Alright folks, here’s the deal. My right elbow had been absolutely killing me for weeks. Could barely lift my coffee cup without that sharp, nasty pain shooting down my forearm. Classic tennis elbow, even though my last racket swing was years ago! Time to try and fix this trigger point stuff myself.
The Breaking Point & First Stabs
Honestly, I hit my limit yesterday. Tried picking up a half-empty gallon of milk? Pure agony. That was it. I grabbed my old yoga mat, threw it down on the living room floor, and sprawled out. No fancy setup.
Started poking around near the bony knob on the outside of my elbow – you know the spot. Hurt like crazy just touching it. Found a couple of seriously tender knots just below that knob and a bit further down the forearm muscles. Like little balls of concrete under my thumb. Pressed in slowly. Hoooo boy, intense! Felt it radiate down towards my wrist immediately. Held the pressure steady for maybe 30 seconds on each one, wincing the whole time.
Getting Down to Business
Figured I needed some help reaching properly. Found a lacrosse ball buried in the garage, dusted it off. Laid down on my back on the mat again, arm out to the side. Put that ball right under one of those angry knots near my elbow. Then just slowly let my body weight sink into it. Ouch. Major ouch. Breathed through it.
Started doing tiny circles with my arm while pressing into the ball. Honestly felt like digging into raw meat. Found a couple more sore spots I hadn’t noticed before, hidden deeper in the meaty part of my forearm. Focused on those for a good minute or two each.
- First Spot: Right on the tender bone knob itself. Barely needed pressure here.
- Second Spot: About two finger widths below the knob, buried in the forearm muscle. Deep throb.
- Third Spot: Another couple inches down towards the wrist – sneaky painful one.
Kept alternating between holding steady pressure and those tiny, grinding circles. Didn’t rush it. Just kept breathing and tried to relax the arm muscle as best I could under the discomfort.
Immediate Aftermath & A Glimmer of Hope
When I finally got up? My arm felt… weird. Kind of dull and a bit bruised where I’d been pressing, but also strangely looser? The sharp, piercing pain that shot down when I grabbed things was actually less intense. It wasn’t gone, not by a long shot. But picking up my laptop bag was noticeably less punishing.
Here’s the kicker – I woke up this morning expecting to be even sorer. Nope! The deep ache around my elbow felt calmer. The real test came when I reached across the bed to grab my phone. Normally that’s a guaranteed wince. This morning? I did it without thinking. Only realized afterward that it hadn’t hurt like before. Seriously encouraging.
Sticking With It (The Hassle Included)
Got motivated. Did it again this evening. Maybe a bit too keen – pressed way too hard on one spot initially and regretted it instantly. Dialled it back. Found those trigger points again. Still super tender, but maybe… maybe slightly less angry feeling? The rolling with the ball feels smoother over that muscle tissue now, less like grinding over rocks.
Big reality check though: Dealing with my health insurance company this afternoon to try and cover PT felt like hitting a thousand worse trigger points. That frustration is its own kind of pain. Pretty pissed off after that call, actually.
The Takeaway So Far
Surprised and pleased. This trigger point digging? It actually seems to be doing something. I thought it was maybe a bit of internet snake oil, but nope. Feeling that reduction in that lightning-bolt grab pain makes a huge difference.
It’s not magic. My elbow still reminds me it’s injured if I push it. But it is functional again for little everyday things that were impossible yesterday. Huge relief.
Keys seem to be: finding those nasty knots, going slow, tolerating the sharp but manageable pain while pressing, holding long enough (at least 30 secs per point feels necessary), and crucially – not pushing through agony. That just sets you back.
Gonna stick with this every night before bed. Feels worth the effort. Who knew a dusty old lacrosse ball could be a total game changer?