What To Do When Weightlifting Gives You Tennis Elbow

Working out with weights is a great way to tone and strengthen your muscles. But for some, these activities can bring on the dreaded diagnosis of tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis. Whether you are a novice or a diehard, here are a few suggestions that can help prevent the condition from getting worse so you get back to your routine sooner.

1. Recognize the Signs of Tennis Elbow:  Tennis elbow is an injury to the tendon that attaches your wrist muscles to the elbow. Pain occurs on the outside of the elbow, with point tenderness over the small bony protrusion, called the lateral epicondyle. Often, pain radiates down into the forearm muscles. Numbness and tingling do not occur with tennis elbow.
2. Respect the Pain: Because tennis elbow is an overuse injury, you should NOT work through the pain. The condition is caused by small tears in the tendon. Ignoring the pain and continuing your routine can make the condition worse, resulting in longer healing times. It's best to rest your elbow for a few days. You can still head to the gym, just focus on cardio and your lower body.
3. Use Cold Packs: If you notice the signs of tennis elbow during or after your workout, place a gel cold pack in a pillowcase and put it on your elbow for about
   10 minutes. Repeat this several times a day over the next three days and then intermittently as needed to decrease pain.
4. Stretch the Forearm Muscles: Gentle stretching is important in any exercise routine but many people don't think of stretching their forearm muscles. These muscles are active whenever you use your hand, so make sure to incorporate the following stretch into your daily life. Start with your right arm in front of you, with the shoulder at a 90 degree angle and your palm facing down. Place your left hand on top of your right hand and gently stretch your right wrist down towards the floor. If you don't feel a stretch in your forearm, try making a light fist. If you still don't feel a stretch, rotate your arm so that the palm is away from you and bring your arm down across your body (towards your left knee). Do two to three repetitions, holding for 20-30 seconds. Repeat on the left arm. To learn more specific exercises to treat tennis elbow, check out Treat Yourself Therapy for a four-phased program at www.TreatYourselfTherapy.com/tennis-elbow.

If you try these steps as soon as the symptoms start, you should be able to slowly return to your workout within a couple of weeks. You'll know you're ready if you are pain-free at rest and with light activity. Stay tuned for Hitting the Gym with Tennis Elbow, which provides specific tips to decrease the strain on your elbow during your gym workout.

Treat Yourself Therapy, LLC provides innovative and inexpensive do-it-yourself videos for people unable to attend hand therapy. These videos were developed by Jessica Karge, OTR, CHT and Kathleen Papi-Baker, OTR,CHT, both certified hand therapists who have over 40 years of combined clinical experience. To learn more, visit www.TreatYourselfTherapy.com.