Elbow pain when lifting? Here’s what you should do

Strength training, or weightlifting, is a great way to get active and improve your health. However, some people may experience elbow pain when lifting that can make strength training more difficult. 

The reality is that the elbow is a complex joint; it’s a structure that includes tendons, bones, bursae, cartilage and other structures. An issue with any of these parts can lead to elbow pain when lifting. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to reduce your elbow pain during lifting exercises. 

Three things you can do to reduce elbow pain when lifting

Strength training exercises that involve the elbow are often repetitive, which means you’re more likely to develop elbow pain when lifting. The good news is that there are steps you can take to reduce your elbow pain. In some cases, you may be able to prevent it from happening in the first place. 

Three steps you can take to reduce or prevent elbow pain during strength training include: 

1. Do your warmups — It’s important to warm up the muscles in your arms if they’re to support your elbows properly. Warmup movements for the elbows should focus on the biceps, triceps and forearm muscles. 

2. Avoid arm isolation exercises — Isolation exercises for the arms, like arm curls, typically involve the elbow. They also involve moving the elbow repetitively and cut down on the number of muscles that are supporting the elbow joints. An alternative is to do a full body exercise, such as pushups, that activate more stabilizing muscles. 

3. Visit a physical therapist — If you notice that your elbows are aching during your weightlifting, a physical therapist can help you. These specialists can identify underlying issues that could be causing your pain. They can also pinpoint specific form errors that could lead to pain in the future and show you how to fix them. 

Where can you turn for treatment for elbow pain when lifting? Advent PT can help! 

Do you feel pain in your elbow when lifting weights? Our physical therapists at Advent Physical Therapy are ready and willing to help you treat your pain. We’ll start by doing a free screening of the affected elbow; this screening is intended to reveal the root cause of your pain. Also, our physical therapists excel at creating personalized therapy plans designed to reduce elbow pain and prevent it from coming back. 

Interested in treating your pain from home? Then, you’ll want to get in touch with us about our at-home care and virtual therapy services. You can even get our help with your pain if you haven’t got a referral from your doctor. 

Contact our team today for more information about our elbow pain treatment services or to schedule your initial appointment.