# Gym-rats: Golfer's elbow fixes & workarounds. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 19, 2017, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331 "2017-10-19T23:46:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/1 "2017-10-19T23:46:00Z")
AKA: [Medial Epicondylitis](http://www.houstonmethodist.org/orthopedics/where-does-it-hurt/elbow/medial-epicondylitis-golfers-elbow/) I’m pretty sure I know how I injured it. I’ve been focused on body weight workouts. Lots of chin/pull-ups, hanging ab work, dips, working my way up to a front lever. Bragging aside, the elbow pain started a month ago and I thought I could push through it. Turns out, not so much. I took last week off to recover. Used ice two to three times a day. It started to feel maybe 50% better. Got back in the gym this week and now I’m back to 50% worse. I obviously can’t hang (from a bar, that is). But I can’t do arm curls either. Can do shoulders but not the same weight and getting the dumb bell up tweaks my elbow so I probably need to knock it off. Push-ups don’t feel too bad but not great. The link above says recovery can take 1 to 3 months. I’m more or less out of workout alternatives except cardio. If you’ve ever had golfer’s elbow, what did you do to recover? What kind of workouts did you switch too? Is a cortisone injection something worth exploring? How effective did you find it? Did it speed up recovery? My wife, who knows all the things, says cortisone is the way to go since I’m so impatient. I’ll be seeing my doctor next week but thought it would be worthwhile to crowd-source experienced opinions. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/2 "2017-10-19T23:51:25Z")
There are arm wraps made specifically for elbow tendonitis. They are commonly found in most big grocery stores and are only like 20 bucks. They work surprisingly well. I’ve dealt with elbow issues for years. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/3 "2017-10-19T23:52:46Z")
You know, I got two. Maybe I’m wearing it wrong. 😕 Gell cushion goes on the area of the injury to compress it, right? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/4 "2017-10-19T23:59:38Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > You know, I got two. Maybe I’m wearing it wrong. 😕 > > Gell cushion goes on the area of the injury to compress it, right? Yep that’s it. Huh, do u wear it consistently? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/5 "2017-10-20T00:01:52Z")
Could it be that your forearm muscles are too strong in relation to your biceps? Do you do any hand squeezing exercises? I’ve had something like you described rest and using triceps exercises helped. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/6 "2017-10-20T00:07:03Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Yep that’s it. Huh, do u wear it consistently? I wear it only when I work out. Basically twice now. Should I be wearing them through the day? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/7 "2017-10-20T00:09:56Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Could it be that your forearm muscles are too strong in relation to your biceps? Do you do any hand squeezing exercises? I’ve had something like you described rest and using triceps exercises helped. I don’t do grip exercises specifically. I do triceps. I assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that gripping the bar holding my entire body weight would develop a reasonably good grip strength. (?) ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/8 "2017-10-20T00:14:55Z")
Come to think… I have one of those spring loaded hand grip things. The one with individual finger springs. I’m going to give that a shot and see how that feels. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/9 "2017-10-20T00:17:55Z")
Yeah, that doesn’t feel great. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/10 "2017-10-20T00:24:36Z")
Other than the compression sleeves (which do help noticeably), the only real cure is to rest the tendon. You could try deep massage, ice packs and stretching, all of which might help, but IMHO, the only way to really cure it is to not irritate it. I gave it to myself in my left elbow (from doing wide-grip pullups to excess), and it took nearly a year of nursing it to get it to go away. I’m back to the pullups, but I’m much more cognizant of the tell-tale signs that the tendon is getting irritated, and I lay off of them for awhile. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/11 "2017-10-20T00:32:55Z")
I considered a compression sleeve but went with the strap with the gel pad. You think a sleeve offers better support? None of you ever tried cortisone shots then…? ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/12 "2017-10-20T01:12:57Z")
I had tennis elbow (or whichever) from re-organizing a storage room that had a lot of tall, heavy, upright wooden panels. I was picking them up by the sides and moving them, which was fine for my arms, but absolutely overloaded my fisty-grippy muscles, and it was a lingering injury that left me struggling to hold a cup of coffee. A [TheraBand Flexbar](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BPV3GO) helped my recovery immensely. It was absolutely, deliciously targetting exactly the right muscles (using the [Tyler Twist](https://www.google.com/search?q=tyler+twist)). Worth looking into. (Relevant [New York Times article](https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/phys-ed-an-easy-fix-for-tennis-elbow/) that got me started.) ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/13 "2017-10-20T01:32:39Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > AKA: > If you’ve ever had golfer’s elbow, what did you do to recover? What kind of workouts did you switch too? I’ve had it among other injuries. I basically didn’t do anything where I could feel the pain above a 2 pain rating (yeah, ratings are subjective, but you get the idea). Right now I have a partially ruptured distal biceps tendon. I work out hard, but I do the exercises where the pain isn’t too bad. Reverse curls are too painful, so I skip them. Dumbbell benching too painful, so I do more fly type exercises. Pronated grip pull downs hurt, so I do neutral grip. Mess around until you find the exercises that give you a minimum amount of pain, or you’re just going to prolong healing time. > [@](#): > > Is a cortisone injection something worth exploring? How effective did you find it? Did it speed up recovery? I found this: > [@](#): > > Oct. 21, 2010 – Corticosteroid injections, better known as cortisone shots, provide short-term pain relief for tendon problems such as tennis elbow but may be worse than other treatments later on, according to a new analysis. > > “We have shown strong evidence that corticosteroid injection is beneficial in the short term for treatment of tendinopathy, but is worse than other treatment options in the intermediate and long terms,” says researcher Bill Vicenzino, PhD, professor of sports physiotherapy at the University of Queensland in St. Lucia, Australia. > > ''The strong immediate effects [of pain relief] in a high proportion of patients have led to the notion that they are the miracle treatment," Vicenzino tells WebMD. > > But he suspected otherwise, since the treatment is sometimes accompanied by poor long-term outcomes. Some experts had begun to question the use of corticosteroids, which reduce inflammation, for overuse disorders of the tendon, which are not accompanied by inflammation. > > … > > Some studies used corticosteroids for injections, while others used non-steroid-based treatments such as Botox, platelet-rich plasma, sodium hyaluronate, and other substances. > > The researchers looked at pain reduction in the short term (about four weeks), intermediate term (about 26 weeks), and long term (one year). > > Benefits differed by site, the researchers found. > > For tennis elbow, corticosteroid injections provided relief at eight weeks but had negative outcomes at six months and one year. > **[Health & Fitness](https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/default.htm)** > > From weight training to healthy exercise programs, find health and fitness information for a healthy lifestyle. I would assume the same for golfer’s elbow. > [@](#): > > Come to think… I have one of those spring loaded hand grip things. The one with individual finger springs. I’m going to give that a shot and see how that feels. I used to be really into forearm exercises and built some pretty impressive forearms. I can give you recommendations if you like, but I don’t think it would help your issue. If anything, it would probably aggravate it as: > [@](#): > > Golfer’s elbow is usually caused by overusing the muscles in the forearm that allow you to grip, rotate your arm, and flex your wrist. Repetitive flexing, gripping, or swinging can cause pulls or tiny tears in the tendons. > **[The Basics of Golfer’s Elbow](https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/golfers-elbow-basics)** > > Golfer’s elbow is similar to tennis elbow and isn't confined to golfers. Find out more from the experts at WebMD. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/14 "2017-10-20T01:33:18Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > I wear it only when I work out. Basically twice now. Should I be wearing them through the day? Well I wear it all day long but I use my arms more regularly than most people. But yes, you will suffer no side effects from wearing it, what can it hurt? Regular, consistent icing is also verry effective. But that takes a degree of commitment. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/15 "2017-10-20T01:35:30Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Regular, consistent icing is also verry effective. But that takes a degree of commitment. Not consistent. For the first few days after the injury. Then switching to heat to bring blood flow to the area for quicker healing. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/16 "2017-10-20T01:39:42Z")
> **[Versa Gripps® PRO Authentic. The Best Training Accessory in The World. Made in...](https://www.amazon.com/Versa-Gripps-Authentic-Training-Accessory/dp/B002Y2S6K8)** > > Buy Versa Gripps® PRO Authentic. The Best Training Accessory in The World. Made in The USA at Amazon. Customer reviews and photos may be available to help you make the right purchase decision! A strap for grip assistance such as this one (Versa Gripps) could help take your forearms out of many pulling exercises. By using these, you put all of the resistance on the intended muscle, rather than your grip. Shrugs, pull ups and rowing exercises can greatly benefit from something like Versa Gripps. They are also MUCH easier to use than standard grip wraps. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/17 "2017-10-20T01:43:35Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > You know, I got two. Maybe I’m wearing it wrong. 😕 > > Gell cushion goes on the area of the injury to compress it, right? Wrong. The point is to keep the tendon from stretching and getting further irritation. That may be above or below the area of injury. I don’t know, but compressing the point of injury may make it worse. It’s can be difficult to do yourself, but you can grab the arm at different points with your other hand or the aid of someone else to find the spot where the pain diminishes as you rotate and/or flex your elbow. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/18 "2017-10-20T01:46:12Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VW9PIK/ref=asc\_df\_B000VW9PIK5223952/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=395009&creativeASIN=B000VW9PIK&linkCode=df0&hvadid=217041414866&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7176043415004315640&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017024&hvtargid=pla-351351121619](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VW9PIK/ref=asc_df_B000VW9PIK5223952/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=395009&creativeASIN=B000VW9PIK&linkCode=df0&hvadid=217041414866&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7176043415004315640&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017024&hvtargid=pla-351351121619) > > A strap for grip assistance such as this one (Versa Gripps) could help take your forearms out of many pulling exercises. By using these, you put all of the resistance on the intended muscle, rather than your grip. Shrugs, pull ups and rowing exercises can greatly benefit from something like Versa Gripps. They are also MUCH easier to use than standard grip wraps. I used to love those. Still have two pairs. 🙂 Now I have a new favorite pair of faux straps. I feel less pulling on my wrists with these. The little dowel really helps: [https://www.amazon.com/Schiek-Dowel-Power-Lifting-Straps/dp/B00PMJ6M7E](https://www.amazon.com/Schiek-Dowel-Power-Lifting-Straps/dp/B00PMJ6M7E) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/0kFyB3tJW-g/hqdefault.jpg "Prostaff Schiek Dowel Strap") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kFyB3tJW-g) ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/19 "2017-10-20T13:00:55Z")
Lots of good advice here. Thanks to everyone for your input: The grip strap idea seems like something I should have thought of but didn’t. Re-considering the cortisone shots as a quick fix cure. Will be interesting to hear what the doc advises. I’m still icing daily but it sounds like I should be doing less of that and applying heat instead. Will adjust. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331/20 "2017-10-20T13:25:45Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > I’m still icing daily but it sounds like I should be doing less of that and applying heat instead. Will adjust. I’m not going to advise on that, but the problem with tendon injuries is the poor blood supply to the tendons and heat would tend to improve that while ice reduces it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-rats-golfers-elbow-fixes-workarounds/799331.md?page=2)