when too much force is placed on a joint.  Cartilage and the bone itself can splinter or wear away as a result, bringing increasing pain when the joint is used, made worse with the formation of arthritic spurs which can give you an occasional jarring pain as if something has been caught in the joint.  Typically this type of injury is caused by a loss of control as occurs in a sporting accident, or poor technique, such as locking out the elbow joint at the limit of a bench press movement.

Avoidance and Treatment

Again it is technique, technique and care and control.  Get advice on your style.   Give it a rest, try it differently.    Try ice packs on the elbow area for a half hour at a time if it’s really sore.  With a mild injury, a small change in technique can make all the difference.  If a typical bench press lockout has been the problem –  something similar, say the same movement but with dumbbells and palms facing inward – can be the change your elbows are happy with.   With joint injuries the worst thing is to try and push through the pain for the sake of accomplishment.

A doctor or a physio can advise on exercises to build strength and rehabilitate.