After you finish a weightlifting session, you may experience a side effect: pain in the elbow area. This can be the result of excess strain on the tendons that connect the bones in your elbow to your muscles. Elbow pain most often is due to a condition called tendinitis, where your tendons become inflamed. Tendinitis typically can heal with at-home treatments, but if your elbow pain is more severe or does not subside with time, this can indicate a more serious condition, including a torn tendon.
Tendinitis
Perhaps the most common cause of elbow pain related to weightlifting is tendinitis, either of the biceps or triceps. Repeated pressure or strain on the elbow tendons can result in tendinitis. Symptoms associated with this condition cause weakness in the forearm muscles and pain that starts in the forearm and radiates down. You may note the pain that escalates with each weightlifting session. This condition also is known as tennis or golfer's elbow because of the motions that are associated with causing an overuse injury.
Nerve Entrapment/Elbow Injuries
If you suspect tendinitis is not the cause of your elbow pain, there are other types of elbow injuries. This includes narrowing of the nerve canal that leads to the wrist -- radial tunnel syndrome -- or forearm -- ulnar nerve entrapment. With these conditions, you may experience symptoms such as tingling in the hands or fingers or a sharp pain that comes and goes. Nerve entrapment can be because of overuse or improper form when lifting weights. Often confused with elbow tendinitis, this condition is characterized by pain when pressure is placed on the third finger. Elbow pain from weightlifting also can be due to a tendon tear. This is indicated when you feel the elbow, noting a dent in the joint and pain that does not cease over time.
At-Home Care
If you experience pain in the elbow after weightlifting, your first step is rest. This allows the tendons or muscles time to heal and reduce inflammation. Ice the affected area in 10-minute increments and take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that help to reduce swelling and redness in the elbow joint. Repeated stretching can help to relieve tension in the muscles. Pulling the hands toward your chest and stretching the arms across your chest helps to relieve elbow pain. But if your pain does not subside with at-home treatments, see your physician.
Technique Tips
Extra strain is placed on the elbow tendons when you lift weights in the supinated position -- where your hands are turned palms-up. Bicep curls are an example. You may wish to avoid this exercise while your elbow joint is healing. You also can wear wrist supports or weightlifting gloves that further stabilize the arm while lifting weights. Take frequent stretching breaks when weightlifting to avoid placing excess strain on the elbow.
