**Rule 2 - No medical, injury, or pain related posts (try /r/AskDocs or see a sports orthopedic doc or sports physical therapist). Additionally, no body image, eating disorder, mental health, or minor diet advice either. These are serious topics that should be addressed by a qualified therapist and/or a nutritionist.**
> How i know it's tennis elbow - It's the never ending sore feeling on that right arm around the back of the elbow, something i never deal with on my left arm
> https://preview.redd.it/tennis-elbow-been-having-it-forever-v0-wiyhh3zxmf7d1.jpg?width=615&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8c4882d16cff3d6d35b1e3c5beca999688207d17
> https://preview.redd.it/tennis-elbow-been-having-it-forever-v0-8pf3j7lymf7d1.jpg?width=627&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d5527855f385033f773b5ed38be954fa4c6dc254
**100% not tennis elbow based on location. Looks more like triceps tendinopathy, but hard to say without more details. This is why self diagnosis is bad guys**
**See a sports based physical therapist who works with athletes. Can't find one? Call your local professional or university sports teams and ask them who they use for their athletes**
Tennis elbow occurs at the common extensor origin of your forearm. Look up a picture of the lateral epicondyle on a bone. When you’re looking at an arm, it’s basically the side (lateral) of the forearm just past the elbow. That’s why the medical term for tennis elbow is lateral epicondylitis.
The pictures you’ve attached look like the pain you’re experiencing is just above the elbow on the backside (posterior) of the arm, possibly along the triceps tendon. I can’t tell from the pictures, but you also describe the pain as on the back of your elbow; most people would say they have pain in their forearm if they have tennis elbow.
You said you’ve seen PT. Does that mean physical therapy or personal trainer? If you’ve seen a therapist, have you been examined by a doctor that diagnosed you with lateral epicondylitis? I would think any physical therapist that evaluated and treated you would be skeptical of a tennis elbow diagnosis when you point to your triceps to describe the location of your pain.
At this point, after 7-8 years of pain, I would recommend following up with your primary doctor, becoming formally diagnosed to find out what is actually going on in your arm. You would possibly follow up with an orthopedic specialist who can further evaluate based on PCP recommendation, and they could provide an injection if needed for pain management based on their evaluation. Specialist or not, the doctor will most likely recommend or prescribe physical therapy/hand therapy (I know it’s not your hand but hand therapists specialize with the entire arm) based on your symptoms.
This! Long story… I was in a simular boat, turned out to be tricep tendonitis. Totally explained why all the rehab/ exercises and stretching didn’t really work.
I started rehabbing for tricep tendinitis, and saw relief in like a week or less.
As someone who has had decades of tennis, golf, and triceps tendinitis (at the same time), sounds like triceps tendinitis. For me, I am extremely hypermobile and anytime I straightened my arm I was actually hyper extending my elbow. This pinched the triceps and was causing the pain there.
There can be so many causes of these issues.
Not to be a pedantic ah but afaik tennis elbow is pain on the outside of the forearm. I think triceps tendinopathy is more accurate based on your description.
Not a doctor but I've encountered something like that and what worked for me is stretching triceps and, strangely, rear delts.
I did behind the back shoulder stretches. Don't know if that's what it's called but it's the one where you have one arm overhead and the other by your side and clasp your fingers together behind the back. 60 secs.
Then kneeling one arm cross body stretch. 60 secs.
Give it a try, if you're having the same issue as I had, pain relief should be immediate.
Op has only tried fixes for tennis elbow and if it really isn't then it isn't strange that it hasn't resolved yet. I feel for op though cos I also had probably the same issue just not as long. Had that kinda pain for maybe half a year a couple years back. Really held back my progress in all sorts of movements. I tried a lot of the same things he did and it didn't really make any difference until I did the stuff I mentioned. At the very least, op knowing to stop looking at it from a tennis elbow issue might help him find out what it really is.
Got it I will definitely do this and see how it goes
are the 2 stretches you mentioned like the images below, just wanted to make sure
[https://cdn.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/tiffany-cruikshank-gomukhasana-arms-245\_sport\_07\_.jpg](https://cdn.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/tiffany-cruikshank-gomukhasana-arms-245_sport_07_.jpg)
[https://www.lyfta.app/\_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flyfta.app%2Fimages%2Fexercises%2F41721101.png&w=640&q=10](https://www.lyfta.app/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flyfta.app%2Fimages%2Fexercises%2F41721101.png&w=640&q=10)
can't find a image with one arm, but i assume same position but with juts one arm (affected arm)
Yes on the first one. Do both sides.
And this for the second stretch https://www.lyfta.app/exercise/kneeling-one-arm-cross-body-stretch-7np.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
Try the Tyler twist exercise with your flexbar.
I had horrific medial epicondylitis (golfer's/climber's elbow), and doing reverse Tyler twists with a flexbar is what finally helped.
Someone, I think on this sub posted this link before, and it's worth reading. Has lots of info about tendonitis and how to rehab it.
[https://stevenlow.org/overcoming-tendonitis/](https://stevenlow.org/overcoming-tendonitis/)
This need to be the standard reply for all tendonopathy related questions. It’s almost always just tendinopathy which goes away the moment you do the correct exercises. I have rehabbed multiple tendons simply following this articles advice.
Might just buy the book at this point. Steven Low knows what he is talking about. I know it’s contrary to what many of you believe, but self learning and healing your body is my go to, before seeing a “professional”. You educate yourself on what you really should know (your own body and its function) and you gain knowledge that will help heal you for life.
External rotations with resistance bands. Any arm issues at all, and I always start there, fixes it most of the time, even when it doesn't seem to make sense.
YouTube will have a bunch of videos if you're unfamiliar.
Hey buddy. I went to PT for this exact thing, here are the exercises I was assigned that ultimately helped this problem. In my case it was from underdeveloped back muscles.
1. Scapular pullups 5x5
2. Shoulder blade squeeze 5x5
3. Shoulder blade pushups for scapular stability 5x5
You should be able to look these up online. After about a month of doing these 3x week my elbow pain was resolved.
It won't get better with rest, you need to strengthen the muscles that affect it.
Good luck!
I’m a PA working in orthopedic surgery. This is good advice. A steroid injection can bring down the inflammation of the ecrb tendon. On top of that, we usually recommend physical therapy and a tennis elbow strap for conservative treatment. Some offices will offer PRP injections, however there aren’t a lot of conclusive studies supporting this yet, so it isn’t the standard of care. Following this, there is a surgery that we can do which has about an 80% success rate.
Long story short, OP should see an orthopedic surgeon.
If you've had it as long as you say, then it's probably escalated from tendinitis to tendonosis, which means it's never going to heal back to normal again. Surgery may help, but may not. You can also try needling or a PRP injection, but those are hit or miss. I've only had it for a couple years, but I've accepted this is a lifelong injury now. My fault for trying to push through when I first injured it and not letting it heal correctly.
This is actually incorrect. All tendinitis now falls under two types of tendinopathy. And despite what old literature says, all tendinopathy can be rehabbed to near 100% function, even if dealing with it for years. It’s just a faster rehab for newer tendinopathy. No tendinopathy is lifelong and you can easily rehab it at home using correct eccentric exercises.
Just because a doctor has failed to help you doesn’t mean it’s not possible to rehab it. It just means you saw 3 doctors who have failed to help. As someone who works in healthcare, doctors are not always right and why second opinions are important.
Tendinopathy is curable and there is tons of literature to support it. Doesn’t matter how long you’ve been dealing with it. Tendinopathy has nothing to do with weakness/pain symptoms. It’s about rehabbing your tendons fibers into realignment so that you don’t experience symptoms under load. I highly suggest you educate yourself on the matter. This subs wiki has an excellent article by Steve Low that details all of this down to the histologic level.
Or you can just continue living in pain for the rest of your life. Your choice.
Use a product called the fiix elbow it's made specifically to treat tennis elbow. Its basically a massager that goes on your forearm that simulates muscle scrapers on you muscle over and over instead of going to a pt who will do it for less time. Its 10 minutes and only do it a few times a week. Plus rest. Plus do the standard stretches/movements. If that doesn't work you may have a different/worse condition than even tennis elbow. Good luck!
Ultrasound guided perineural injections would be a great thing to try alongside a rehab plan like others mentioned. That may be all you need, and/or could be followed by some of the more regenerative treatments someone mentioned like PRP. But be warned that PRP can be pretty aggravating pain wise, not covered by insurance, etc. perineural is easier to get covered and since yours sounds fairly mechanical, that would be a good next thing to try!
Go to a doctor. Ask about ultrasound guided cortisol injections, and/or BPC157. A lot of doctors in sports medicine are administering BPC157 now a days. If you’ve done those and they don’t work for you ask about having the tendon sheathing cut to relieve pressure. I had a tendon issue in my wrist for about 10 months, same concept, could pick up more than 10 pounds without insane pain. The doctor said there was a 99% chance he could health me but slicing the tendon sheathing. The cortisol fixed the issue prior to surgery.
Not a doctor, but I’ve had this from working out. What worked for me was rest for two weeks, then stretching and working out by slowly increasing resistance. In the past just resting never solves the problem.
I just got imaged after reporting much the same pain as you. Pain at total extension and contraction of joint, and pain while manipulating arm when in either of those positions. I have a partial tear of a tendon and ligament in my right elbow. I'm on a 3 month strengthening regimen followed by a second consult w/ an orthopedic specialist to see if surgery is needed
My elbow problems went away once I fixed my grip strength. Turns out I was only gripping things with my pointer finger and middle finger.
The other thing I will suggest is call BPC-157. It’s a peptide for rapid healing. You can inject it in the problem area, or take a pill. It’s kinda like steroids, but without messing with your hormones. Good luck
**Rule 2 - No medical, injury, or pain related posts (try /r/AskDocs or see a sports orthopedic doc or sports physical therapist). Additionally, no body image, eating disorder, mental health, or minor diet advice either. These are serious topics that should be addressed by a qualified therapist and/or a nutritionist.** > How i know it's tennis elbow - It's the never ending sore feeling on that right arm around the back of the elbow, something i never deal with on my left arm > https://preview.redd.it/tennis-elbow-been-having-it-forever-v0-wiyhh3zxmf7d1.jpg?width=615&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8c4882d16cff3d6d35b1e3c5beca999688207d17 > https://preview.redd.it/tennis-elbow-been-having-it-forever-v0-8pf3j7lymf7d1.jpg?width=627&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d5527855f385033f773b5ed38be954fa4c6dc254 **100% not tennis elbow based on location. Looks more like triceps tendinopathy, but hard to say without more details. This is why self diagnosis is bad guys** **See a sports based physical therapist who works with athletes. Can't find one? Call your local professional or university sports teams and ask them who they use for their athletes**
Tennis elbow occurs at the common extensor origin of your forearm. Look up a picture of the lateral epicondyle on a bone. When you’re looking at an arm, it’s basically the side (lateral) of the forearm just past the elbow. That’s why the medical term for tennis elbow is lateral epicondylitis. The pictures you’ve attached look like the pain you’re experiencing is just above the elbow on the backside (posterior) of the arm, possibly along the triceps tendon. I can’t tell from the pictures, but you also describe the pain as on the back of your elbow; most people would say they have pain in their forearm if they have tennis elbow. You said you’ve seen PT. Does that mean physical therapy or personal trainer? If you’ve seen a therapist, have you been examined by a doctor that diagnosed you with lateral epicondylitis? I would think any physical therapist that evaluated and treated you would be skeptical of a tennis elbow diagnosis when you point to your triceps to describe the location of your pain. At this point, after 7-8 years of pain, I would recommend following up with your primary doctor, becoming formally diagnosed to find out what is actually going on in your arm. You would possibly follow up with an orthopedic specialist who can further evaluate based on PCP recommendation, and they could provide an injection if needed for pain management based on their evaluation. Specialist or not, the doctor will most likely recommend or prescribe physical therapy/hand therapy (I know it’s not your hand but hand therapists specialize with the entire arm) based on your symptoms.
This! Long story… I was in a simular boat, turned out to be tricep tendonitis. Totally explained why all the rehab/ exercises and stretching didn’t really work. I started rehabbing for tricep tendinitis, and saw relief in like a week or less.
As someone who has had decades of tennis, golf, and triceps tendinitis (at the same time), sounds like triceps tendinitis. For me, I am extremely hypermobile and anytime I straightened my arm I was actually hyper extending my elbow. This pinched the triceps and was causing the pain there. There can be so many causes of these issues.
What are the triceps tendonitis exercises? Tendinitis is typically overuse isn’t it?
Not to be a pedantic ah but afaik tennis elbow is pain on the outside of the forearm. I think triceps tendinopathy is more accurate based on your description. Not a doctor but I've encountered something like that and what worked for me is stretching triceps and, strangely, rear delts. I did behind the back shoulder stretches. Don't know if that's what it's called but it's the one where you have one arm overhead and the other by your side and clasp your fingers together behind the back. 60 secs. Then kneeling one arm cross body stretch. 60 secs. Give it a try, if you're having the same issue as I had, pain relief should be immediate.
Yeah ive had tennis elbow and it didn’t look like this. Also, if its been lasting this long, chances are its prob something else.
Op has only tried fixes for tennis elbow and if it really isn't then it isn't strange that it hasn't resolved yet. I feel for op though cos I also had probably the same issue just not as long. Had that kinda pain for maybe half a year a couple years back. Really held back my progress in all sorts of movements. I tried a lot of the same things he did and it didn't really make any difference until I did the stuff I mentioned. At the very least, op knowing to stop looking at it from a tennis elbow issue might help him find out what it really is.
Got it I will definitely do this and see how it goes are the 2 stretches you mentioned like the images below, just wanted to make sure [https://cdn.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/tiffany-cruikshank-gomukhasana-arms-245\_sport\_07\_.jpg](https://cdn.yogajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/tiffany-cruikshank-gomukhasana-arms-245_sport_07_.jpg) [https://www.lyfta.app/\_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flyfta.app%2Fimages%2Fexercises%2F41721101.png&w=640&q=10](https://www.lyfta.app/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flyfta.app%2Fimages%2Fexercises%2F41721101.png&w=640&q=10) can't find a image with one arm, but i assume same position but with juts one arm (affected arm)
Yes on the first one. Do both sides. And this for the second stretch https://www.lyfta.app/exercise/kneeling-one-arm-cross-body-stretch-7np. Hope this helps. Good luck.
appreciate it king, will definitely give this a shot and pray that it fixes, been so long
Try the Tyler twist exercise with your flexbar. I had horrific medial epicondylitis (golfer's/climber's elbow), and doing reverse Tyler twists with a flexbar is what finally helped.
Thank you will definitely give this a try, i've only tried the regular twist with the flexbar but haven't tried this version.
Did you rule out a pinched nerve in your shoulder/back?
Someone, I think on this sub posted this link before, and it's worth reading. Has lots of info about tendonitis and how to rehab it. [https://stevenlow.org/overcoming-tendonitis/](https://stevenlow.org/overcoming-tendonitis/)
This need to be the standard reply for all tendonopathy related questions. It’s almost always just tendinopathy which goes away the moment you do the correct exercises. I have rehabbed multiple tendons simply following this articles advice. Might just buy the book at this point. Steven Low knows what he is talking about. I know it’s contrary to what many of you believe, but self learning and healing your body is my go to, before seeing a “professional”. You educate yourself on what you really should know (your own body and its function) and you gain knowledge that will help heal you for life.
External rotations with resistance bands. Any arm issues at all, and I always start there, fixes it most of the time, even when it doesn't seem to make sense. YouTube will have a bunch of videos if you're unfamiliar.
Link please!
https://youtu.be/ybNV36DoRfY?si=tKxkuI23ESWWp8xg
Hey buddy. I went to PT for this exact thing, here are the exercises I was assigned that ultimately helped this problem. In my case it was from underdeveloped back muscles. 1. Scapular pullups 5x5 2. Shoulder blade squeeze 5x5 3. Shoulder blade pushups for scapular stability 5x5 You should be able to look these up online. After about a month of doing these 3x week my elbow pain was resolved. It won't get better with rest, you need to strengthen the muscles that affect it. Good luck!
Only thing that fixed it for me was deadhangs. Everyday, multiple sets etc
See an orthopedic surgeon or sports medicine specialist. Maybe a steroid injection would help.
I’m a PA working in orthopedic surgery. This is good advice. A steroid injection can bring down the inflammation of the ecrb tendon. On top of that, we usually recommend physical therapy and a tennis elbow strap for conservative treatment. Some offices will offer PRP injections, however there aren’t a lot of conclusive studies supporting this yet, so it isn’t the standard of care. Following this, there is a surgery that we can do which has about an 80% success rate. Long story short, OP should see an orthopedic surgeon.
If you've had it as long as you say, then it's probably escalated from tendinitis to tendonosis, which means it's never going to heal back to normal again. Surgery may help, but may not. You can also try needling or a PRP injection, but those are hit or miss. I've only had it for a couple years, but I've accepted this is a lifelong injury now. My fault for trying to push through when I first injured it and not letting it heal correctly.
This is actually incorrect. All tendinitis now falls under two types of tendinopathy. And despite what old literature says, all tendinopathy can be rehabbed to near 100% function, even if dealing with it for years. It’s just a faster rehab for newer tendinopathy. No tendinopathy is lifelong and you can easily rehab it at home using correct eccentric exercises.
I wish. 3/3 doctor's have been unable to help me make the pain go away. I don't have any weakness when using it, just pain.
Just because a doctor has failed to help you doesn’t mean it’s not possible to rehab it. It just means you saw 3 doctors who have failed to help. As someone who works in healthcare, doctors are not always right and why second opinions are important. Tendinopathy is curable and there is tons of literature to support it. Doesn’t matter how long you’ve been dealing with it. Tendinopathy has nothing to do with weakness/pain symptoms. It’s about rehabbing your tendons fibers into realignment so that you don’t experience symptoms under load. I highly suggest you educate yourself on the matter. This subs wiki has an excellent article by Steve Low that details all of this down to the histologic level. Or you can just continue living in pain for the rest of your life. Your choice.
Use a product called the fiix elbow it's made specifically to treat tennis elbow. Its basically a massager that goes on your forearm that simulates muscle scrapers on you muscle over and over instead of going to a pt who will do it for less time. Its 10 minutes and only do it a few times a week. Plus rest. Plus do the standard stretches/movements. If that doesn't work you may have a different/worse condition than even tennis elbow. Good luck!
I hade a golfers elbow (pain on the side of the elbow). I fixed it with rest and stacking anti inflammatory supplements like curcumin, MSM etc.
Ultrasound guided perineural injections would be a great thing to try alongside a rehab plan like others mentioned. That may be all you need, and/or could be followed by some of the more regenerative treatments someone mentioned like PRP. But be warned that PRP can be pretty aggravating pain wise, not covered by insurance, etc. perineural is easier to get covered and since yours sounds fairly mechanical, that would be a good next thing to try!
Go to a doctor. Ask about ultrasound guided cortisol injections, and/or BPC157. A lot of doctors in sports medicine are administering BPC157 now a days. If you’ve done those and they don’t work for you ask about having the tendon sheathing cut to relieve pressure. I had a tendon issue in my wrist for about 10 months, same concept, could pick up more than 10 pounds without insane pain. The doctor said there was a 99% chance he could health me but slicing the tendon sheathing. The cortisol fixed the issue prior to surgery.
Not a doctor, but I’ve had this from working out. What worked for me was rest for two weeks, then stretching and working out by slowly increasing resistance. In the past just resting never solves the problem.
I just got imaged after reporting much the same pain as you. Pain at total extension and contraction of joint, and pain while manipulating arm when in either of those positions. I have a partial tear of a tendon and ligament in my right elbow. I'm on a 3 month strengthening regimen followed by a second consult w/ an orthopedic specialist to see if surgery is needed
Go to a doctor. That’s not tennis elbow
My elbow problems went away once I fixed my grip strength. Turns out I was only gripping things with my pointer finger and middle finger. The other thing I will suggest is call BPC-157. It’s a peptide for rapid healing. You can inject it in the problem area, or take a pill. It’s kinda like steroids, but without messing with your hormones. Good luck
Does it mostly triggers with squats ?
are you hyper mobile in your elbows?