Brand new climber with elbow pain
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Hey all, I just recently joined an indoor gym as an intro to climbing, about 2 weeks ago. I have only been climbing about 5 or 6 times now, for about 1.5-2.5 hours each time. During the second session I noticed that the inside of my left elbow started hurting a little bit. I figured it was just sore muscles. The past few times the pain has returned but not too bad. Tonight I climbed two routes and this time both elbows were hurting pretty bad. I climbed one more route and when I came back down the pain was really bad, so I called it a night. |
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Welcome to tendonitis. It's a pretty bad sign if you are getting it already. |
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Thanks for the reply. It makes perfect sense to me that I need to balance the workload on my arms. I do chest/tricep exercises every time I work out (4-5 times per week) but I will definitely bump up the tricep exercises and work on the tops of my forearms. I really appreciate the advice! Luckily I don't ever plan to get into high-level climbing (5.10 or higher). My goals are to be able to climb around the 5.8 range in trad, as I am much more about just being in the mountains than climbing crazy stuff. That is to say, I am climbing harder now than I ever plan to in the mountains. Looking back, I should have taken it much slower to start off, but it's hard for me to slow down when I find something I like so much. |
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Also add forearm pronation/supination exercises. Exercise 4 here: nismat.org/ptcor/tennis_elbow |
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Thanks! Yeah I already looked up a lot of exercises to do. I've got about 5 good exercises I will do daily to help balance the workload on my arms. |
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It might be golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis). I had it in both as well, got cortisone injections and am fine (however I have not been climbing hard on them at all, just bouldering once and a while). I was 29 when I got the shot, the nagging pain lasted for a year or so before I went to see an orthopedic surgeon. |
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I know it isn't tennis elbow since the back of my elbow doesn't hurt at all. It's just the inside of the elbow that hurts. I am going to take a week off from everything other than outer forearm exercises then try some light workouts and see if it is any better after a week of trying to balance things out. |
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that link above lumps together the elbows of both golfers and tennis... the 4th exercise on that page has helped me immensely in avoiding inner elbow pain. I used to get inner elbow pain regularly until I started those exercises. Now I run through a quick set of those (10-20 each way on each side) after every gym or hangboard session and it has consistently helped prevent injury. |
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I have dealt with similar pain for two of the four months I have been climbing. Sounds like what I have (self-diagnosed brachialis tendonitis). I backed off climbing and really worked on my technique on easier problems and now it only flares up occasionally... I really do believe it is a result of both weak tendons and poor technique, at least in my case. Is the pain on the bony process on the inside of the elbow? That would likely indicate medial epicondylitis. If not, is it superficial or deep? Superficial in that region is usually biceps tendonitis while deeper main could be brachialis tendonitis. |
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I don't vividly remember where the pain was now. I do know that it spread from my upper forearm to my lower bicep. I seem to remember it being more shallow in my elbow than deep. |
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After 7 years of climbing, i have determined that gym holds are horrible on the tendonitis. even after climbing hard all fall, that familiar burn and tightness comes back with a vengeance durning the first gym session every december. after a month of stretches, rest and skiing, i can slowly get back to a regular gym session. |
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Chris Knapp wrote: My goals are to be able to climb around the 5.8 range in trad, as I am much more about just being in the mountains than climbing crazy stuff.The good news is that climbing 5.8 trad should be significantly less strain on your elbows then climbing 5.8 or 5.9 on plastic |
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Based on your description, it sounds like a bicep strain. The bicep muscle attaches at the upper forearm, and strains most often occur near this attachment. You do have to take time off to allow it to heal. Add more protein to your diet and avoid doing bicep curls for about a week. Take ibuprofen 400mg with each meal for a few days in a row, unless you have some contraindication. |