In: Blog
6 Feb 2010Note:
It is important to understand that all bodies are different and all injuries are different. My reason for these posts is to possibly open you eyes to alternative ideas for therapy. It is NOT to diagnose YOUR injuries. If you have similar pains, you should talk to a professional to verify that there is not further damage and you will not be causing permanent injury by treating it in some way.
Crossfit has a huge potential for injury, as it does for amazing results. Be smart with your training and you will last longer as an athlete and a human.
The problem:
I have not had any issues personally but just like the other injuries i have seen this come up over and over. I have seen it mainly come up from massive amounts of pullups. I think it is a factor of the constant downward jolt you get from doing butterfly (not a good idea unless competing) and the same jolt that a newbie gets when learning he kipping pullup. I think this ends up being a purely tendonitis (overuse) issue.
The fix:
Along with ice and ice massage which i forgot to mention in the knee post. Ice massage is helpful for just about any injury you can think of so don’t forget about it. I think take a couple weeks off pullups can heal this. Also try massage and trigger point work. After 2 weeks off be smart about reintegrating pullups into your program. Sorry for the lack of details here but i think it is a pretty simple injury to fix so don’t over think it.

5 Responses to Common Injuries (the elbow)
Björn Uddenfeldt
February 7th, 2010 at 9:26 am
Oh, I thought BF-kip was easy on the joints. Will keep it in mind!
Miguel Garza
February 7th, 2010 at 11:46 am
Hey Dutch, do you feel that the kipping pullup is too harmful on the joints for the older population? Basically, do you see a benefit to having them do a kipping pullup, or a progression towards a kipping pullup? If there is a benefit, does it outweigh the potential for injury? Just a question…I also have the same questions for oly lifts…
dutch
February 7th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Miguel,
I think everyone can benefit from functional movement so long as the exposure is appropriate. For example a 45 year old man that just learned how to do butterfly pullups should NOT do 120 the first time they learn them…
Likewise Granny should be led responsibly into pullups and eased into the full range. If she has the strength for it, i say go for it. Keep volume responsible and have some fun.
Why would this not apply to the olympic lifts? I think its even easier with these considering the range of loads you can apply. It can be challenging for everyone.
Miguel Garza
February 7th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
thanks for the quick response….
Wednesday 2/10/10 | Louisville CrossFit - Derby City CrossFit
February 9th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
[...] Cleans – 5×5 WOD 7 Rounds for time: 3 Deadlift 6 Ring dips 9 Knees to Elbows CF Endurance Here Common Injuries (The Elbow) What’s Your Weakness? Stuffed Peppers BBQ Chicken, Squash and Broccoli Stop snickering… [...]