Pain!

[esplendido]

One of the things masters lifters experience is continued pain and stiffness. I was chatting with the Mrs. a few minutes ago and she's been experiencing pain in her wrists and forearms that is not resolving. She also feels stiff all the time, although it doesn't prevent her from pushing in the gym.

I, too, have those nagging aches....usually in small tendons, especially where my biceps tie into my shoulders, which act up on the negative motion of heavy benches.

What are you experiencing and what, if anything, do you do to mitigate the pain?

[Bryan Hildebrand]

low back pain is constant, but it is muscular, not structural.
just had my right shoulder injected. impingment that I have been putting off since november.
knee pain primarily from tae kwon do. kicking and sparring are not friendly at 300lbs.
I take Mobic. an ant-iinflamatory that works really really well with zero GI issues. I use it once a week as needed.

[greuceanu]

I've had severe shoulder and elbow pain years ago. What worked:

-stop using juice and creatine;
-find movements that create less pain;
-work rotator cuff.
-stretch and use full ROM.
-lower volume.
-massage.

Shoulder pain is gone, elbow pain is much improved.

Now i have an injured right wrist, mild right knee pain and left forearm pain.

What i'm doing:
-use wraps on wrists and knees;
-use straps on heavy back work and deadlifts;
-use exercises that don't create/aggravate pain when doing biceps;
-stretch.
-massage.

I generally don't like using drugs or any type of painkillers. My first response to injury is work lighter or rest,find exercises/angles that don't aggravate it, try to diagnose and correct any imbalances i might have and just be patient in general.

[SallyAnne]

I just started having pain in my left knee - so have been wearing a compression cuff and not going so heavy on squats and such.

[Asmolenski]

Every morning when I get out of bed I feel like I was hit by a truck. I sit under a hot shower for about 10 minutes and after moving around a little bit it goes away but never completely. I've asked for help with DOMS before but no one can offer any solutions - It's just part of my life now. If I dont feel sore as hell then I start feeling guilty like maybe I didn't work out hard enough etc...

[sassy69]

I've got all the joint aches & pains w/ elbow & forearm tendonitis starting in 1992, lower back / IT band in 2003 and right rotator & knees in 2006. The rotator was initially diagnosed as bursitis, but this past year an MRI indicated a bone spur, fraying of the tendon (general wear & tear for your standard BB) and some arthritis in the AC joint. Just had that all cleaned out & 10 weeks post-op now.

Generally I find that when I DON'T train everything starts to hurt more. A scheduled day off is definitely useful for recovery, but if I end up missing more than a few days, I find nothing is aligned and I get these aches & pains. I work hard to do lots of functional strength stuff, dropped weights, increase reps, incerase intensity / slower reps and LOTS of stretching.

For knee stuff, I spent a lot of time last year doing alternating leg work to enable both legs to support themselves individually. I also do a lot of ATF unweighted squats to warmup -- its a functional movement so it helps to "align" everything.

For shoulder / back / lower back / legs - LOTS of foam roller & use of tennis balls to work out knots. And a lot of sadistic deep tissue work and monthly visits to the chiro.

For elbows / wrists / forearms: consider this: BigDamRay's Guide to Elbow Pain: (http://www.afboard.com/forum/rehab-injury-prevention/606-bigdamrays-guide-elbow-pain.html)


Here is how to take care of your elbows.

1. Use equiblock dt or stop pain 30 minutes BEFORE training.
2. Use neoprene sleeves.
3. Flush the area with blood as a warm-up(ex. pushdownsx100)
4. Stay away from ACCESSORY movements that severely iritate it (You'll just have to suck it up on ME)
5. Ice for 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off ASAP after workout. Ice is a miracle drug!! Nobody wants to take the time or effort to use it but it actually HEALS the problem. This is the most important step of all. Just put ice in a ziplock baggie and put it on the area that hurts. Ya the ice is gonna be cold and it does hurt for 5 or so minutes but then it will feel good. I also use these velcro ice packs from http://www.sporties.net/Detail.bok?no=16 (http://www.sporties.net/Detail.bok?no=16)
6. Take 800mg of ibuprofin 3x per day until your problem clears up.
7. Find a good joint support formula such as Joint Complex by Gearman Nutrition at http://www.gearmannutrition.com/news...?page=home.cfm (http://www.gearmannutrition.com/news...?page=home.cfm) or Syn-Flex and take it religously. It takes a long time to feel the results of this but you will eventually feel them.
8. Supplement your diet with fish oil (http://www.afboard.com/forum/autolink.php?id=43&forumid=23&script=showthread) capsules and Vitamin C these are both natural anti-inflammatories.
9. You must do ALL of these to help, you can't just pick one or two you must do them ALL.
10. You can also do expand your hand bands, wrist curls and hammer curls, all of these make my elbows feel better.
11. For severe issues, get a big bowl and fill it with ice, water and 2 tablespoons of salt, stick your elbow directly in it and keep it in there for 10 minutes. Dry it off and wrap it with a heating pad for 10 minutes, repeat twice.
12. If you have done all of the above and are still having problems then it's time to take a few days off.

Good Luck and I hope this will help everyone, BDR

[esplendido]

I've got all the joint aches & pains w/ elbow & forearm tendonitis starting in 1992, lower back / IT band in 2003 and right rotator & knees in 2006. The rotator was initially diagnosed as bursitis, but this past year an MRI indicated a bone spur, fraying of the tendon (general wear & tear for your standard BB) and some arthritis in the AC joint. Just had that all cleaned out & 10 weeks post-op now.

Generally I find that when I DON'T train everything starts to hurt more. A scheduled day off is definitely useful for recovery, but if I end up missing more than a few days, I find nothing is aligned and I get these aches & pains. I work hard to do lots of functional strength stuff, dropped weights, increase reps, incerase intensity / slower reps and LOTS of stretching.

For knee stuff, I spent a lot of time last year doing alternating leg work to enable both legs to support themselves individually. I also do a lot of ATF unweighted squats to warmup -- its a functional movement so it helps to "align" everything.

For shoulder / back / lower back / legs - LOTS of foam roller & use of tennis balls to work out knots. And a lot of sadistic deep tissue work and monthly visits to the chiro.

For elbows / wrists / forearms: consider this: BigDamRay's Guide to Elbow Pain: (http://www.afboard.com/forum/rehab-injury-prevention/606-bigdamrays-guide-elbow-pain.html)


Here is how to take care of your elbows.

1. Use equiblock dt or stop pain 30 minutes BEFORE training.
2. Use neoprene sleeves.
3. Flush the area with blood as a warm-up(ex. pushdownsx100)
4. Stay away from ACCESSORY movements that severely iritate it (You'll just have to suck it up on ME)
5. Ice for 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off ASAP after workout. Ice is a miracle drug!! Nobody wants to take the time or effort to use it but it actually HEALS the problem. This is the most important step of all. Just put ice in a ziplock baggie and put it on the area that hurts. Ya the ice is gonna be cold and it does hurt for 5 or so minutes but then it will feel good. I also use these velcro ice packs from http://www.sporties.net/Detail.bok?no=16 (http://www.sporties.net/Detail.bok?no=16)
6. Take 800mg of ibuprofin 3x per day until your problem clears up.
7. Find a good joint support formula such as Joint Complex by Gearman Nutrition at http://www.gearmannutrition.com/news...?page=home.cfm (http://www.gearmannutrition.com/news...?page=home.cfm) or Syn-Flex and take it religously. It takes a long time to feel the results of this but you will eventually feel them.
8. Supplement your diet with fish oil (http://www.afboard.com/forum/autolink.php?id=43&forumid=23&script=showthread) capsules and Vitamin C these are both natural anti-inflammatories.
9. You must do ALL of these to help, you can't just pick one or two you must do them ALL.
10. You can also do expand your hand bands, wrist curls and hammer curls, all of these make my elbows feel better.
11. For severe issues, get a big bowl and fill it with ice, water and 2 tablespoons of salt, stick your elbow directly in it and keep it in there for 10 minutes. Dry it off and wrap it with a heating pad for 10 minutes, repeat twice.
12. If you have done all of the above and are still having problems then it's time to take a few days off.

Good Luck and I hope this will help everyone, BDR

Good post!

[sassy69]

Thx :) One of the things lots of years lifting brings, is lots of experience w/ pain & trying stuff. Interestingly as you get older, you develop more aches & pains, but you also tend to have better insurance to follow up more paths towards correction / recovery. I used to laugh at chirproactors - they always looked like they were better at manipulating your insurance, than your spine. However it was a chiro who corrected a rotated pelvis for me and I go monthly to deal w/ the shoulder stuff. I've been a HYUGE fan of deep tissue massage for the last 15 yrs. More recently I've had to suck it regarding the "lift big" tough guy approach to lifting and explore core stuff using bosu balls, fitballs, resistance bands, etc.


And my favorite invention of all time... the DonJoy Ice Machine (http://www.betterbraces.com/ViewProducts/DonJoyIcemanContinuousColdTherapyUnit/437.aspx). I got one of these w/ my shoulder surgery - you fill the cooler w/ ice & water and it circulates cold water through bladders fitted into whatever shoulder or body harnesss thingy to put over whatever sore spot you have - much better than an ice pack. Just plug it in & let it run at whatever temperature you set it at.

[sassy69]

Here's another tidbit I got from my podiatrist after my 2nd bunion surgery - when ibuprofen isn't enough for a pain killer and you don't happen toh have a bottle of Vicadins laying around .. 600 mg ibuprofen + 1 tylenol + a cup of coffee (or equivalently Excedrin Migraine .. has caffeine in it). I don't recommend taking this continuously because of the impact of ibuprofen on your stomach lining, but if you need something ... its an option.

[F.M.]

Yep, sassy69 nailed it with ice being a miracle cure! As well as tissue massage and a good chiropractor. To date, my more serious aches and pains are:

Extruded disc at L4-L5
- Ice at least once a day, sometimes 2 - 3.
- chiropractor definitely keeps me from needing perscription pain killers (which I have had to resort to a couple times)
- a firm mattress

Forearm tendonitis (near the elbow)
- tissue massage, another miracle cure! I had enough pain to interfere with both lifting and sleep until I started theraputic massage. Pain is now gone!

Shoulder pain (the infamous "benchpress shoulder")
- First the left, then it moved to the right (probably due to compensation). Interfered with quite a few lifts until I started icing my shoulder after icing my back. Pain is now gone! (and I don't do barbell bench anymore)

Over all pain, mostly aspirin (I'm alergic to Ibuprofin and I've done enough damage to my liver in my youth so I avoid Tylenol). I also take NOW's "Flex Mobility" - non-shellfish based joint support. I really can tell the difference when I don't take it.

[BigJD69]

Applied Nutriceuticals makes a product called Osteobolin-C. It aids in the repair of strained muscles, ligaments and joints, it's a potent glucocorticoid antagonist that promotes nutrient delivery into cartilage and tissue, as well as a natural anti-inflammatory, helping reduce joint stiffness and pain.

[tat2mike]

My shoulders and lowerback. Shoulders seem to hurt and click, but it is only on certain movements. I have started spend more time warming up,and it seems to help a little, but I think I need to get it checked out. There is not pain in my lowerback just soreness. I work bent over a lot with my job. So mainly I just live with it ,and make sure I really concentrate will I am doing deadlifts and squats.

[Dr. Joel Nathan]

My left knee is my weak point. I have to make sure not to stress it. For cardio, I do eliptical or bike. I just lift lower weights when legs are concerned.

Glucosamine/Chondroiten Sulfate 500/400 2 a day helps joints and decreases inflammation. It takes 3 or more weeks to reach full potential, but the anti-inflammatory effect happens sooner.

Yes, the Omega 3's help too. There is a new Rx med called Lovaza which has 1gm omega-3/ cap. It's approved for lowering triglycerides but helps inflammation, increases concentration and focus. 4 caps in AM. If you burp fish, keep them in the fridge.

[gman]

The only pain I have most of the time is an aching right SI joint.

I am thinking I am better off than most of you because I didn't start lifting until I was 43 1/2. My body isn't worn out yet!

[DBowden]

Constant stiffness and pain in shoulders from chronic rotator problems.
I do external/internal rotator exercises prior to any upper body workout session.

[Por2gue]

I've got all the joint aches & pains w/ elbow & forearm tendonitis starting in 1992, lower back / IT band in 2003 and right rotator & knees in 2006. The rotator was initially diagnosed as bursitis, but this past year an MRI indicated a bone spur, fraying of the tendon (general wear & tear for your standard BB) and some arthritis in the AC joint. Just had that all cleaned out & 10 weeks post-op now.

Generally I find that when I DON'T train everything starts to hurt more. A scheduled day off is definitely useful for recovery, but if I end up missing more than a few days, I find nothing is aligned and I get these aches & pains. I work hard to do lots of functional strength stuff, dropped weights, increase reps, incerase intensity / slower reps and LOTS of stretching.

For knee stuff, I spent a lot of time last year doing alternating leg work to enable both legs to support themselves individually. I also do a lot of ATF unweighted squats to warmup -- its a functional movement so it helps to "align" everything.

For shoulder / back / lower back / legs - LOTS of foam roller & use of tennis balls to work out knots. And a lot of sadistic deep tissue work and monthly visits to the chiro.

For elbows / wrists / forearms: consider this: BigDamRay's Guide to Elbow Pain: (http://www.afboard.com/forum/rehab-injury-prevention/606-bigdamrays-guide-elbow-pain.html)


Here is how to take care of your elbows.

1. Use equiblock dt or stop pain 30 minutes BEFORE training.
2. Use neoprene sleeves.
3. Flush the area with blood as a warm-up(ex. pushdownsx100)
4. Stay away from ACCESSORY movements that severely iritate it (You'll just have to suck it up on ME)
5. Ice for 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off ASAP after workout. Ice is a miracle drug!! Nobody wants to take the time or effort to use it but it actually HEALS the problem. This is the most important step of all. Just put ice in a ziplock baggie and put it on the area that hurts. Ya the ice is gonna be cold and it does hurt for 5 or so minutes but then it will feel good. I also use these velcro ice packs from http://www.sporties.net/Detail.bok?no=16 (http://www.sporties.net/Detail.bok?no=16)
6. Take 800mg of ibuprofin 3x per day until your problem clears up.
7. Find a good joint support formula such as Joint Complex by Gearman Nutrition at http://www.gearmannutrition.com/news...?page=home.cfm (http://www.gearmannutrition.com/news...?page=home.cfm) or Syn-Flex and take it religously. It takes a long time to feel the results of this but you will eventually feel them.
8. Supplement your diet with fish oil (http://www.afboard.com/forum/autolink.php?id=43&forumid=23&script=showthread) capsules and Vitamin C these are both natural anti-inflammatories.
9. You must do ALL of these to help, you can't just pick one or two you must do them ALL.
10. You can also do expand your hand bands, wrist curls and hammer curls, all of these make my elbows feel better.
11. For severe issues, get a big bowl and fill it with ice, water and 2 tablespoons of salt, stick your elbow directly in it and keep it in there for 10 minutes. Dry it off and wrap it with a heating pad for 10 minutes, repeat twice.
12. If you have done all of the above and are still having problems then it's time to take a few days off.

Good Luck and I hope this will help everyone, BDR
Jeez dear, you sound pretty beat up girl!

[Mouse]

Generally I'm pain free all things considered. Occasionally I'll feel a twinge on my right patella. When I do I just stop the workout and go home. I'm not interested in working through pain at this stage. It's usually gone by the next workout.

That said I have had chronic and recurring tendonitis in my right forearm since my early 20s. It was so bad at one point that I couldn't directly train bis for over a year. Well it's starting to come back again although this feels a bit different. More in the elbow. At it's worst I feel like I can't fully straighten my arm out and lifting something like a heavy frying pan becomes nearly impossible. So far it doesn't prevent me from doing most exercises I normally do although I have been going a bit lighter on bis and tris to try and prevent further irritating it. I'm going to start icing it as well.

[bigdaddyd]

I have chronic ankle pain due to being overweight most of my life and doing months of treadmill work to drop weight last year. Not much seems to work so far, especially taking time off which makes it worse and even more stiff. I have tried naproxen for a while and had an injection of cortisone last year (that hurt like a mo'fo) but those were only short term solutions.

Occassionally my wrists are stiff (like today). But I chalk most of this up to being fat for years and out of shape. I am sure hoping this will change this year as the rest of the fat comes off.

[esplendido]

I have chronic ankle pain due to being overweight most of my life and doing months of treadmill work to drop weight last year. Not much seems to work so far, especially taking time off which makes it worse and even more stiff. I have tried naproxen for a while and had an injection of cortisone last year (that hurt like a mo'fo) but those were only short term solutions.

Occassionally my wrists are stiff (like today). But I chalk most of this up to being fat for years and out of shape. I am sure hoping this will change this year as the rest of the fat comes off.
Be careful with the cortisone....it actually deteriorates the joint over time.

[Gunz]

Thanks, Esplendido, for bringing up this issue. I am so glad I'm not the only one who feels like an 80-year-old getting out of bed every morning!!

[esplendido]

Thanks, Esplendido, for bringing up this issue. I am so glad I'm not the only one who feels like an 80-year-old getting out of bed every morning!!

I see how you get out of bed most mornings (even though you think I'm asleep). Can't get enough of that ass!!!!! :D

[gman]

Now children! Behave!

[Gunz]

I see how you get out of bed most mornings (even though you think I'm asleep). Can't get enough of that ass!!!!! :D

:eek:!!!

[Sledge]

I experienced neck pain constantly for over 20 years. Tried everything nothing helped. Next option was surgery to insert 2 steel rods either side of spine in neck. Permanent limited mobility. Started weight training against doctors orders no pain for over 3 years now. Funy thing is after 20 years living with it, it's the absence of pain that is noticable.

I suffered with bad knees for years. Doctors orders no contact sports no running no lifting heavy weights. Started to get hip pain in late 30s because I was walking incorrectly to compensate for knee pain. Started weight training against doctors orders. No more pain. and now I run 5km 5 days a week. That would have left me a hobbling mess for a week a few years ago.

So even though I get the odd tendon pain and my shoulder goes out for a week or two every now and again and I get joint pian occasionaly (usualy when I don't train correctly). I'm never stopping lifting. NEVER.

[TB]

I'm 42 next week and been lifting for 24yrs. My competitive powerliftng days saw me with knee problems, but since moving on to the more forgiving bodybuilding diciplines, my aches and pains have subsided. I've torn my right pec and ripped my clavicle clean off my sternum and had various other injuries over the years but training one major bodypart each day means I don't rush my workouts and get sloppy.
Peaking for a masters comp right now (12wks out) and welcome doms when I get it and dissapointed if I don't. I train heavy but with what I consider to be good form and I believe this is what keeps me healthy.
I pray that I'm not tempting fate here!!!

[fitiron]

I have a torn rotator cuff, and no ACL in my right knee. The best combination of supplements that I have used to attenuate the pain is a combo of Glucosamine/Chondrotin and Cissus.

Usually the recommended daily amount of 1500-2000mg of Glucosamine/Chondrotin is the maint level.

When I noticed a difference is when I started taking 4000mg of Glucosamine/Chondrotin daily.

Combined with CISSUS I have definitely noticed fluid improvements in my ROM, and a lot less pain.

[esplendido]

I'm 2 weeks from the end of my bulk and the beginning of precontest diet. I've beaten the hell out of my body to get it as big as I could (285lbs) and leaner at that weight than ever before in a bulk.

I crawl out of bed, my knees sore from the heavy leg work I've finally been able to do after 4 years of coddling. My left shoulder has a deep ache in it....not a rotator cuff injury, but something is strained and it hurts after chest and shoulder workouts.

I've really grown in my triceps, pushing down nearly 200lbs for reps on the pushdown machine, but my left triceps, the one I tore off and had reattched at the end of '06, is sore in a strange way. It hurts a little on the forearm side of the elbow but the triceps feels like it is strung too tight when I work it. I've been very careful with strict moves so as not to tear it again.....a career-ending injury if it happens according to my Ortho Dr.

I've worked my biceps hard, too.....to the point where their insertion at the shoulder is painful on the negative movement of heavy benches.....a very strange sensation because you really don't realize how many sympathetic muscles are used on the bench until they hurt. I require a lift-off on the bench with weight over 365 to avoid much of the pain in the biceps.

I cramped in every muscle except calves during and after workouts while bulking. I took potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium supplements all the way, but the AAS protocol still allowed the cramping. The worst was lower ab cramps, which I'd get immediately following very heavy triceps pushdowns. My lats would cramp during the day when I pushed myself out of chairs. People looked at me strangely when they'd see my face screw up in pain at those moments.

But it's all been worth it! I'm bigger than I've ever been, stronger than I've ever been, and am finally growing legs to compliment my upper body. I'd be very happy if I could come in at 250, but would be happy with 245, even though that would still be too light for my height in an open class. In the 50-over, I'll be a monster.

My arms reached 20 1/2", the biggest they've ever been and I hope to keep them at 20" cut.....still somewhat light for my frame.

My real pride, however, are the changes Laurel has made in her physique! She'll be lucky to stay a lightweight....probably going to be a middle weight at 5'-2". She has a similar story to the above, but I'll let her tell it!

[sassy69]

This past year I've had 3 surgeries - foot, gums (impacted my diet for a few weeks) and shoulder scoping, spread out across the whole year, so I've had to adjust my training based on what I can support while the injured item is recovering. I've been very lucky to never have actually DONE something to myself while lifting. I've aggravated things and have a bucketful of tendonitis & bursitis, but the recovery time has forced me to get creative w/ my lifting, but also gives me a chance to focus on certain parts. E.g. after my foot surgery I couldn't do any body-supported lifts but started relying more on things like the Smith and a Power Squat rack, lowering my weights, up the reps and increasing the range to full ROM / ATF. When I had my shoulder surgery, I had to lay off bar-supported exercises or anything that required holding onto a machine for support. But I had several weeks to do things that relied on alternating legs - alt leg press, alt leg extension, etc. This has given me a lot of time to build up both knees joint strength (where I've got a pile of bursitis & my patellas don't track quick correctly over the joint), and I've got some nice quad growth. Now that my shoulder has healed, I'm also taking the same approach for tri growth.

"Pain" is good in the sense that it tells you where there are problems, and also forces you to work around things or find different ways to do things. In particular, I've had to step away from the LIFT BIG approach, and focus on more refined & tight moves.

[esplendido]

As if you needed more size, Sassy!

[sassy69]

As if you needed more size, Sassy!

Can one ever really have "enough"?

[heavyiron]

Rotator cuff pain. Big NYC Mike gave me some excercises that really helpd but my days of heavy flat benching may be over as it just aggrevates the shoulder.

[sassy69]

I'm going back for my 4 month follow up after shoulder surgery and will probably get a big gold star for recovery. But at the same time, I think I'll be pulling out my knee sleeves again as just getting up out of a chair hurts right now. Fug. I prefer to go w/o and work on building up my knees to support themselves, but if it impacts my training to the point where bodywt squats hurt, I guess I need to give a little support. Blah.


I swear it will just end up that I'll be carrying a roll of duct tape w/ me every time I hit the gym...

[heavyiron]

I'm going back for my 4 month follow up after shoulder surgery and will probably get a big gold star for recovery. But at the same time, I think I'll be pulling out my knee sleeves again as just getting up out of a chair hurts right now. Fug. I prefer to go w/o and work on building up my knees to support themselves, but if it impacts my training to the point where bodywt squats hurt, I guess I need to give a little support. Blah.


I swear it will just end up that I'll be carrying a roll of duct tape w/ me every time I hit the gym...
How old are you J?

[thepump]

One of the things masters lifters experience is continued pain and stiffness. I was chatting with the Mrs. a few minutes ago and she's been experiencing pain in her wrists and forearms that is not resolving. She also feels stiff all the time, although it doesn't prevent her from pushing in the gym.

I, too, have those nagging aches....usually in small tendons, especially where my biceps tie into my shoulders, which act up on the negative motion of heavy benches.

What are you experiencing and what, if anything, do you do to mitigate the pain?

goood pain is god but bad pain like my father god bless him lets say sucks

[v1hyp]

Shoulders, forearms, Lower back (lately) and both my knees and lord don’t left the weather be rainy or cold,, I really feel then..LOL But hey, yua do what yua gotta do.