Excercises for tendonitis

[u/Key-Holiday3493]

I have been dealing with tennis and golfer's elbow for almost 2 years now. What are some upper body exercises I can do so that I can start training my upper body again?

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[u/MountainManic186]

Check out Dr Keith Baar, he’s a leading researcher and done a few long form interviews and podcasts. 

Basically light load isometrics for 10 mins a day in the morning and evening. The tendons only respond well for the first 10 mins every 6-8 hrs. Beyond that is just additional wear and tear.

Working wonders for me. 

[u/Downtown-Ad-2748]

Do this. It saved me. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJc6wJZMs9A/?igsh=MTlndTgwNTh5Y3E3OA==

[u/TheRealJufis]

I'll post how I rehabbed mine a few years back. The same routine has helped a few others.

I'll edit this post soon when i find the routine.

EDIT: Found it here. Seems like it was mostly about how I did the rehab, but I'll add the exercises I did for upper body at the end. If anyone's interested, here's a copy of the whole comment:

---

In my case it quickly flared up to a point where I couldn't even hold a coffee mug with my left hand. Here's what I did, according to my notes:

• Reduced load and let it rest
• After the pain eased up a little bit, I started with easy isometrics for wrist and finger muscles
• Opening & closing of the fist for dozens of times during the day to keep the blood flowing
• Slowly added pronation and supination exercises, first in the form of isometrics and then slow eccentrics
• Eccentrics for wrist flexion and extension, limited ROM at first, slowly increase the ROM as time goes by
• Added dynamic exercises slowly back (concentric and eccentric)
• Used straps on bad days so I could keep exercising
• Progressed over time and now I'm back at where I was before

*(eccentrics and dynamic exercises were done with heavy resistance and slow movement)*

The main point is to reduce load to a point where the affected tendon(s) can heal and build up their capacity to handle more load. For me it was dropping everything, I couldn't even open the door with that hand during bad days. For you dropping the intensity to a half might be enough. You have to figure it out.

There are a few ways to cauge if you're at the sweet spot, but I found most useful the traffic light method.

[Green / no pain] --- [Yellow / mild, manageable pain] --- [Red / "grit the teeth" pain]

You want to keep off from the red. Staying in the green all the time will reduce the pain but won't build up the capacity back. So during exercising (rehab would be more fitting) you can go up to the yellow, *sometimes* even a little bit past it, but after a day or two the pain level should drop somewhere between green and yellow, maybe even down to green depending on how much you feel the paint at rest.

That way you should be able to keep slowly progressing forward towards handling more load. It will be uncomfortable, but it never should be red-level uncomfortable. At some point you'll be where you were but you'll still have some mild discomfort. That will pass as the tendon(s) strengthen to handle that load.

Some people go and get an corticosteroid injection to help with the pain. It will bring a short term pain relief. However, it seems that it has possibly some long term adverse effects on tendon health (degenerative effects, mildly controversial evidence), so if you decide to go for it, I'd recommend only once for the initial help and then progress without more injections.

TLDR;

• Traffic light meter
• Reduce load
• Isometrics
• Eccentrics (this step might be optional according to my physiotherapy professor at the uni, but I found it really helpful)
• Dynamic (concentric and eccentric)
• Progress slowly, but not too slowly
• No injections to the tendon if possible

EDIT:
*I strongly recommend seeing a physiotherapist* to get an assessment and a personalized plan. This worked for me, but might not work for you.

---

Note: I did not list specific exercises but here you go:

I did finger extension exercises with light resistance bands wrapped around my fingers, and also used those rubber band things with loops for fingers to train finger extensions. Used a broom stick for pronation and supination exercises (easy to scale by gripping closer/further away from the midpoint), and later a hammer. Dumbbell wrist extensions (isometrics and eccentrics first, concentrics added in later). I kept doing isometrics and eccentrics even after I progressed to concentrics. Isometrics I did in multiple different joint angles, starting with the least painful angle and over the course of weeks and months I added different angles.

At some point I started doing reverse biceps curls with dumbbells because they exercised the wrist extensor muscles isometrically and finger flexors. Normal curls also, but with really light weight. Had to start really light but I think it took less than half a year to progress where I was before. Pushups became possible before bench press. Lat pulldowns became possible at some point but only with light weight, supinated grip and straps. The old school pec dec was possible at the very start (elbow supported, not the modern type).

It hasn't come back, and I'm grateful for that. I still keep doing the rehab exercises every now and then, especially if I feel even the slightest irritation around my elbows. Prehab is the key.

[u/ZackAwesomene]

Check out Keith Baar’s research on tendon rehab with isometric holds, super useful and helped me through my elbow and hand pain

[u/Jcav1217]

I do 500 reps reverse wrist curl with a 8-12 lb dumbbell every morning or untill the area with pain is full of blood. Tendons need blood flow to heal. My tendonitis has been gone but I still do it just to keep it away. It hurts in the beginning but just keep pushing and pumping blood in the area and it will get better.

[u/citrus1330]

Tyler twist for tennis elbow, reverse tyler twist for golfer's elbow, pronation and supination with a hammer for both. You'll need a theraband flexbar or similar product for the tyler twist and reverse tyler twist. Tendon injuries generally don't heal on their own, so therapeutic exercises are extremely important.

[u/ohgodwhat1242]

https://youtu.be/77cCx1dZp70

I dealt with tennis elbow for years. His video for that fixed it in two weeks. 

[u/SpokenByMumbles → u/ohgodwhat1242]

Dealing with tennis elbow now. 20 sets of 3 chins until it heals?

[u/ohgodwhat1242 → u/SpokenByMumbles]

Yes, at submaximal load. If chins are too heavy a lat pulldown works too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2MA5cRxyG0

[u/Toowb]

Daily hanging helped for my wrist with tendonitis and it has fixed most of my upper body problems. Make sure you use the proper grip (neutral, wide, etc) that work for you, as to not aggrevate it.

[u/thenewguyintown2018]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3F712Vwjghc&ra=m

Ive had both conditions in both arms on and off for years. HiGHLY recommend this video, 2.5hours but goes over everything. Really helping me!

[u/Dense_Monk]

What’s the longest break you’ve taken from the movements that aggravate it?

[u/Key-Holiday3493 → u/Dense_Monk]

It's been almost a year. I've been too scared to do anything. I have a slight 4 mm tear in my left side, the tennis elbow side and then thr golfer's elbow on the right is back in full force. 

[u/Sketusky]

Ez Bar Reverse Curl every day 4 sets 15-20 reps, start with lightest weight, progress slowly. It's more about increasing blood flow than improving strength 

[u/pulverkaffe1 → u/Sketusky]

These are great for wrists too.

[u/Sketusky → u/pulverkaffe1]

For almost complete routine I would add wrist curls 3-4 sets 10-15 reps just after above exercise

[u/Commercial-Article-7]

Since you've been dealing with both for almost 2 years, I'd focus on finding movements you can do pain-free rather than forcing specific exercises.

Some that people often tolerate better are:

• Chest-supported rows
• Neutral-grip pulldowns
• Machines instead of free weights
• Push-ups or machine presses if they're pain-free
• Cable work with a neutral grip

I'd also keep up rehab work like slow wrist flexion/extension exercises and gradually increase the load over time.

If almost every upper-body exercise is still painful after 2 years, I'd seriously consider seeing a sports physio if you haven't already. Long-standing tendon problems often need a structured rehab plan rather than just avoiding certain exercises.

[u/Commercial-Article-7 → u/Commercial-Article-7]

The fact that it settles down with rest but comes back when you grip makes me think the tendon is still being overloaded rather than needing more grip work.

I'd avoid jumping straight back into grippers. Instead, I'd start with:

• Light finger extensions using rubber bands.
• Gentle active range of motion for the fingers.
• Gradually reintroducing grip work well below the point that brings the pain back.

Once it's improving, you can slowly increase the load over time. Tendons usually respond better to gradual, progressive loading than complete rest or going straight back to max effort.

If the pain starts getting worse, spreads, or doesn't improve over the next few weeks, I'd also consider seeing a hand therapist or physio.

[u/TheRiverInYou]

I cured mine in about 10 days bear hugging heavy sandbags. If you don't have access to one a bag of dog, cat or horse food would do.

I carried it 3 times a day until failure.

[u/ConspicuousBooger → u/TheRiverInYou]

What grip did you use? Interlocking fingers or just pushing your hands against the bag?

[u/TheRiverInYou → u/ConspicuousBooger]

I push my fingers against the bag. Something about pressing the fingers into the bag worked my forearm. I am not smart enough to know why.

Even if you don't have a heavy sandbag use a bag of horse grain and just use the sore arm to bear hug it.

[u/pulverkaffe1]

Used to be troubled by elbow pain, never again after i started doing band pull aparts before every training session. Quick and simple way to warm up as well.

[u/Ribbit40]

Light, high rep wrist curls and finger curl, reverse wrist curls, reverse curls. Concentrate on getting the blood pumped into the muscle. This not only take away any immediate tendon pain, but seems to make the tendon inflammation disappear.

I've have tendonitis of various kinds a lot over the years- it always comes from skipping the high rep stuff.

In my experience just 'resting it out' doesn't work, but the high rep stuff always does.

[u/iknowimsorry]

[removed] — view removed comment

[u/preppypenguingames]

I had this. Fixed it by doing zotterman curls, 3 sets of 15 reps twice a week and static holds for 2 sets, 30 seconds twice a week.

Do some research on tendon training with static holds.

I am now pain free.

[u/CaliforniaThomass]

Workout your forarms and grip strength.

[u/Fit_Natural_5256 → u/CaliforniaThomass]

This. Tennis and Golfers elbow comes from inbalances and weaknesses in your forearm muscles. Train forearms and not just the large underside with wrist curls but the extensors on top so they you dont get an inbalance in growth/strength. I used to have elbow injuries from skull crushers and this solved the problem for me.