Popping Outside Elbow

[David McClelland]

Has anyone ever heard of "popping" outside of the elbow? It's mostly not audible, but very clearly felt. Imagine a rubber band around the middle of your elbow that reaches a point while you're bending it, until it pops around the outside bone. It's not painful, but it's anywhere from mildly uncomfortable to very uncomfortable with working weight.

I only feel it during pressing movements with weight above barbell weight, never just straightening my arm out with no load.

I've been dealing with this most of my life and only found I could avoid it if I did extremely light weights with extremely light reps, working up and up until I could reach a working weight. When I found SS and did NLP 2 yrs ago, the programming for warm ups was the first time I'd seen anything spelled out like that, and seemed downright therapeutic. I never had the popping all the way up to almost a 150 lb press and 210 lb bench press.

Yet, after a few months on SS and working with that much weight without a problem, it came back because I made the mistake one night of not starting the press with just the barbell and instead put a 10 lb plate on each side. Once it came back there was nothing I could do to stop it and it was like that until I stopped working out. I hadn't continued long enough for it to possibly go away or get really uncomfortable.

Fast forward 2 yrs later and I just started NLP again last night. I did 2 warm ups with the barbell x 5 reps just fine, then proceeded with 10 lb plates on each side, not unlike how I started my last NLP (log book FTW). Popping in elbow has returned. Now, it could go away and I'm hoping it does. But just in case it doesn't, it's only going to get worse with heavier weights until I might have to stop, and I don't want to have to stop this again.

I've been on the internet researching it and ran across "Ulnar Nerve Subluxation", but that seems to be only on the inside elbow (medial epicondyle)? Anyone know of anything that does this on the outside? I can live with discomfort in the name of strength, but if this persists into doing heavy weight again I don't want to damage something (especially a nerve), that's just stupid.

[Will Morris]

Has anyone ever heard of "popping" outside of the elbow? It's mostly not audible, but very clearly felt. Imagine a rubber band around the middle of your elbow that reaches a point while you're bending it, until it pops around the outside bone. It's not painful, but it's anywhere from mildly uncomfortable to very uncomfortable with working weight.

I only feel it during pressing movements with weight above barbell weight, never just straightening my arm out with no load.

I've been dealing with this most of my life and only found I could avoid it if I did extremely light weights with extremely light reps, working up and up until I could reach a working weight. When I found SS and did NLP 2 yrs ago, the programming for warm ups was the first time I'd seen anything spelled out like that, and seemed downright therapeutic. I never had the popping all the way up to almost a 150 lb press and 210 lb bench press.

Yet, after a few months on SS and working with that much weight without a problem, it came back because I made the mistake one night of not starting the press with just the barbell and instead put a 10 lb plate on each side. Once it came back there was nothing I could do to stop it and it was like that until I stopped working out. I hadn't continued long enough for it to possibly go away or get really uncomfortable.

Fast forward 2 yrs later and I just started NLP again last night. I did 2 warm ups with the barbell x 5 reps just fine, then proceeded with 10 lb plates on each side, not unlike how I started my last NLP (log book FTW). Popping in elbow has returned. Now, it could go away and I'm hoping it does. But just in case it doesn't, it's only going to get worse with heavier weights until I might have to stop, and I don't want to have to stop this again.

I've been on the internet researching it and ran across "Ulnar Nerve Subluxation", but that seems to be only on the inside elbow (medial epicondyle)? Anyone know of anything that does this on the outside? I can live with discomfort in the name of strength, but if this persists into doing heavy weight again I don't want to damage something (especially a nerve), that's just stupid.

First of all, a question back to you: what do you supposed would be the symptomology of a nerve subluxation syndrome?

[David McClelland]

First of all, a question back to you: what do you supposed would be the symptomology of a nerve subluxation syndrome?

From what I've read, it is close to what I'm feeling (the "popping" that is felt) along with possibly pain, radiating even into the pinky finger. Someone described it as it feeling like someone was thumping the "funny bone" when the pop happens. Others have described it as just uncomfortable popping such as I have. But all of these were inside the elbow, not near the outside. Most said it was full time, not just under load, and none mentioned warm ups having any effect.

[Gbraddock]

I have had some popping or clicking in my elbow as a result of continued problems associated with tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis). Not painful but the area on the outside of the elbow is tender and gets “grumpy” sometimes. Of most concern in my case is when bend my elbow and supinate (turn my palms toward the ceiling) it feels unstable. Like it would keep going if I kept turning it or some outside force rotated it. Then I can pronate it and it’ll click and “reset”. Not sure if this is consistent with what you are dealing with on your end though.

[David McClelland]

I have had some popping or clicking in my elbow as a result of continued problems associated with tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis). Not painful but the area on the outside of the elbow is tender and gets “grumpy” sometimes. Of most concern in my case is when bend my elbow and supinate (turn my palms toward the ceiling) it feels unstable. Like it would keep going if I kept turning it or some outside force rotated it. Then I can pronate it and it’ll click and “reset”. Not sure if this is consistent with what you are dealing with on your end though.

Very rarely, when just straightening out either elbow really fast after a lot of inactivity, they will actually painfully lock up. Well they feel like they are, I don't exactly push it to its limits as my first reaction is to stop straightening them out, bend the elbow back a bit, and slowly straighten them out again, which is fine. That's the only thing that I can think of related to a feeling of instability. I always wrote this off as I understand the joints are allowed to have their quirks.

The popping hasn't gone away so far and is still only slight. But then I'm not lifting heavy and that's the problem. I wish I could fast forward to when I'm lifting heavy again and see where I'm at with it so I'll know ahead of time. But I can't. And it's just so odd how my previous LP never had the first problem, but now I can feel it with 30 lbs on the bar consistently. I just want to write it off and just go through my NLP and not care until I might have to.

I'm going to try to wear a wrap and see if it affects it, and if it gets worse I'll just have to see a doctor. I'll report back what happens in the future.

[Gbraddock]

Compression sleeve helps me for sure.

[Will Morris]

Do you have a history of playing baseball competitively?

[David McClelland]

Do you have a history of playing baseball competitively?

Not even close. I was never interested in ball sports and only participated when I had to (PE in public school was required up until 9th grade). I've had some injury causing accidents on my right side, but not my left which is the problem elbow.

On a lighter note, I just got home from a training session and this one along with the one before has seen an improvement. They didn't even pop at all with a few weighted presses. I've yet to use wraps or sleeves. This happening alongside increasing weights I feel is promising.

Given that I'm 48 yrs old now do you think it's a good idea to start using sleeves on my elbows and knees anyway?

[Will Morris]

I asked because, rarely, someone can have an annular ligament injury that causes some instability of the radial head. That would present with popping / clicking / feelings on instability on the outside of the crook of the elbow. Further laterally, you may be looking at more of Snapping Triceps Syndrome. Both of these, along with the more common lateral epicondylalgia, are amenable to elbow sleeve support when training. I'm not quite 48, but I do, most of the time, use sleeves for my knees and only recently stopped wearing elbow sleeves. I'd certainly suggest giving them a go.

[David McClelland]

It definitely sounds more like snapping triceps syndrome. I did bench press last night and nothing happened all the way into the 2nd working set, which then caused some very mild snapping. It's getting better and I just hope that trend continues. Having focused on the feeling now I can see why I perceived it as being on the very outside of the elbow. It actually feels like that's where it's at, but concentrating on it I can tell it's not quite that far out.

I've been reading up on KC Tape along the way, which I wish I would have known about when dealing with the nasty golfer's elbow I got in the past. So I guess there's that to try if push comes to shove?

Anyway, I'm going to order some sleeves for both the elbows and knees. I would say at worst I'll look like a nerd but lots of young guys wear them now as well. Doesn't seem like a bad thing to me.

Thanks for the help!