Anybody Experience Forearm/Elbow Pain From Shooting?

[JM Campbell]

I've been having forearm and elbow pain lately, I have a physical job and use my arms continuously. If I grab something stronghand and lift (heavy item) I get a dull achey pain in the forearm and if done repeatedly in my elbow also. I have notice after a range session it is agitated and it might be throwing off my accuracy. Maybe I'm just king konging the grip but I don't believe so. 9mm is all I have been shooting and about 300-400 rounds a week ( 600 on a heavy two day weekend).

I have to make some time to see the doc, but figured some of the esteemed here might have had the same problem at some point and might help me brace myself with some bad news.

[JHC]

I have but sort of like your scenario, I actually have injured my support hand, strong wrist, strong elbow on different occassions; usually from weight training - but then even 9mm for a couple hundred rounds would aggravate it. But the injuries healed and I've not had just 9mm initiate any discomfort.

[Josh Runkle]

I've been having forearm and elbow pain lately, I have a physical job and use my arms continuously. If I grab something stronghand and lift (heavy item) I get a dull achey pain in the forearm and if done repeatedly in my elbow also. I have notice after a range session it is agitated and it might be throwing off my accuracy. Maybe I'm just king konging the grip but I don't believe so. 9mm is all I have been shooting and about 300-400 rounds a week ( 600 on a heavy two day weekend).

I have to make some time to see the doc, but figured some of the esteemed here might have had the same problem at some point and might help me brace myself with some bad news.

I've never had anything similar. I would recommend seeing a doctor.

[DonovanM]

Do you lock your elbows out while shooting? If so, stop. I took a class from Bruce Gray who's had all kinds of ortho problems after shooting like that.

But, I have pulled a forearm muscle after dry firing a 10lb trigger to death. It was ok in a couple days.

[JM Campbell]

No I do not lock my elbows out at all.

I'm going to try to get into the doc next week. It's just strange that I can't pinpoint a time that I injured it. There was no traumatic experience at all and nothing out of the norm at work nor shooting. But then again I do a ton of repetitious movement at work so that just might be the root cause of my issue. I also use spray triggers heavily so it does mimmic the clenching of your fist/pulling a heavy trigger ect.

[45R]

Just happened to come upon this thread. I'll be back in a few to comment on this. I have some information that may help you.

[Al T.]

Sounds like tendonitis to me. I have it in both forearms.

No real clear treatment for it, I find that (RICE) rest, ice, compression and elevation works.

Mine flares up at odd times. You can learn to live with it. :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tendinitis

[LittleLebowski]

Recommend swimming; particularly freestyle followed by half an hour of treading water.

I have some experience with this sort of thing.

[45R]

I've been having forearm and elbow pain lately, I have a physical job and use my arms continuously. If I grab something stronghand and lift (heavy item) I get a dull achy pain in the forearm and if done repeatedly in my elbow also. I have notice after a range session it is agitated and it might be throwing off my accuracy. Maybe I'm just king konging the grip but I don't believe so. 9mm is all I have been shooting and about 300-400 rounds a week ( 600 on a heavy two day weekend).

I have to make some time to see the doc, but figured some of the esteemed here might have had the same problem at some point and might help me brace myself with some bad news.

From your case presentation everything points to a repetitive stress, overuse syndrome that is presenting itself as tendonititis(Acute phase)/tendonosis(Chronic phase).

This is something that your MD, Chiropractor, physical therapist, massage therapist or acupuncturist can handle.

Because its a repetitive/overuse injury its important to consider the RICE protocol. The most important being rest. The constant use, movement of your arm is increasing inflammation of the soft/connective tissues of the arm.

The following may help

Rest/Mirobreaks
Ice
Active Release Therapy
Graston/A-Stim
Stretching
Frequent Microbreaks
Massage
Manipulation/Mobilization of the Shoulders, Elbows and Wrists
"Tennis Elbow" Brace.
Stretching with ROM exercises
Anti-inflammatories/cortizone injections
BioFreeze
Band Exercises
Acupressure
Acupuncture

Bottom line get some therapy for it soon before it becomes chronic. Its much harder to treat when its chronic. You may want to talk to your employer about being placed on modified duty until your arm improves. If you have any further questions, feel free to PM me.

[ToddG]

Guys, 45R has my personal endorsement in these matters. He's both a serious shooter and a chiro who has helped me personally when I've had some shooting-related aches and injuries. The whole reason I can still pick up a gun after 50,000 rounds of full power .45 shooting last year is thanks to Doctor 45R. He and another good friend (Kurt Von Rice in Phoenix) are the only two guys I'd trust in these matters.

[JM Campbell]

Thanks for your advice 45R, I'll set up a apt for next Monday with my doc. No point in not heading off the storm before it has a lasting effect on my life.

After my range session to day I'll start the RICE.

[YVK]

You may want to consider an occupational medicine specialist consultation. Seems to me that shooting is not an offending factor, professional overuse is.

[Jason]

If you work with your hands allot and have elbow pains it stands to reason that your grip is very strong. If you arent working the extensors in your hands then I would hazard a guess that the huge difference in strength between your extensors and your grip is causing the elbow pains. Another piece of evidence that indicates this might be the issue is that its occuring in both? elbows. I recommend exercising the extensors in your hands with rubber bands, or specially made ones from Ironmind. It might take a few weeks to see relief, but I do believe this might greatly help or solve the issue.

Link to the bands (and yes I use them):

http://ironmind-store.com/Expand-Your-Hand-Bands153/productinfo/1376/

[STS]

From your case presentation everything points to a repetitive stress, overuse syndrome that is presenting itself as tendonititis(Acute phase)/tendonosis(Chronic phase).

This is something that your MD, Chiropractor, physical therapist, massage therapist or acupuncturist can handle.

Because its a repetitive/overuse injury its important to consider the RICE protocol. The most important being rest. The constant use, movement of your arm is increasing inflammation of the soft/connective tissues of the arm.

The following may help

Rest/Mirobreaks
Ice
Active Release Therapy
Graston/A-Stim
Stretching
Frequent Microbreaks
Massage
Manipulation/Mobilization of the Shoulders, Elbows and Wrists
"Tennis Elbow" Brace.
Stretching with ROM exercises
Anti-inflammatories/cortizone injections
BioFreeze
Band Exercises
Acupressure
Acupuncture

Bottom line get some therapy for it soon before it becomes chronic. Its much harder to treat when its chronic. You may want to talk to your employer about being placed on modified duty until your arm improves. If you have any further questions, feel free to PM me.

I have been fighting "tennis elbow" in one arm and " golfers elbow" in the other. Between a rough job, shooting, and weightlifting, my arms are killing me. RICE never seems to work, which of the above would you recommend starting with first?

I've tried to no physical activity for three weeks, only to have my arms flare up the first time they see use, NSAIDS help for a little bit, Chiro has done utrasound but it is hard to get in often enough. I need to get fixed and I'm ready to try whatever I need to.

[Jason]

RICE is only treating the symptoms. The pain described sounds allot like overuse injuries developed from not working the extensors. Very common for weight lifters. Thats why Ironmind developed the bands I described above. I recommend trying them, they are cheap.

[Jay Cunningham]

It comes and goes with me if my volume of shooting goes way up over a month or so. It seems pretty much like classic Tennis Elbow.

[LittleLebowski]

I never notice mine but I swim 5 days a week. I do know that after my injury, .45 and .40 are too much for prolonged fire.

[beltjones]

Well this is timely. I've had the occasional sore elbows that I think a lot of people experience, but nothing major until about 5 weeks ago. I woke up with a very sore left wrist on a Saturday morning and drove 60 miles to a USPSA match. I kept rubbing my wrist, thinking that if I warmed it up it would feel better. I shot two stages, took off my gear, and drove home. Five weeks later the tendon on the ulnar (pinky) side of my left wrist - the one that controls all the recoil - is still out of commission. A trip to the ortho, a shot of cortisone, and more ice and NSAIDs than one can count have provided zero relief. I have a follow up appointment in 5 weeks to see if surgery is necessary to repair what they think, at this point, is a torn retinaculum (basically the sheath that holds the tendons in place).

What it amounts to is about 6 major USPSA matches down the toilet, including my first ever Nationals invitation, and more than likely a year off from shooting - if I'm even able to recover and return. The whole thing is more depressing than i can describe.

The lesson is, don't tough out your soreness. If your tendons are inflamed get them taken care of ASAP, and don't muck around thinking it's the same as a little muscle stiffness. Tendon inflammation is your body's way of telling you to take a break immediately before you create a much bigger problem.

[45R]

I have been fighting "tennis elbow" in one arm and " golfers elbow" in the other. Between a rough job, shooting, and weightlifting, my arms are killing me. RICE never seems to work, which of the above would you recommend starting with first?

I've tried to no physical activity for three weeks, only to have my arms flare up the first time they see use, NSAIDS help for a little bit, Chiro has done utrasound but it is hard to get in often enough. I need to get fixed and I'm ready to try whatever I need to.

There are enough factors in treatment that I could probably type out a small paper on this. Shoot me a PM with your contact info and I'll just give you a call. :)

[Frank D.]

I assume it would have been included in the OP, but is there any weakness/numbness/tingling in the arm?

If its not tendonitis, the Ironmind bands might be something to consider - they really helped sort out some forearm/elbow issues I had as well (I've been accused of spending too much time in the gym too /humblebrag).

[Kyle Reese]

I have shooting pains in my elbows after a very heavy weight lifting regimen. RICE works.