Rower's elbow

[jackarabit]

Better learn to roll the handle on to the fingertips to feather the blade. Wrist extension feathering (wrist bent back above the plane of the forearm) contributed to my left elbow and hand problems after sculling camp summer '15.

[G-dub]

Learned that a little too late I think. That and not holding the oar with a death grip. Damage is done though. Sometimes these things go away. Sometimes not. I've never been lucky with just dialing back the volume.

[jackarabit]

Mg oil Is MgCl dissolved in water. Available Amazon, GNC. Don't know how it works or maybe that should read "allegedly works." Bob Spenger, who should have known, didn't believe that Epsom salts (MgSO4) could achieve its reputation as a pain-soothing analgesic by crossing the cutaneous barrier. His take on the operation of Mg oil would have been interesting and very likely in the discrediting camp I think.

[Carl Watts]

Put ice on it then take a concrete pill and harden up !

[jackarabit]

Mebbe take a shellfish pill and clam up?

[Anth_F]

And now it's my turn with this diagnosis. The doctor gave me drugs, and told me to lay off the rower for a while

Oh no... i feel your frustration

[wilkes]

And now it's my turn with this diagnosis. The doctor gave me drugs, and told me to lay off the rower for a while

I am curious does your elbow hurt when rowing? I have been having tennis/golfers elbow but never hurts while rowing. I determined it was being
caused by the way I was sleeping on my arm. I was compressing a nerve which was causing the problem.

[left coaster]

Interesting thread! I've had a ton of problems with my elbows over the years, started in my teens. Think I developed some bone spurs or damaged my elbows from lifting too heavy and doing manual labor from a young age. As it stands, I can't do a traditional curl because the tendon/nerve snaps at about 70 percent through the movement, towards the top. It's been this way for 30 years... have thought about surgery but learned to just adapt. Too many of those snaps though and it's guaranteed to result in inflammation and bursitis for me.

Strange enough, they have never bothered me a bit on the erg. Reading this thread made me quite thankful for this! I can tell that even a small bit of flexion at the start of the drive would cause big issues though! It's probably my history of elbow issues that led me to tidy this bit of technique up from the very beginning. Fast hand out at the end of the drive, locked straight at the start - every time.

[G-dub]

Mine seemed to have calmed down a bit. Lightened grip and use fingers better OTW. On erg am keeping my elbows a little higher to keep wrists flatter. Picking things up with finger grip is painful though.

[jackarabit]

Similar progress. Managed to lose the fixed contracture in flexor tendons of left arm which bothered me for several months. Can't attribute to any factor except possibly allowing aggregate average stroke rate to rise by 2 spm while doing IP2k starting May 1 (22spm to 24). Certainly concentrating on catching the flywheel with aggressive leg drive; pain is a good teacher!

[grahamcawood]

I suggest the following technique to protect your elbow.
1. Pull on the handle as near your fingertips as possible. Try to PULL, rather than to GRIP.
2. Your arm only fully straightens, briefly, for the catch. And it is the stopping chain that pulls it straight. It then rebounds to a relaxed bend.
3. Your forearm and hand are in line with the chain - simply connecting the chain to the elbow.
4. Handle stays at the same height above the floor throughout.Put a mark on the chain box to show any up/down movement.
5. Elbows move out for the release , with about 90' between the forearms.
6. Hands at base of your sternum for the release, if not lower.
7. Arms bend at the elbow because the SHOULDERS pull the elbow back. No elbow work involved.

While you're at it I recommend doing 1:1 in/out always, at 26+ spm. Two breaths each stroke , out at the catch and release. Back relaxed and evenly curved. Use 20mm heelblocks so heels stay down throughout.
Have fun!

[Ombrax]

The solution that worked for me was to pull on the handle with my thumbs on top of the bar (i.e. not under). I think that probably discourages a "death-grip," which helps the elbows.

[Erik A]

interesting. i get quite a sharp pain near my elbow but only when i turn my wrist. it never hurts when rowing and to some degree lessons the pain after a rowing session (possibly just due to warmed up muscles etc) although without doing any weights i find the pain goes away. i think i have it narrowed down to a specific weight machine which i am probably doing wrong or at least not completely right which i think is due to the length of my forearms.
I may have to drop the machine and go back to free weights for this one. or just drop it completely

[jackarabit]

I place both thumbs stretched along the handle at about 1-2 o'clock viewed from the left hand side. Takes some getting used to. The one thing Andy Benco and I have in common. I use a df between 109 and 116.

[atblsb]

In addition to having my thumbs on top of the bar, keeping my elbows close to my side during the pull is another big key - don't have chicken wings.

Andy Benko