ECU Tendinitis

[Gerald Mangona]

So my left elbow is sore from my handstand workout. This hasn't happened in awhile, but this was the first time I've introduced wall runs into my WOD. Even though modified the wall runs by doing them standing in a pike position to reduce the weight, it was probably too much, too fast. And now the tendons are sore from overuse.

The extensor that controls my pinky finger in my left hand, extensor carpis ulnaris (ECU), is very sore right where it connects to my elbow joint. The soreness started about 12 hours after the workout, and it's been close to 72 hours and it's still sore.

It's not so sore as to reduce my ROM or make exercising painful. It doesn't prevent me from driving, typing, opening the lid off a jar, etc. But it's more of a dull, throbbing pain. A little research on tennis elbow has led me to believe that the combination of hyperextension of the wrist along side with the axial load (my hand/wrist) bearing the entire weight of my body on the wall run, is the likely culprit.

The last time I had the ECU tenderness was after doing 10-minutes of handstand work, 30s on / 30s off. Same problem. In the long run, I think I need to keep strengthening the both the flexor and extensor muscles in the forearm. But for the next four weeks, here's my plan to promote healing of the tendon:

(1) Immobilize the Wrist Joint - I'm wrapping my wrist in a bandage all day so that we can let my extensor muscles rest as much as possible. I will continue this for four weeks. Total rest.

(2) Continue doing WODs and FSPs. Dips on the rings don't rely on my extensors much nor do cause my extended wrist to bear weight. On handstand days or any exercise that requires me to have my hands on the floor, I will do make fist and do the exercise on my knuckles. Push-ups, plank work, etc...all still fair game.

(3) After 4 weeks I will begin rice bucket and wrist conditioning series 5x week.

(4) After 6 weeks I will re-introduce palm on ground extended wrist on the FSP/plank work.

(5) After 8 weeks I will add extended wrist to all the WOD work except handstand days.

(6) After 10 weeks I will gradually use my extended wrist/palms on floor on a fraction of my handstand exercises. For example, 10-minute handstands against wall, I'll do 2 minutes with my palms on the ground. The other 8 minutes on my knuckles.

(7) Every week after that I will gradually increase palms down on handstand work. Still none on modified wall runs.

(8) Once I'm wrist push-ups on my knees bearing all the weight on the wrists, I will gradually increase the proportion of wall run work on my palms.

Probably gonna be 3+ months before I'm there, but I don't want to stop all activity. Will use fish oil/magnesium/Vit C.

Looking for feedback.

Thanks,

JM

[Gerald Mangona]

p.s. Could it be that there is some hand positioning thing I'm doing that's putting unnecessary strain on my ECU where it hits the elbow? I think I'm slightly adducting my hand...i'm making them parallel to each other and having my fingers point straight forward.

[Gerald Mangona]

Had my wrist wrapped to isolate extension/flexion movement. Had a dynamic push WOD yesterday, and subbed positions where I'd have my palms on the ground with fists on the ground (or on soft matting) and did the same movements. Good news is that pain is very consistently subsiding and I'm still able to get a good workout on the dynamic push movements.

Will keep doing these fist-position movements til April and will gradually re-introduce palms down while strengthening the forearm muscles then. Cross your fingers...

J