how to train with tendonitis?

[pennypacker]

I have severe tendonitis in my left arm. I feel extreme pain in my biceps on any biceps or back exercise. I used to be able to curl 135, now I can't even lift 2 25lb dumbbells without a shooting pain in my arm. Is there any way to train around it, or to strengthen a damaged tendon? The problem with taking time off is that I use the tendon in just about every upper body exercise, so if I need to rest it completely, I think that will mean the end to all upper body workouts for me for a while.

 

[louden_swain]

Time off and glucosamine is your best solution. Your tendons are over worked and it is time for a rest. When you return to training purchase some neoprene wraps. I suffered from tendonitis throughout the summer. . . no fun.

 

[MidwestJ]

I'll second the neoprene wraps. I wear them on my elbows...they are sleeves really and they fit tight. They've helped me a bit and kept my elbows from exploding on bench and skull crushers.

 

[b fold the truth]

www.jackalsgym.com

They make the BEST neoprene sleves. Use Icy Hot and/or Zostrix HP.

B True

 

[brian747478`]

has anyone used neoprene wraps for patellar tendonitis?
thanx

 

[collegiateLifter]

try eccentrics. charles staley recently put out a newsletter on this topic and he purposes that it significantly decreases recovery time. you could do 1 arm curls with the right hand basically lifting the weight held in your left hand, slowly lower it with your left arm do several times, head over to myodynamics.com for the intracacies.

 

[pennypacker]

Thanks guys.

collegiateLifter -- A trainer at my gym said that eccentrics made tendonitis worse. The pain is definitely more severe on the eccentric part of the movement, but I'm not sure that is a good thing...

Anyone know where I can get the neoprene wraps?

 

[Zyglamail]

I would avoid all anti-inflamatories such as ibuprofin, aleeve and even ICE. If you must take somthing for the pain try tylenol. The pain is iften due to inflamation but inflamation is particularly cruicial to healing of tendons/ligaments. If you have had the problem for a while and does not seem to be getting better I would suggest you look into prolotherapy treatments, they worked wonders for my elbow tendonits close to a year ago. You can get more details on the procedure (done with a short simple office visit) at prolonews.com and you can also see if there are any docs in your area.

 

[pennypacker]

Zyglamail -- thanks for the info. I did some web searches on tendonitis and prolotherapy came up, but I didn't know if it was real or not. Do you know how it works? It looks like they inject something in your tendon, but I'm not clear what. Did you need many treatments? Was it expensive? Sorry for the barrage of questions, but I've had tendon trouble off and on for about five years and it has gotten much worse over the past two months, so I'm a bit desparate. Thanks for the help.

 

[PoyeBoy]

I would avoid all anti-inflamatories such as ibuprofin, aleeve and even ICE.

I have that shit in my left wrist. I hat it. I just deal with the pain, but mines not that bad. Yeah, I tried to ice it and it didnt work, ive tried tape, and wraps. Wraps seem to work the best foor me.

hg, why the name change?

 

[collegiateLifter]

well i definately wouldnt do eccentrics in the classical sense of taking 120% of your 1rm and doin eccentrics with that weight. i believe staley had you using more normal weights like ~70-80% 1rm, i really would head on over to myodynamics. i remember the newsletter saying it would hurt some doing the eccentrics..... i personally take EVERYTHING any 'trainers' ever tell me with a large grain of salt.

 

[Zyglamail]

Zyglamail -- thanks for the info. I did some web searches on tendonitis and prolotherapy came up, but I didn't know if it was real or not. Do you know how it works? It looks like they inject something in your tendon, but I'm not clear what. Did you need many treatments? Was it expensive? Sorry for the barrage of questions, but I've had tendon trouble off and on for about five years and it has gotten much worse over the past two months, so I'm a bit desparate. Thanks for the help.

The biggest problem today is that modern medicine treats the symptoms and not the injury. tendons/ligaments have a turnover rate (ie half life) of between 300-500 days so they take a long time to heal. They are however capable of tremendous bursts of growth when damaged and its triggered by inflamation, which of course can cause pain and modern medicine treats the pain by using cortisone and anti-inflamatory medication to reduce inflamation. You reduce/eliminate inflamation you just stopped the healing process and your going to have to wait out that 300-500 days to heal.....if it even does heal because since most control pain with meds they continue to work in an injured state and are simply more likely to cause further damage.

Prolotherapy works by injection an inflamaroty agent combined with a local anecthetic(usually lidocaine). The inflamatory agent varies a little by doc and injury but commonly its dextrose. Its is injected into the injured tendons/ligaments which causes them to become inflamed and actually triggers a very powerfull healing response. When I had it it my elbow I tried all the conventional stuff, wraps, ice, anti-inflamatories etc. I even took 2 weeks off from gym and it did feel pretty good but first workout back it was worse than ever. Thats when I found prolo and gave it a try. It took 4 treatments and I was nearly 100%. after the first treatments I had the second 2 weeks later and then ever 4 weeks after that. It didnt happen overnight but it did work and I didnt lose any time in the gym. Your bit sore for a couple days after but thats about it.

Recently I have suffered from plantar fasciitis as well as a back problem I have had for every thats an anoyyance more than anything. I started having them both treated a couple months ago and both are improving nicely.

 

[Whatmatters]

I agree with zyg here...the inflammatory response is a critical part of the healing process...one thing no one has mentioned here is accupuncture. If you go to a good doctor they can help out a lot...did wonders for me and a bit of pec tendonitis...my .02
WM

 

[ricko73]

I had similar problems (which re-occur since I don't always practice what I preach) with my elbows. I haven't been to that level in a long time. A few suggestions

1) Warm up the area very well first
2) Massage the area deeply
3) Listen to your body. You're better off resting completely for a few weeks (which I know is frustrating) than causing more damage.
4) Glucosamine (mentioned above) and Omega3 (fish oil--get a good product)

Arthritis and other joint conditions run in my family. These things are what has worked for me personally. GOOD chiropractors and people in those more wholistic forms of medicine are generally more knowledgeable than 'medical' doctors.

 

[Zyglamail]

I had similar problems (which re-occur since I don't always practice what I preach) with my elbows. I haven't been to that level in a long time. A few suggestions

1) Warm up the area very well first
2) Massage the area deeply
3) Listen to your body. You're better off resting completely for a few weeks (which I know is frustrating) than causing more damage.
4) Glucosamine (mentioned above) and Omega3 (fish oil--get a good product)

Arthritis and other joint conditions run in my family. These things are what has worked for me personally. GOOD chiropractors and people in those more wholistic forms of medicine are generally more knowledgeable than 'medical' doctors.

Just a side note on some of your points. If an area is injureded complete rest is not always the best. exercise raises heart rate, cuases GH release and money other beneficial side effects. I do agree the that you should take it very easy, but using the injured limb, within its ability so your not coninueing to cause injury, is actually beneficial.

In regards to clucosamine/chrondriton ect they are the building blocks of collogen shich is a primary component of connective tissue. Things things CAN be very beneficial, however if order for you body to be able to use these ingredients it has to be allowed to and once again this goes back to avoiding anti-inflamatories. The inflamation and effects are what actually triggers the healing, if you eliminate it you can take all the glucosmine/chrondriton in the world but it wont be very helpfull.

 

[pennypacker]

Zyglamail -- thanks very much for the info on your experience with prolotherapy. It sounds too good to be true. I will definitely look into it. Only question now is whether my insurance will cover it, and if not, whether I can afford it. . .

 

[Zyglamail]

Zyglamail -- thanks very much for the info on your experience with prolotherapy. It sounds too good to be true. I will definitely look into it. Only question now is whether my insurance will cover it, and if not, whether I can afford it. . .

Insurance will not cover it most likely and if they do the doc likely wont accept insurance. Often times though you can take the bill back to insurance co after treatment and they may work with you. For my back and foot its about $267 or so. One elbow would be a bit less.

 

[Deak]

Zyglamail, I have tendonitis too and I was looking for some way to treat. Unfortunately, prolotherapy doesn't exist in my country. However, I am currently doing some acupunctuire and my shoulder feels a little bit better. I red your posts and I understand that anti-inflamatory drugs shouldn't be administrated, but do you think that it would help to use a antirheumatic/analgezic gel??