Injury in golfers elbow area, but not GE symptoms

[cmplsn]

While strength training with side-to-side pull ups(pull up using mostly one arm, alternating) I started feeling a burning on the inside area of my elbow. Right arm, slightly to the inside and below the big tendon/ligament that attaches the bicep muscle to the forearm bone.

I quit working it out and RICE'd it for a few weeks, just doing push based exercises to maintain my condition. Started up normal workouts with wide grip pull ups and could not even make it to 5 without the burning pain being in the inside of my right elbow being too bad to continue. After almost a year babying that area, I can do close grip pull based exercises with only slight pain and push based exercises are fine unless I am at near peak weights.

It is not golfers elbow. I can palm up and pull my fingers towards the ground with no pain. My grip is pain free. I only get major pain when I do wide grip pull ups or cleans. BUT......

I seem to have lost stability in the joint. It feels weak when I am in a position similar to shifting my car. It seems to sometimes pinch or damage the bursa when it engages through the 20degree area in my range of motion.

Any answer for what I tore? Is there a wrap that I can buy that will stabilize the joint? Months of RICE and work-around it work outs have not helped and the condition seems to be getting slightly worse with time.

I live in the US so I have basically no access to reasonable medical care. I can't afford to throw away hundreds of dollars to have a doctor tell me to RICE it as he walks out the door 15 seconds after walking in, or spend thousands on a bunch of scans that tell me what I already know. Both of my friends who have had ACL surgery regret it and feel they are worse off after, so I am not interested in pursuing that course.

Thanks in advance for any help. I live in Dallas, TX if there is a clinic that will check it out for cash.

[Heidi]

Hi
Can you flex your wrist against resistance without pain? This is a better test for golfers elbow. Put the arm out in front with the palm facing upwards and elbow straight. Use the other hand (a partner or wall) to resist as you try to bend the wrist, pointing the fingers up to the ceiling.
Other options include ulnar nerve entrapment: http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/front/elbow/ulnarnerve.htm
Or a medial elbow sprain:
http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/front/elbow/medial_elbow_sprain.php

[stevendavis79]

My brother has a similar injury to his elbow, but did happened when he was playing tennis. His left elbow swelled up and resembled the cartoon character Popeye. He was told by his Doctor that he strained the ligaments and was also told to ice the injury and was given some anti-inflammatory medication. After a few weeks it returned to normal, but he says that it occasionally has sharp pains in that elbow.