UKC

Tryed the tom randall stretch and forever swinging a weight about on the end of a broom handle, got it in both elbows now any advice/solutions very much appreciated. Cheers Phil

In reply to the power: This has probably been said many times before...
Don't do any strenuous exercise on your arms whilst your elbows are inflamed.

You can test if your elbows are inflamed (by golfer's elbow) by bending yor elbow to about 45 degrees and press with your thumb (of your other arm) on the bone on the inside of your elbow and make small circles with it right on the tip of the bone). If your elbow is inflamed it will hurt!
If it hurts, ice it and take anti-inflammatories (such as ibuprofen or aspirin). When it stops being painful start doing the following stretch on it:

http://www.proactivefitness.com/stretching-golfers-elbow.html
(the stretch makes you bend your wrist back as far as you can).

Also, start doing some very easy climbs and stretch before and after every route. Continue to ice and take anti-inflammatories. If your elbow becomes painful (do the thumb test above), you have done too much so reduce the intesity of your activity. However, you should continue to do gentle exercises and continue stretching. As your elbow improves you can gradually increase the intensity (backing off if it becomes inflamed). After six weeks or so, you should have recovered. Also, you can try Tom's stretch and the broom handle with weight exercise during this period. The main thing is to not do so much that you get the joint inflamed, so keep checking!

In reply to the power:

You are going to hate me for saying this, but you need to rest your elbows.

And this could take months of rest.

Sorry

In reply to the power: I've had two cortisone injections. If I so much as rest a feather on the tip of the elbow bone it fecking kills. I rested it for 8 months but am now climbing again but am leaving chin ups alone. I do all the stretches and Physio but I just figure when it swells like a scrotum again I'll get it seen to again.

In reply to WILLS:

You might want to have your scrotum seen to, while you're at it



The frying pan stretch recommended by the doctor who writes for Rock and Ice was quite helpful, I found

In reply to the power:
http://www.athlon.com.au/articles/r&i_dodgyelbow.pdf
You need to work out whether you have the 'normal' version or the pronator teres version and only do the relevant eccentrics for that one. Need to see a physio for that really. People say lots of different things about reps, I've had good results doing 3 sets of 15-20 reps after climbing (5 days a week). Reduce the things that aggravate it (for me that was campusing, fingerboarding, downclimbing and high volume of climbing), but I've managed to climb harder than ever whilst getting over my golfers elbow. The stretch linked above works well for me too.

In reply to abarro81: I've found increasing pressups of different types has helped ease mine off. Also try using more knee bars it worked for abarro81

In reply to the power:

I would go see a physio who deals with climbers on a regular basis. Both Danny Brown (working out of TCA) and Nina Leonfellner are excellent in Bristol.

My own issues we alleviated with a combination of eccentric strengthening exercises (initially whilst not climbing), acupuncture and self massage with the Armaid.

Loads of good info here:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/WinterClimbsinSouthWales/585869764761238/