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Dealing with golfer's elbow and not getting fat

Original Post
Andrew G · · Pittsburgh, PA · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 404

I have a pretty wicked case of medial epicondylitis (golfer's elbow) and appear to be looking at a long stretch of not climbing. This will be the first time I've had to take an extended step away from climbing since I started 5 or 6 years ago. It really sucks and I've been pretty grumpy, but have finally come to terms with it.

However, now that I'm (mostly) done feeling sorry for myself, I'm worrying about more practical aspects, mostly how I'm going to stay fit while I'm not climbing. I'll certainly be throwing more of my energy into running now, but I don't want to go overboard there and get another overuse injury. I'd really like something for an upper body workout, but I'm concerned with about aggravating the injury. Anyone have suggestions for exercises that'll keep up my strength without straining my elbow?

Brendan N · · Salt Lake City, Utah · Joined Oct 2006 · Points: 405

I've had good results using the Dodgy Elbows protocol and continuing to climb. Tendons don't like rest.

Bill Czajkowski · · Albuquerque, NM · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 20

They like rest, but they don't heal. When you jump back in you're just as likely to still have the problem as not in my experience. Smart exercise and stretching seem to be the best. The Dr. Sander's thing seems good; helped thrice with tennis elbow - golfer's seems harder.

Will S · · Joshua Tree · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 1,061

Agree with Brendan. I have used all or parts of that protocol very successfully over a 25 year climbing career. I had rampant cases in both elbows in my 20s, both lateral and medial. I haven't had those issues in a decade now, despite climbing more, harder, and training harder.

The Steve Edwards Rice bucket routine, and a couple of the sledge-hammer pronator type exercises are in my regular routine and seem to keep it at bay. If I neglect those and am bouldering hard, I can feel the twinges of it start to creep in. Long period of rest didn't work for me, but dialing it back while upping the rehab/prehab stuff did work.

Golfers seems more responsive to these to me, the tennis version I would get mostly when doing lots of dynamic slaps with my arm fully straight. Polished granite bouldering where you're often slapping up aretes or wreslting compression moves seemed to bring it out the tennis side worse than anything for me.

As for not getting fat, crystal meth will keep you skinny. And once you quit, you probably won't have any teeth left, so you'll stay skinny due to inability to chew. Also will have a chance to get wicked jacked and shredded working out in the prison yard, if you don't get shanked first ;^)

Everyone is different, diet and weight loss is very personal thing.

Jon Frisby · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 270
Brendan N. (grayhghost) wrote:I've had good results using the Dodgy Elbows protocol and continuing to climb. Tendons don't like rest.
ditto.
Taking time off is a seriously overdone and misused therapy for these types of injuries. FWIW my 56 year old dad has done really well with the Saunders stuff
Andrew G · · Pittsburgh, PA · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 404

Interesting, so the (admittedly small) consensus seems to be that rest is not particularly helpful? I was under the impression rest, then rehab was standard for treating golfer's elbow.

And crystal meth sounds like the perfect answer to my problems should I have to rest. I appreciate the innovative thinking Will.

Jon R · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 20

Check out this article and especially the comment from Billbow:
onlineclimbingcoach.blogspo…

In addition to PT, I tried the dodgy elbows protocol for a few months with no luck. After <2 weeks of doing tricep extensions with rotations (see comment from article), I noticed immediate improvement. Give it a shot if dodgy elbows doesn't work for you.

note: 99% of MP users are doctors

Daniel Evans · · Phoenix, AZ · Joined Mar 2013 · Points: 80

I got tendonitis in both arms pretty bad when I first started climbing from bad form and pushing myself too hard too fast. Took a month off and eased back into it climbing 2-3 days on, 1 day off, etc. I still occasionally get some symptoms and will take a rest day when needed but overall I think taking the time off in the beginning really did help. It's a non issue for me now.

During that month off I just climbed easy moderates outside that could be climbed with decent footwork & less pulling, pushups or "pushing" workouts that didn't engage my biceps, hiked, and ran trails to stay in shape. I don't think you necessarily have to completely stop climbing for it to heal, just stop climbing HARD.

M Mobley · · Bar Harbor, ME · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 911
Andrew G wrote:Interesting, so the (admittedly small) consensus seems to be that rest is not particularly helpful? I was under the impression rest, then rehab was standard for treating golfer's elbow.
yeah, rest is way over rated. do the exercises and keep going unless the pain is 9 out of 10, then maybe take a week off and just do the exercises
HBTHREE · · ma · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 30

sorry if this was already covered but i've been using meth as a weight loss supplement and someone mentioned teeth loss, is this true? is meth bad for elbows also?

Muscrat · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 3,625

What's crystal meth?

M Mobley · · Bar Harbor, ME · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 911
HBTHREE wrote:sorry if this was already covered but i've been using meth as a weight loss supplement and someone mentioned teeth loss, is this true? is meth bad for elbows also?
I think the new trend is leaning more towards heroin as an effective weight loss plan.
Matt.H Haron · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 185

If you are doing pull ups, stop. do lock offs instead or dead hangs. also campus boards are bad for the elbows and campusing in general.

Andrew G · · Pittsburgh, PA · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 404

one person says crystal meth, another says heroin... this is hard. maybe i should just do both? any other drugs to throw in as well??

M Mobley · · Bar Harbor, ME · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 911
Andrew G wrote:one person says crystal meth, another says heroin... this is hard. maybe i should just do both? any other drugs to throw in as well??
quit water and stick with coffee
VanessaK · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2015 · Points: 0

Some friends of mine have had success with the following: Treatments for Golfer's Elbow.

As for staying thin, the above poster has said to stick with coffee, but I think a coffee enema would work better.

frank minunni · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined May 2011 · Points: 95

I strongly recommend looking into prolotherapy. The tendons in my shoulders were giving me all sorts of grief. I got the treatment and my shoulders are better now than thye've been in 20 years. Really worth looking into.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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