McDavid Elastic Elbow Support

I bought this sleeve for weightlifting. As I started lifting past the 100lb dumbbell range, I've begun to notice some slight joint soreness in my elbows. Nothing major, but I figured it would be wise to get some more support rather than exacerbate the issue. Note: I already take Glucosamine and Chondroitin as part of my regular daily supplementation.My elbow measures a little over 13" which is listed as XL, but based on previous reviews I got a Large. Very comfortable even for extended periods, but did not offer any support at all. I ordered a Medium and it fits nice and tight and offers the support I was looking for. Perfect for support during the heavy lifts I wanted, but wouldn't be comfortable for extended periods. Most importantly: The joint soreness has gone away!Summary: Great product, great price, but get a size (or sometimes two!) smaller.

Most of my elbow pain over the past 10 years or so is due to advancing age and a 3x/weekly regimen of weight lifting/training. I'm not an authority on orthopedics or, obviously, a physician but do know a thing or two about lifting weights, having done that for the past 40 years or so. It's a double edged sword effect at some stage in life for most all people which is to say the benefits of weight training have to be sorted out against the pain it creates in various body parts.The tendons sometimes become inflamed, or worse, stretched or torn which results in an inability to continue without some mitigating factor to alleviate the pain. That's where the McDavid Elbow Support compression sleeves come in and do the job. I had been using those elbow support braces with the Velcro straps which were just OK but not quite the answer. THIS product returned immediate results the first time I put them on prior to a workout session and have done so consistently since. I used the basic guide others have listed here to help determine the size to order, then took it down a size because I wanted the maximum compression while still allowing for freedom of movement in the arms.I'm 6'4" and weigh in a 245 lbs at this writing, to give you a reference and ordered the MEDIUM size sleeves which work perfect for my needs. They really help eliminate the pain while providing the snug support to buoy my confidence in attempting the various weight lifting tasks including curls, forearms, pull-downs, delts and triceps disciplines. If you're a tennis player and have the dreaded 'tennis elbow', I'd certainly try these sleeves. We all need a little help from our friends to get through life on occasion and McDavid's product profiled here is my latest buddy.

OK! I like this arm sleeve. Before I got the copper elbow compression sleeve and I like many others, the copper sleeve got more and more loose. Even after washing and drying, it would stay tight for a day, then gets loose again. SO I got this Mcdavid sleeve. Already it’s softer and more comfortable/tight in a good way. The compression is there and I k is it’s not going to get loose like the copper sleeve. McDavid all the way. Get this one over the copper sleeve! I’m telling you

Generally, I’ll compare the devices: Sleeve vs Band/Mfgr vs Mfgr. The existing Amazon reviews cover the individual pros & cons.For months, I’ve been dealing with moderate to severe medial epicondylitis or “golfers elbow”. Both elbows – more pronounced in right (I’m right handed). As my elbow pain began to become a very persistent problem, I decided to find a “fix”. I’m pleased to say my elbows are much improved … read on.The onset my elbow problems coincided with the failure of the pneumatic piston on my office chair which resulted in the chair sinking to the “bottom”/not staying at the desired height. Not realizing this would cause elbow problems, I procrastinated replacing the chair for a few months because, after all, it was still functional … just lower than I was accustomed to. Once the broken chair was identified as the problem, I immediately stopped using it and replaced it. Slowly, my elbows got better … but they were still injured and needed support to heal. Those of you that have epicondylitis from working at your desk, PLEASE try raising your chair up a few inches.Replacing the chair put me on the road to recovery. However, I soon discovered that healing my “injured” elbows was going to take some time. Riding my bike (road & mountain) inflamed my elbows and set me back in the healing process. Same thing with golf. Taking divots & grounding the club was very painful.Ongoing, my elbows would be especially painful in the morning. I had never experienced this pain before my office chair inflicted injury. I’ve researched & believe the pain is from sleeping with my arms tightly bent. Bending the elbow compresses the ulna nerve and flexes the injured tendon thus exacerbating the injury. I started sleeping with elbow sleeves which reminded me to keep my arms straight(er) throughout the night. Soon, my morning elbow pain began to subside.So what’s the fix? Surgery isn’t an option for me. Advil & ice help but aren’t the cure. So I went to the internet to read all abut epicondylitis (including Amazon product reviews) for a potential fix. Lots of great reviews here on Amazon for various brands of elbow bands and elbow sleeves. Not sure what to do, and growing impatient with the limitations imposed by my elbows (really – I can't pick that up because my elbow hurts??), I decided to purchase several of the better qualit/more popular straps and sleeves that I found here on Amazon.For each device, I assume that I purchased the correct size based on the manufacturers sizing recommendation. This of course, doesn’t mean I got the correct sizes. Here are my measurements:Forearm: 11.5”Elbow: 11.5”Bicep: 12.5”A common problem with nearly all of sleeves & straps I purchased, are lack of directions. None of the sleeves tell you which end goes toward the bicep and which side of the sleeve goes over the elbow (top vs bottom). Looking at the sleeves, some have discernable differences in the openings and the weave on top/bottom. Using logic, I assume that I got them on correctly … but not sure in all cases. Same with all the bands (except the EpiSport). Where are they placed in relation to the painful tendon? How much tension should they have? How do they help the healing process? How do these things help prevent injury? The EpiSport has excellent directions describing the mechanics of the band and where to place it. These directions were very helpful making informed assumptions on how to wear all the devices.Strap or sleeve? Generally, I found the straps to be much better for targeting the muscle compression and therefore protecting the tendon. I’ve found the sleeves to be supportive giving some muscle compression & comfort while supporting the injured & surrounding areas.Straps:McDavid 489 Elbow Strap “L”: A comfortable neoprene strap. I found it helpful but limited because it compress the entire arm with some added neoprene high points for focused compression. Because the compression around the arm is mostly uniform, I don’t think it is as effective as the other straps.EpiSport Epicondylitis Clasp “L”: Excellent instructions on how to wear the clasp and how it works. Because of the instructions, I understand how the band is designed to work: "The clasp applies dual compression on the long tendons of the forearm extensor and flexor muscles making them more parallel to allow healing to begin and reduce inflammation and pain.” I wore it on the golf driving range and for a few rounds of golf. It was comfortable and effective. No pain during or after. I believe, this clasp does the best job of targeting and compressing the muscle while reducing the compression elsewhere on the arm.Bauerfeind EpiPoint Elbow Strap One Size: Looking at their web site, I believe this strap is designed for tennis elbow and therefore any vague instructions are geared for compression on the outside of the arm. I reverse everything and use it for golfers elbow. Worked well for tree pruning project with heavy arborist pole saw. Pulling motion was too much for elbows. Not really believing this would help, I decided to try it. Figured it was worth a try since I couldn’t continue anyway. Also didn’t know for sure how to put it on since it didn’t come with any instructions other an elaborate multi language disclaimer booklet. I put it on and pain was gone! Couldn’t believe it. No pain afterward either. Later, Google helped me find this information on where to put the strap and the mechanics of how it works: "The strap should be placed around 2.5 cm distal to the lateral epicondyle”. Turns out, I had the strap too close to the elbow. I found the quote here: http://www.mikereinold.com/2009/07/are-tennis-elbow-straps-effective.htmlSleeves:Zensah Compression Elbow Sleeve “M”: Wore it on vigorous hour long mountain bike ride. Did the job. Supported my elbow. No pain during or after ride. The weave of the Zensah appears to be very specific for support & range of motion (this is the only way I could figure out how to wear it). The Zensah is a thinner lighter weave and therefore “cooler”. I think it generally helped with the constant vibrations.McDavid 512 Elastic Elbow Support “L”: Left arm on vigorous hour long mountain bike ride. Did the job. Supported my elbow. No pain during or after ride. Function was not quite as good as the Zensah. The McDavid, however, is a thicker heavier weave & and therefore “warmer”. If want the extra warmth, I will go with McDavid. I sleep with the McDavid sleeve on because it comfortably supports and helps me keep from bending my elbows tightly.Bauerfeind EpiTrain Elbow Support “Size 4: Comfortable neoprene and anatomical/form fitted neoprene sleeve with compression high points that don’t really compress much. It doesn’t come up onto bicep very high and tends to slip down more than others. Although it provides some support and limited compression, its best attribute is impact protection to the painful area. You will know what I’m talking about when you bump the painful tendon connection. I wear this when doing educational part of my Jiu Jitsu class. It won’t, however, stay on my elbow while sparring so I take it off to spar.