Getting rid of Elbow Tendonitis from climbing

After suffering from elbow tendonitis due to climbing (for almost a year now), a friend sent me an article on how to get rid of "climber's elbow" via specific stretches and exercises.

Here's the link to it... The Climber's Elbow Protocol

Been doing the strecthes and taking time off from climnbing and feeling a bit better. I did notice that the article is actually a blog post for "Elbow Revive", a joint supplement that seems to be aimed at healing this type of injury. Has anyone tried Elbow Revive or know if it is any good?

I did some researching online and its main ingredient is cisus quadranagularis, which has a history of successfully healing injuries. But I don't know anyone personally who has tried it out. Thinking about buying some. Anyone vouch for it?

I'd definitely do the stretches to help your tendonitis but I tend to shy away from any sort of supplement/cream/healing remedy other than a multi-vitamin and healthy eating.

If I were to spend money on any tendonitis specific treatment it would probably be a thera-band flex bar as is mentioned in this article:

well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009…

The flex bar is a little cheaper than the supplement, especially if you have Amazon Prime and is backed up by at least the one scientific study.

Hope you're able to get some relief.

Yup, these exercises are the protocol pretty much. Although I just got done with a 6 month break from climbing, doing these eccentric exercises every day, and my tendonitis is still there. The pain is only ever maybe a 2 or so but I can't get it to go away.

Other things I've tried: ART massage. Graston massage. Dry needling. Pushups and bench press. Ice. Heat. Anti-inflammatories. Yoga. Some electric stimulation thing that this guy at Flagstaff told me was from the Russian space program.

With every new source I go to, there's usually something about "these other treatments don't work" and "try this instead." For pretty much every single thing on that list.

The TheraBand FlexBar has been pretty much miraculous for fixing my elbow tendinitis. YMMV but my chronic elbow pain went away almost immediately once I started doing the Tyler Twist exercise with the green flex bar.

flex bar all the way

Dr Julian Saunders: Dodgy Elbows

I've always thought this is the black book of elbow pain.

Also, might clear up some miss conceptions that the article you posted makes, specifically reverse wrist curls vs eccentric contractions.
Different pain calls for different fixes, but most elbow pain boils down to weak epicondylosis tendon being stressed by muscles (mostly in the forearm) that have become too strong to fast. Understanding how to do eccentric contractions for both medial and lateral (depends on your issues, but I do both) epicondylitis is key. You need to work on strengthening the tendon not the muscles.

Technique also plays into it. Crimping will keep the demon alive and well if it's your staple grip. Locking-off will be a similar evil.

Last, I have had success in the stages of bad pain by deeply massaging the tendons (and crying a little). Trace the tendon from between your elbow and the pointy bone where it hurts and using another solid object, deeply massage the sore spot you'll find.

Hopefully someone that knows all this stuff for real will weigh in, but that is my experience. I just had a boulder problem make mine (lateral) flare up, narrow compression is a killer for me. After 3 weeks I was able to take the trip I planned to Red Rock without any issues.

I've taken Elbow Revive, the supplement mentioned in the article, and definitely felt some improvement. Granted I was also doing stretches and resting it as much as possible. Also, I think that the glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM combo that's in Elbow Revive helped (it's pretty standard for any good joint supplement). Overall, I'd say give it a shot because I got some relief from it. My "climber's elbow" or tendinitis or whatever, was gone after about a month and a half with this. But make sure you don't put all your eggs in one basket and also do the stretches. Good luck.

Elbow Revive works well. Best if you take it at first sign of injury. Acupuncture helps too.

I had this last june.
Took a month or two off climbing, and did stretches.
Haven't had any reoccurrence. I think the time off was the most important
thing.

Agreed. A supplement like Elbow Revive might help speed up the healing process but adequate rest is key for total recovery.

do this and youll be climbing the next day, seriously.

notice no stretching is involved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we4UoiKG3Co

I battle this all the time, especially everytime I think I can climb in the gym.

I have the balls, the flex bar, band it, elbow compression sleeve etc, but you know what REALLY worked for me? Chelated Magnesium twice a day. Within 2 weeks 90% of my issues were gone, and now months later 99%. I also take that with tumeric as an anti-inflammatory, and fish oil. Take 2 a day of each. I read about it on MP on one of the many tendinitis threads. I forget to stretch most of the time now, and i've dealt with the itis, the otis in both sides of the arms and even ulnar nerve issues possibly.

http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-chelated-magnesium-albion-magnesium-glycinate-chelate-buffered-400-mg-180-tablets-3

mobes - what thera bands should I get? Set? my shit is messed up...

I haven't read this thread carefully so apologies if this has been mentioned. There was a blurb in Climbing mag about elbow tendonitis vs tendonosis. The former gets better with rest; the latter doesn't (and sounds like what I battle with). That was good insight to me, along with the advice about how to treat tendonosis.

After dealing with persistent tendinitis for a few years, I realized that I didn't really know how to rest. Light climbing is not resting. Mtn biking is not resting. The advice on this page looks correct, but incomplete. It should specify how and how long to rest.

I started to win the battle, once I matured enough to take a full weak of not doing anything with my arm (and eating lots of Ibruprofen for a few days). Not even stretching or massage. Then a week of simple mobility stuff--get movement and blood flow, not even really using the muscles. Then a week of slightly using those muscles, like a couple pullups or a super easy climb every other day. By week 4, I start ramp up again, starting with a few easy boulder problems (like v0). By the end of week 4, I'm basically back to normal.

4 weeks seems like a long time, but it sure beats a few years of being half recovered. You don't loose too much strength by taking 4 wks off.

Morgan Patterson wrote:mobes - what thera bands should I get? Set? my shit is messed up...

I have the set but only use the red and green

This is the only thing I've found to virtually eliminate my teondonitis in my elbows and wrists (with regular use of course) armaid.com/

Quillin wrote:This is the only thing I've found to virtually eliminate my teondonitis in my elbows and wrists (with regular use of course) armaid.com/

Pretty much a fancy version of the stick from the video, works for sure. Massage is way better than stretching once the tendonitis sets in.

Trevor. wrote:The TheraBand FlexBar has been pretty much miraculous for fixing my elbow tendinitis. YMMV but my chronic elbow pain went away almost immediately once I started doing the Tyler Twist exercise with the green flex bar.

+1 For the FlexBar. It hasn't completely eliminated my tendinitis yet, but has helped better than all the other "tips" I've read and done. It's helping me continue to climb and if I use it after a session, I'm good-to-go the next day. I also take turmeric capsules for inflammation, ice it afterwards and massage the sore area in my elbow between climbs to help with blood flow and work the soreness out. Seems to be working but it has been a slow healing process. Don't expect instant healing (in my situation at least). Good luck...

On top of stretching, and definitely the thera flexbar, I also do Way of the Iron Fist. Keeps my forearms and fingers strong and healthy.

+1 Armaid
For dull pain (tendinosis) its my main remedy. Couldn't climb more than twice a week to totally fine 5x a week.