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I've had a mild tennis elbow about 3 months ago. I went to the doctor and she confirmed it. It took about 2 months before it healed. I think it was the result of doing dips and/or pullups.

The pain has been gone now for about a month.

However, now I am experiencing a very mild version of the same thing. It is not nearly as bad, and feels like it could recover in a few days.

I have read a lot of contradicting things online about what to do to prevent elbow pain: 1. Stop doing arm exercises 2. do arm exercises to train the tendons 3. apply ice 4. apply warm water.

What in general should I do to prevent elbow pain from dips and pullups, and how to I make sure I recover well?

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  • We all react differently to training stimulus and pain. There's no one set of guidelines. Find out what works for you. Otherwise, consult with a physical therapist.
    – rrirower
    Commented May 22, 2017 at 20:11
  • Hmmm almost like you already got free advice from one ;)
    – Mike-DHSc
    Commented Sep 26, 2017 at 22:44

3 Answers 3

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I've had tendonitis in both elbows for about 12 years. I had 1 tendonitis surgery which helped a lot. The right surgeon makes all the difference. Shop around if you end up needing surgery.

The 2nd arm was heading to surgery but my chiropractor massaged it, gave me exercises and had me ice it about 4 times x day for a few months. All the symptoms went away. She saved me from having surgery.

This is totally controllable. I would ice it, do exercises and wear the tendonitis strap. This is not the same as an elbow brace.

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Prehab

Perform these rehab exercises to improve flexibility and enhance arm strength:

Wrist Flexion Stretch

  • Hold your injured arm out straight, palm down.
  • Use your other hand to hold the back of your injured arm's hand. Press down so your fingers point to the ground.
  • You should feel a light stretch on the top of your forearm. Do not stretch to the point of pain.

Wrist Extension Stretch

  • Hold you injured arm out straight, palm up. Use your other hand to hold the palm of your hand and press down.
  • You should feel a light stretch on the top of your forearm. Do not stretch to the point of pain.
  • How to Avoid Tennis Elbow

Movement Prep

Perform these exercises before you practice or play:

Squeeze and Release - Grip a tennis ball in the hand of your injured arm. - Squeeze and release the tennis ball for 2-3 minutes, 3-4 times a day. - Wrist Flexion Stretch

  • Hold your injured arm out straight, palm down.
  • Use your other hand to hold the back of your injured arm's hand. Press down so your fingers point to the ground.
  • You should feel a light stretch on the top of your forearm. Do not stretch to the point of pain.

Wrist Rolls

  • Make a fist with your elbow bent at your side
  • Make circles with your wrist, 5 in each direction.
  • Straighten your elbow and do 5 more circles in this position.
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Simple answer: Buy an elbow brace and give the body more time to heal.

While refrain from exercising, your body will recover towards an elbow function for not exercising. To fully regain the potential, try and find out what works for you, and keep monitoring it. Buy a firm elbow brace, this will take away the peak loads. Make sure to give the elbow enough time, and build up very slowly.

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    My docter made one thing very clear: using an elbow brace is a bad idea, because you need to keep moving your elbow in order to heal it.
    – user56834
    Commented Jul 23, 2017 at 6:27
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    There is a tendonitis strap which worked wonders for me. I would have been lost without it. It's not a brace, per se. Just a support strap that covers the tendon.
    – Laura
    Commented Sep 26, 2017 at 20:33

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