Bicep/Elbow injury to tendons?

betastas · Fri, January 12th, 2007, 01:24 PM

This problem has arisen for me twice, once I solved it by taking a few weeks off, but I would like to have some insight into what I could possible be doing to cause it.

Basically, the inner portion of my elbow, like where your bicep and forearm muscles insert into your arm, has been sore. Both arms. I believe that I had strained them by hyperextending my arms one time with two dumbells. Silly mistake, but I took about 14 days off at Xmas and they were fine. First week back in the gym I did a heavy 5x5 PL bench, no problems.

Wednesday I did regular bench for a 1RM, managed a 250 (PL style). Later in my workout, after I did some light (3x10) BB Rows, my inner elbow started to burn and feel sore, both sides. I believe that I have pulled the tendons.

Is there a good way to avoid this recurrence? Has anyone had this too? It's not the triceps that hurt, but the soft tissue where the biceps would insert. Light work isn't a problem (did some light work yesterday, band work), but going heavy would be a lot more painful. I have been icing them, and in the day to day world there is no pain worth mentioning, aside from the occasional tweak here or there.

Any thoughts?

George · Fri, January 12th, 2007, 01:59 PM

It sounds like elbow tendinitis. I don't know how to treat it, though. I had a mild case of it when I first started lifting weights and it just went away on it's own.

chicanerous · Fri, January 12th, 2007, 03:42 PM

A had a similar injury a couple years ago back when I did curls. I hadn't lifted for a good while and jumped back into it with the heaviest that I could handle, real slow negatives, and little warm-up. I ended up injuring the soft tissue in that same area and could hardly bend my arm for a couple weeks.

My solution was to take more time off and it eventually healed.

zenpharaohs · Fri, January 12th, 2007, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicanerous

My solution was to take more time off and it eventually healed.

This sort of injury happens to fencers a lot and chic has the answer. Rest.

betastas · Fri, January 12th, 2007, 08:31 PM

I got no problems with resting. I would like to know what I can do in the future to prevent it from happening again. Any thoughts?
Add more time to warm ups? Do some light isolations, light compounds and then add more slower? Right now I don't do light isolation, but perhaps I should be.

zenpharaohs · Fri, January 12th, 2007, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by betastas

I got no problems with resting. I would like to know what I can do in the future to prevent it from happening again. Any thoughts?
Add more time to warm ups? Do some light isolations, light compounds and then add more slower? Right now I don't do light isolation, but perhaps I should be.

It's sort of the other way around. Figure out how to use it for less reps, and don't give it anything hard to do. In time it will strengthen, but not as fast as muscle responds to exercise. So don't add work for it for a while even after you get back to work.

Also stay in good cardio shape - it speeds recovery from injury.