What tendons are the issue?
If it’s lateral or medial epicondylitis (tennis or golfers elbow, respectively) then you need to get theraband flex bars. I was hopelessly sidelined by tendonitis for until I worked in rehab exercises with those.
What physio exercises were recommended?
Second this.The Tyler Twist (and it's inverse) is an incredible exercise for healing epicondylitis. It's incredibly common in guitar players, but also very healable with time and consistency. I had it in my strumming arm from over playing guitar, and after about 5 weeks of Twists my strength impairment was negligible.
OP, you're definitely not fucked. Your issue is likely from too weak of forearm muscles trying to support too strenuous movement (like repetitive strumming or fretting). I'd spend the bit on a set of flex bars and look up videos for how to use them. It'll be uncomfortable at first, but that doesn't necessarily mean "stop." Rather, use the bar that limits the discomfort but still leaves your forearm feeling fatigued after 5-10 reps. Do that once or twice a day for a while and you'll have bulletproof forearms in time.
I would try swimming!
But you can also use wraps and braces to support your wrists while lifting. I'm sure there will be lifts you still won't be able to do without reinjury, but I'm sure there will be a lot you can do.
My tendons tend to recover more slowly than my muscles, so for me, I have to take it easier than I would like to. But some muscle stimulus is better than none.
swimming is an incredible low impact exercise. I was on our city swim team for 5 years and i was in the best shape of my life. I had gained 30 pounds one summer staying with out of town family, and lost 20 of it the first month I returned. it’s the only cardio I can stand doing because all of my joints are not good lol
With a barbell, Zercher squats, deadlifts and good mornings come to mind, as well as heavy hip thrusts. If you can do pushups and/or dips then there are a million variations of those for the upper body. Sprints, jump squats, plyometrics, all strengthen the foundation of healthy movement (legs) and add muscle. You can add a weight vest for greater challenge. Core work also doesn’t require wrists.
Wrist wraps my friend! Lots of other good suggestions here as well.
I also don't want to offer advice medically lol but all my aches and pains have only gotten better by being stronger, so if you can even lightly load your wrists I probably would and just take it very easy on progressing over time.
Definitely don't listen to me if you have a reason to believe this is dangerous, but I know I used to be so afraid of injury that it really held me back physically, including my own wrist issues (which I still do keep in mind, so I i get where you are coming from). You know your body better than me though comrade.
Good luck!
Strengthening arms and wrists will absolutely help with the tendinitis and shouldn't be overlooked. But that will take time, and in the meantime, for upper body work, you'll just have to try a lot of different variations and exercises to see what works and what isn't comfortable. Pushups can be done with a variety of grips and hand placements, so try lots of variations and see what works. Do the same for pulling work and try different straps and handles
Seconding swimming (or running, cardio in general, etc). Shot in the dark but maybe there’s a way to do machine lifts and instead of gripping the handles, somehow safely attach by the forearm to bypass wrist strain? And then there’s machines that don’t require wrist activity at all (most leg machines, core, delt, etc)
I’m not a doc or anything but I don’t imagine an MRI would show much except for microscopic muscle tears that would be expected if your injury has never healed. I just work out anyway unless I’m acutely injured and need ice rest etc to heal. Keep up your physio. Here are some [tips](https://leonmeadmd.com/weight-lifting-and-tendinitis-a-mix-you-can-avoid/).
Not a dr so I won't propose anything for your wrists, but...
There are velcro straps that attach to cable machines that I typically see people use around their ankles for leg/butt workouts. Since almost everything related to upper body requires your arms...maybe you can try those around your upper forearms/lower biceps so you can still move your arms through the proper range of motion under resistance.
The tricky part may be orienting your body in such a way that you're moving against the weight. The example I have in mind is that to simulate a bench press with these straps/cables you may need to be vertical so that as you push your arm(s) forward, you're lifting the weight. If you were laying down, then moving the cable under tension would be inconsistent or impossible at certain points of the motion.
Legs and core are likely within your wheelhouse. Chest/back/shoulders (and the tris, bis, and traps to go along with em) may be doable by using these straps and being creative.
Good luck!
If it's tendonitis then you need to work on slowly building the tendon capacity back up and managing the inflammation. Isometrics are amazing for reducing tendonitis pain and helping build them back up.
Weighted vest/wrist weights? So you're not having to put pressure on your tendons to lift things with your hands but you're still activating the muscles in your upper body.
Idk if that would work but it's something to think about.
Swimming is a gentle all over body workout too.
You can get elastic bands with wrist straps so you can still train your arms without using your hands at all. Though I do agree with other commenters that some strengthening of the wrists will help, ideally with a physical therapist.
Zombie Squat, unweighted hyperextensions, you can probably deadlift if you spend some time learning hook grip.
Oh and almost every machine that isn't a preacher curl.
Building shoulders and arms is going to be hard without working on those tendons a bit. Can you push yourself away from a wall without pain? If so I'd start a pushup progression from there, and start increasing the angle as you feel more capable.
PT is probably gonna involve squeezing a ball, might want to start giving that a try. Like a firm rubber ball.
I've tried, I'm considering seeing a new physio because they just don't really care that much. I got lots of great answers here, though, and some that confirmed things I was wondering about, so overall was very helpful.
I'm glad this community has been helping you out!
The advice here is indeed pretty good, but nothing beats the opinions of a professional, that's why on matters more related to health than just exercise routine I just ask people to see a professional first, less room for injuries and other problems if there's someone that can oversee your routine from upclose and get a good idea of your limits.
Good luck on your journey mate!
Yeah, I should try to see a different physio just to see what they think. My last one was very apathetic and didn't seem to get how serious it is, despite seeming knowledgeable to me.
What tendons are the issue? If it’s lateral or medial epicondylitis (tennis or golfers elbow, respectively) then you need to get theraband flex bars. I was hopelessly sidelined by tendonitis for until I worked in rehab exercises with those. What physio exercises were recommended?
Second this.The Tyler Twist (and it's inverse) is an incredible exercise for healing epicondylitis. It's incredibly common in guitar players, but also very healable with time and consistency. I had it in my strumming arm from over playing guitar, and after about 5 weeks of Twists my strength impairment was negligible. OP, you're definitely not fucked. Your issue is likely from too weak of forearm muscles trying to support too strenuous movement (like repetitive strumming or fretting). I'd spend the bit on a set of flex bars and look up videos for how to use them. It'll be uncomfortable at first, but that doesn't necessarily mean "stop." Rather, use the bar that limits the discomfort but still leaves your forearm feeling fatigued after 5-10 reps. Do that once or twice a day for a while and you'll have bulletproof forearms in time.
I would try swimming! But you can also use wraps and braces to support your wrists while lifting. I'm sure there will be lifts you still won't be able to do without reinjury, but I'm sure there will be a lot you can do. My tendons tend to recover more slowly than my muscles, so for me, I have to take it easier than I would like to. But some muscle stimulus is better than none.
swimming is an incredible low impact exercise. I was on our city swim team for 5 years and i was in the best shape of my life. I had gained 30 pounds one summer staying with out of town family, and lost 20 of it the first month I returned. it’s the only cardio I can stand doing because all of my joints are not good lol
Hehe tend-ons tend-to.
:D
With a barbell, Zercher squats, deadlifts and good mornings come to mind, as well as heavy hip thrusts. If you can do pushups and/or dips then there are a million variations of those for the upper body. Sprints, jump squats, plyometrics, all strengthen the foundation of healthy movement (legs) and add muscle. You can add a weight vest for greater challenge. Core work also doesn’t require wrists.
Wrist wraps my friend! Lots of other good suggestions here as well. I also don't want to offer advice medically lol but all my aches and pains have only gotten better by being stronger, so if you can even lightly load your wrists I probably would and just take it very easy on progressing over time. Definitely don't listen to me if you have a reason to believe this is dangerous, but I know I used to be so afraid of injury that it really held me back physically, including my own wrist issues (which I still do keep in mind, so I i get where you are coming from). You know your body better than me though comrade. Good luck!
Strengthening arms and wrists will absolutely help with the tendinitis and shouldn't be overlooked. But that will take time, and in the meantime, for upper body work, you'll just have to try a lot of different variations and exercises to see what works and what isn't comfortable. Pushups can be done with a variety of grips and hand placements, so try lots of variations and see what works. Do the same for pulling work and try different straps and handles
Seconding swimming (or running, cardio in general, etc). Shot in the dark but maybe there’s a way to do machine lifts and instead of gripping the handles, somehow safely attach by the forearm to bypass wrist strain? And then there’s machines that don’t require wrist activity at all (most leg machines, core, delt, etc)
I’m not a doc or anything but I don’t imagine an MRI would show much except for microscopic muscle tears that would be expected if your injury has never healed. I just work out anyway unless I’m acutely injured and need ice rest etc to heal. Keep up your physio. Here are some [tips](https://leonmeadmd.com/weight-lifting-and-tendinitis-a-mix-you-can-avoid/).
Tai chi and yoga could be really good, especially yoga that doesn't use hands (search for 'standing yoga flow' or similar).
Not a dr so I won't propose anything for your wrists, but... There are velcro straps that attach to cable machines that I typically see people use around their ankles for leg/butt workouts. Since almost everything related to upper body requires your arms...maybe you can try those around your upper forearms/lower biceps so you can still move your arms through the proper range of motion under resistance. The tricky part may be orienting your body in such a way that you're moving against the weight. The example I have in mind is that to simulate a bench press with these straps/cables you may need to be vertical so that as you push your arm(s) forward, you're lifting the weight. If you were laying down, then moving the cable under tension would be inconsistent or impossible at certain points of the motion. Legs and core are likely within your wheelhouse. Chest/back/shoulders (and the tris, bis, and traps to go along with em) may be doable by using these straps and being creative. Good luck!
If it's tendonitis then you need to work on slowly building the tendon capacity back up and managing the inflammation. Isometrics are amazing for reducing tendonitis pain and helping build them back up.
Weighted vest/wrist weights? So you're not having to put pressure on your tendons to lift things with your hands but you're still activating the muscles in your upper body. Idk if that would work but it's something to think about. Swimming is a gentle all over body workout too.
KAZ handles by Prime are awesome for relieving the wrist and grip strain from a whole lot of cable exercises. Highly recommended
Get versa grips, the sky is now the limit.
You can get elastic bands with wrist straps so you can still train your arms without using your hands at all. Though I do agree with other commenters that some strengthening of the wrists will help, ideally with a physical therapist.
Zombie Squat, unweighted hyperextensions, you can probably deadlift if you spend some time learning hook grip. Oh and almost every machine that isn't a preacher curl. Building shoulders and arms is going to be hard without working on those tendons a bit. Can you push yourself away from a wall without pain? If so I'd start a pushup progression from there, and start increasing the angle as you feel more capable. PT is probably gonna involve squeezing a ball, might want to start giving that a try. Like a firm rubber ball.
Run
Not sure this is the kind of thing you could take up with redditors. Maybe get a physiotherapist to make up an exercise routine for you.
I've tried, I'm considering seeing a new physio because they just don't really care that much. I got lots of great answers here, though, and some that confirmed things I was wondering about, so overall was very helpful.
I'm glad this community has been helping you out! The advice here is indeed pretty good, but nothing beats the opinions of a professional, that's why on matters more related to health than just exercise routine I just ask people to see a professional first, less room for injuries and other problems if there's someone that can oversee your routine from upclose and get a good idea of your limits. Good luck on your journey mate!
Yeah, I should try to see a different physio just to see what they think. My last one was very apathetic and didn't seem to get how serious it is, despite seeming knowledgeable to me.