UKC

Elbow exercises

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 turtlespit 08 Jan 2013
Saw the following blog post by Tom Randall. Might help those experiencing elbow issues.

http://www.bigstone.co.uk/climbing-team/tom-randall/2012/11/24/Golfers_Elbo...
 Jon Stewart 08 Jan 2013
In reply to turtlespit:

On a related note, here's some potentially dangerous anecdotal evidence about elbow problems:

I've had a mild case of 'font elbow' (pain in the centre/crease of the elbow) for months, which was worse at the end of the rainy summer when I was not climbing much, but doing some trad. Now I boulder indoors and out regularly and it's getting better, to the point where I reckon I could go on a campus board. I do some push-ups/yoga and use a powerball everyday, but I also did that (but maybe less) when the elbow was worst. So I've concluded: bad elbow? Climb more!
Jim at Work 08 Jan 2013
In reply to turtlespit: thanks, I'll try that, though mine is more tennis elbow I think - thumb side of elbow. I have begun to do some stretches - straight arm with hand through 90 degrees against wall. Maybe stretching is what it's about?
 1poundSOCKS 08 Jan 2013
In reply to turtlespit: I've been doing these with a frying pan (for tennis elbow)...

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=3614

Only been at it since last night, I feel better already but I think that's just psychological!
 Robert Durran 08 Jan 2013
In reply to Jon Stewart:
>
> I've had a mild case of 'font elbow'....... So I've concluded: bad elbow? Climb more!

I have that I think (biceps tendon?), but it definitely gets worse with climbing, especially bouldering hard.
I've been doing eccentric bicep curls and press ups which seems to help. Press ups seem really excellent (immediate relief and gradual improvement) for my tennis elbow too (also doing eccentrics for that)

 Jon Stewart 08 Jan 2013
In reply to Robert Durran: I thought mine was the bicep tendon, but I've start to doubt it after prodding quite hard to see where it's sore. I don't think it's the thick central tendon, I reckon mine is on the forearm side of the joint (but without knowing the anatomy I don't know what it's attached to).
 Jack_F 08 Jan 2013
In reply to Jon Stewart: I came back from Font in April with a pretty bad case of font elbow. Couldn't pull to the top of a full pull up without being in a huge amount of pain. This last 2 weeks is the first time in a while since I'v been able to properly pull on without experiencing any niggles or pain due to literally 4 months of rest. In my case climbing on it only prolonged my injury, plus I buggered a tendon in the process due to over compensating. Glad climbing fixed you up though grr
 Martin Haworth 08 Jan 2013
In reply to turtlespit: See a doctor or physio and get it properly diagnosed(I can recommend a physio in Leeds).
I had elbow pain, I found climbing eased the pain once I had warmed up, but if I rested for a few days the aches got worse, classic symptoms. I continued climbing for six months and it didn't affect my grade, but the aches in the following days got worse with time, and were there as soon as I woke in the morning.
I went to a physio and he diagnosed lateral tendonosis (tennis) but also a radial nerve syndrome, not the first time he had seen this in a climber!
I am 6 weeks into treatment which includes
Nerve gliding exercises
Eccentric exercises
Muscle stretches
Massage
Powerball (only just got this so not used it yet)
Physio is happy for me to climb at a very low intensity with the aim of building things up really slowly.
Things seem to be heading in the right direction but you need to compare your progress over weeks to notice the difference. The aim is to be pain free climbing at a reasonable level by Easter and back to my best by May.
As an indication of indoor grades I was climbing indoors 2 to 3 times a week last winter at f6c. I am currently climbing once a week at f4+/f5 and just increasing it to twice a week, I hope to up the grade to f6a at the end of January.
 chers 09 Jan 2013
In reply to Martin Haworth: I think I have tennis elbow. doc has referred me to physion. Have you tried acupuncture? Worked wonders on my rotator cuff tendonitus!

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