Pain in elbow joint, am I injuring myself?

[lienad216]

Been having paint around my elbow joint for about a month now.

I think this would be described as a dull ache. I can feel it when
1. in the inside of the elbow when I flex my right bicep all the way (hand almost resting on shoulder)
2. On the outside of the elbow when I sweep my right hand across a surface while pressing onto the surface
3. On the outside of the elbow when I lock my right arm in extension

Other notes:
Took a break from training for about two weeks after it started. Back to training consistently this week (mwf) and noticing that the pain seems to be getting worse the morning after the workout.
I've been trying to learn the form for the bench properly, but still having problems controlling lateral (left right across length of body) movement on the bar. Sometimes the last rep of the set involves the bar seesawing a little before it gets to lockout.

Questions:
1. Is this early onset of something (e.g. tendonitis)?
2. What should I do to make it better/prevent it from getting worse?

Thanks in advance

[Chris Palladino]

lienad216,

Thanks for reaching out.

Sounds like tendinopathy. You should continue to train, but may have to alter the squat positioning and bench programming. This is a common post on the forum so be sure to look through some previous posts for advice.

This tends to become an issue as result from poor positioning of the bar on the back during the squat and continue to aggravate during the bench.
Make sure the bar is supported by the back in the low bar position, the weight of the bar should not be supported through the wrists and forearms. This will result in elbow pain. If your having trouble with the bench this may be a good time to clean up form and reset weight. Start by selecting a pain free weight with a higher rep range of 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps and locate where in the range the pain begins. If its at the top, avoid hard lockouts or stopping the bar path early. If its at the bottom, use pin presses or a paused bench. Increase weight by 2.5-5lb each session and decrease reps by 1-2 each session. Continue until you return to 3 sets of 5. This process should take about 4-5 weeks and should take you to preinjury weights. Be sure to keep pain levels low, don't push through pain, review your squat by recording yourself and ensuring the bar is supported by the back and not the arms.

Good luck

[lienad216]

Thanks for the reply, I'll have a look at previous posts before I ask any more.