After physical exertion, painful sensations can appear in many parts of the body. Moreover, they may occur immediately or after some time. The elbow often hurts after training, this is due to excessive stress. But the pain also appears due to pathologies, the causes of this phenomenon and the recommended treatment are described in the article.
What causes pain?
Why do elbows hurt after training? This phenomenon occurs from:
- Disruption of blood flow due to neglected small tendon ruptures. Usually it appears like this: with strong physical exertion, a small gap is observed. The number of small gaps increases, which causes inflammation. As a result, scar tissue is formed, after which normal blood flow is disrupted in the elbow joints, which leads to degenerative processes.
- Muscle sprains or tendons.
- Benign and malignant neoplasms.
- Inflammation in the joints, from which fluid accumulates.
- Various injuries.
- Diseases of other parts of the body, such as the wrists or forearms.
These are the main reasons. Elbows hurt both immediately after the end of the training, and after some time. But in any case, it is unpleasant.
Possible ailments
To establish a probable ailment, you need to pay attention to when pain occurs:
- During flexion and extension of the elbow. Flexion pain can be a symptom that signals the presence of deforming arthrosis, arthritis, bursitis. When you move your hand, a crunch appears. During an exacerbation of the disease, the temperature rises, redness appears in the elbow. Swelling or swelling may occur. When symptoms occur during elbow extension or arm rotation, they usually indicate medial-type epicondylitis, rupture of the tendons of the forearms, or dislocation.
- When lifting weights. If pain occurs only when lifting weights, but a person is able to perform simple movements, then it is likely that this is subacute epicondylitis. In this case, the pain appears from excessive load, which causes pinching of the spinal nerves, which affects the condition of the elbow.
- After training or difficult physical work. Severe pain indicates epicondylitis. During the development of this ailment, inflammation of the bones of the shoulder is observed, which affects the elbow joint.
- When pulling up. Pain sensations indicate subacute epicondylitis.
- After tennis. The pain becomes severe after training, this may be evidence of a dislocation, subluxation, sprain or injury.
Pain intensity
Elbow hurts after training with different intensities:
- Acute pain appears with arthritis, bursitis, acute epicondylitis. If this soreness occurs without exercise, then it is probably a symptom of muscle strain or sprain. It may indicate swelling.
- Constant aching pain occurs when there is a neoplasm or cubital canal syndrome in the joint. But usually the cause of its appearance is arthritis or ulnar neuritis.
- Severe pain after training indicates the presence of acute inflammation in the joints. It may indicate a dislocation or fracture. This is sometimes considered a symptom of a tumor or late stage arthrosis.
- Burning pain is considered a manifestation of angina pectoris or myocardial infarction. Burning pain manifests itself in attacks of gout.
- Sharp pain indicates bursitis, arthritis, deforming arthrosis, acute epicondylitis, contusion and sprain. If, during sharp pain, tingling or numbness of the hand or palm occurs, then this indicates the presence of injury or severe muscle strain.
- Stitching pain indicates a pinched nerve. This usually occurs with inflammation of the nerves during prolapse of the vertebra or vertebrae.
If the elbow hurts after a workout, then you need not only diagnostics, but also a doctor’s consultation. This will establish the true cause of the disease, as well as prescribe treatment. And with burning pain, you need to urgently call an ambulance, since there is a great risk to life. A preliminary diagnosis is made after an initial examination, on which a patient’s elbow is examined by a doctor and palpated. Then, a blood test and an x-ray are required.
Surgical treatment
If your elbows hurt after a workout, how to treat them? An effective method of therapy is surgical treatment. It is carried out to eliminate malignant and benign neoplasms, with advanced arthritis. Another surgical treatment is chosen if osteoarthrosis, bursitis or fractures with a shift are detected.
Physiotherapy
If the elbow hurts after a workout, then physiotherapy is used to restore this joint. Effective use:
- electrophoresis;
- shock wave therapy;
- medical gymnastics;
- Massage
- a laser;
- balneotherapy;
- diadynamic currents;
- healing mud.
The complex effect is provided by using several methods of physiotherapy at once, for example, electrophoresis, massage and therapeutic mud.
Remedies
If the elbow hurts during exertion, then doctors prescribe plasters, ointments, solutions, gels that have anti-inflammatory effects. Means are intended in the treatment of osteoarthritis, bursitis or arthritis. They are used to restore the elbow joint after injuries. If arthritis and bursitis are started, then antibacterial injections and tablets are used.
NSAID ointments with a cooling property are used to anesthetize the joint. They have essential oils, analgesic, menthol. NSAIDs ointments treat painful areas on the basis of instructions, and the pain will be eliminated quickly.
Of the injections, Lidocaine and Novocaine have an analgesic effect. There are special syrups and pills with which you can eliminate the pain after a workout. All these medicines should be taken after consultation with your doctor.
Swelling and redness can be eliminated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These drugs also restore blood microcirculation. These drugs include Ketoprofen, Diclofenac, Indomethacin.
If the condition of the elbow joint is improved, and it no longer bothers, then during the recovery, the doctor prescribes warming ointments and gels. They have mustard and red pepper extract. The drug treats a painful joint with light circular movements. Then you need to take a medicine with anti-inflammatory effect. So that pain does not occur after pull-ups or active training, care for the joints and protection of the cartilage of the joint from destruction is needed.
Nikoflex
What is Nikoflex ointment used for? This tool treats various diseases of the joints and muscles: spondylarthrosis, arthritis, arthrosis and other ailments. Ointment eliminates severe pain in the muscles and joints. It is used for bruises and sprains.
What is Nikoflex ointment used for? The drug is effective for myalgia, neuritis neuralgia. This medicine helps athletes to warm their muscles before training. Contraindication is only hypersensitivity to the components of the drug. It should be borne in mind that the ointment is not used during pregnancy and lactation. Caution is necessary to use the drug up to 6 years and with bronchial asthma.
Care
Usually pain occurs due to a malfunction of the soft tissues or muscles. Tense pectoral and latissimus muscles lead to restriction of movement of the shoulder joints. This is especially often manifested when doing a bench press. Relieve stress allows therapeutic massage.
The procedure is performed by a chiropractor, osteopath or professional massage therapist. It is also necessary to perform self-massage daily, in this case, massage the upper back, broad, pectoral muscles, biceps.
With the development of flexibility in the body, the load on the elbows during exercise decreases. Stretch regularly at the elbows and flexors of the wrist. If the muscles are tightened during training, the risk of injury increases. Therefore, with a gradual stretching, the condition of the ligaments and muscles improves.
It is necessary to reduce the number of exercises aimed at the development of specific parts of the body. Isolated flexion and extension of the arms allows you to increase the load on the joint. Press, push-ups and pull-ups create less pressure on the elbows due to the participation of many different muscles.
Athletes need to take the Omega-3 supplement, which is found in fish oil or linseed oil. This component reduces inflammation, relieves swelling and reduces the formation of scar tissue. This component is in walnuts. Every week you should eat a vegetable salad with linseed oil or a trout dish.
If your elbows hurt when bending, use dumbbells instead of the barbell to protect them from damage. This relieves chronic elbow pain. With asymmetry of the shoulder joints, dumbbells should also be used.
Prevention
As an injury prevention measure, you must adhere to the following rules:
- It is undesirable to perform monotonous physical work continuously. This applies to training, as well as to household matters. Therefore, push-ups from the floor must be performed in moderation.
- It is important to alternate exercises for different muscles. Then the load will be uniform.
- The training technique must be agreed with the trainer. This is especially true for beginners and self-taught.
- Before training, you need to familiarize yourself with how to perform exercises. This will prevent injury.
- The speed of training should be increased gradually. After all, if a person did not go in for sports or had a long break in training, with a heavy load, the appearance of negative consequences is likely.
- The weight of the device must be increased gradually, and not immediately proceed to heavy dumbbells and weights.
- It is necessary to take vitamin complexes with magnesium, potassium, sodium.
Output
Prevention only helps reduce the likelihood of injury. If there is a disease or tumor, pain will be present, and intensify gradually. To avoid exacerbation of the ailment, you need to consult a doctor.