Are pronated pullups wise for long term joint health?

I never had problems before doing them, but I started to notice not so desireable traits in my elbows recently.

My injury background:

I had tennis elbow in my left elbow from upping the weight, but I solved that by cutting the weight used and rest. However, I know have golfers elbow in the right elbow. I don't believe it was soley attributed to pullups at all, because of was mimmicking a serve motion in tennis in between sets, and the next set I felt a tweak in the position. Now, I can't do a single full pullup without pain in the top position. I can still do sets of reps, and it hurts less with each set, but that is still bad. Anyway, I cut my frequency from 3x a week to 2x a week for two weeks. Due to it still hurting on the first set, I dropped my frequency to once a week this week. After 7 days rest, still pain. I quit after one set. So, currently, I will do another session next Friday, and see how I feel.

Besides the pain:

My left elbow joint rubs when close to the top position when flexed and extended.

My right elbow seems to have the slightest rub sometimes in the suppinated position only. It is tough to detect, but I can feel it on sometimes.

I don't want to wear my elbows down to where I can't maintain my fitness improvements, and enjoy exercise in my later years. I read article talking about shearing forces with a fixed bar. So, now I wonder if I should switch to ring pullups only.

In this instance, it is not the exercise itself that is the issue, but rather the training program. You have injured yourself by prematurely increasing both your load and frequency of training prior to your elbows being sufficiently adapted to this degree of exertion; and then greatly compounded the error by continuing to train on an injured joint. My recommendation is to do no pull-ups whatsoever for at least the next 3-4 weeks. Once that time as pasted, cautiously test the elbow. If there is still pain; discontinue the workout at once and wait another 1-2 weeks. Continue in this fashion until you are pain free.

Tendonitis is generally easily avoided; however once it occurs, substantial amounts of both time and rest (usually measured in months :cry:) are required to recover. In the future, following a Steady State training cycle will help you to avoid this issue.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Here's a little list I generated for treating medial epicondylitis:

1. Rest. Especially if it's JUST mild overuse. If it's chronic then pure rest may not help.

2. Ice after any use & when sore. 15-30 mins per sessions for couple times a day. Direct ice massage ON the skin works the best.

3. Light stretch, not painful for agonists; strengthen antagonists. So stretch flexors, strengthen extensors *until* pain subsides (medial epicondylitis -- opposite for lateral epicondylitis). Then strengthen everything (my pref = rice bucket)

4. Self massage... cross friction and myofascial release the whole area inbetween both joints that surround it (shoulder to wrist for medial epicondlyitis; ankle-hip for something knee; etc.). As much as possible... at least 30 mins a day if not more. Also, tennis ball/golf ball areas & foam roll

5. Anti-inflammatories/NSAIDs. Fish oil is a good one.

6. Stay away from painful exercises. Period. It hurts, don't do them. Should be obvious but people don't listen.

7. Light eccentric exercises tend to help ESPECIALLY if the muscle(s) aggravated cannot smoothly do it.

8. + joint/cartilage health supplements like glucosamine & chondroin sulfate, MSM, shark, etc. Might be a good idea to start eating the cartilage and tendons off your meat too.

What about the left elbow that never hurts anymore ( I've done as much as 7 sets with no pain, so I think it is healed), but I have that rubbing feeling?

Here are some interesting details. It doesn't rub on the concentric contraction under the following circumstance (this might be hard to explain):If I hold my arm like an L (in front of me, or at my side), internal rotate my humerus, and then straighten the elbow, I never get rub on a following concentric contraction. However, I get a rub on the eccentric contraction, and any following concentric and eccentric contractions.

Any clues?

By the way, I've seen that copied and pasted somewhere before, Steve. I've been taking fish oil for about two years now, but not the dose recommended for joint health. Maybe I'll try taking more. Glucosamine/Chondroitn has interested me since I first suffered any pain in my left elbow. I haven't researched anything about it, though. Do you feel like you have had any positive personal experiences?

JL said:

What about the left elbow that never hurts anymore ( I've done as much as 7 sets with no pain, so I think it is healed), but I have that rubbing feeling?

Here are some interesting details. It doesn't rub on the concentric contraction under the following circumstance (this might be hard to explain):If I hold my arm like an L (in front of me, or at my side), internal rotate my humerus, and then straighten the elbow, I never get rub on a following concentric contraction. However, I get a rub on the eccentric contraction, and any following concentric and eccentric contractions.

Any clues?

What's actually rubbing? Bone on bone? Tendon on bone?

May be partial snapping triceps syndrome or something.

By the way, I've seen that copied and pasted somewhere before, Steve. I've been taking fish oil for about two years now, but not the dose recommended for joint health. Maybe I'll try taking more. Glucosamine/Chondroitn has interested me since I first suffered any pain in my left elbow. I haven't researched anything about it, though. Do you feel like you have had any positive personal experiences?

Yeah, I've posted it on CF as well as Rosstraining.

I personally have not taken it.... it's mixed reviews with the people who do. Some say it's a miracle while others say it doesn't work for them. Best way is to try it if you've exhausted all options IMO. For the record, the studies have show little if any improvement.... but hey if it's just the placebo effect and it WORKS then why not?