Sadly, injuries are a part of the Jiu Jitsu lifestyle and although you can try and avoid them, at some point they will happen. This is why rolling sensibly is ideal as well as resting when needed. However, sometimes big, freak injuries will happen and there’s little you can do about it.
Today we shall be focusing on breaking your elbow. This is rare but does happen in BJJ. So, if you’ve just broken your elbow then read on as this will hopefully speed up your recovery and make sure you rehab it correctly.
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How do you break your elbow in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?
Generally speaking, there are two ways to break your elbow. The first is by falling to the floor and landing awkwardly on your elbow. This is why breakfalling is so important. One of the most common positions for injuries is from takedowns as body weight can fall on limbs and break them.
As a result, you can easily break your bones if you fall on an extended arm. The second way is by getting caught in an elbow submission. Whether you refuse to tap, or your opponent rips on the submission, this can result in a broken elbow. Usually, most people will suffer broken elbows from takedowns rather than submissions. The two main submission culprits are americanas and armbars.
How long does an elbow injury take to heal?
This really depends on the severity of the break and other factors such as your age and genetics. For the most part, it should take around 6 weeks to heal – albeit this is without complications which can and do happen.
Does this mean you can go back to training after 6 weeks off after surgery? No. Here, is where BJJ practitioners get it wrong and often rush back to training due to excitement. This is literally one of the worst things that can happen as it can set back your recovery time. Even worse, if joints don’t heal properly then they can lose long-term mobility and even have chronic pain forever. Therefore, whilst it may be tempting to make a quick return, taking a long-term approach is ideal.
What to do with a broken elbow in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?
Now, let’s go back to basics. Firstly, you’ll want to put ice on the break as soon as possible. This gets the blood to the broken area quickly and aids recovery. Whilst this isn’t an instant fix, it will provide temporary relief too, and take some of the pain away. Similarly, deep heat also acts as pain relief.
Next, obviously don’t try and continue with your arm and get to ER as soon as possible. After this, see what the doctor says. If it’s a small fracture then you may be able to avoid surgery and should heal until it feels normal again. Otherwsie, follow the doctors orders and get some needed rest. Most of the time, this results in your arm being stabilized by a cast for a few weeks to make sure it mends correctly.
After the operation, you’ll probably visit a physiotherapist a few times. This is when you will learn basic exercises to strengthen the surrounding muscles without risking them. From then onwards, you can see how long it takes to heal and again, don’t do anything stupid like jumping back into sparring immediately or trying to deadlift.
What should I do whilst my elbow heals?
There’s still other ways to learn BJJ without physically training. Whilst nothing beats training in person – there’s a few things that you can do…especially as you now have time on your hands whilst the elbow heals.
Perhaps the best thing you can do is keep your mind engaged in BJJ and keep it active. One great way to do this is by watching video instructionals that will help you learn visually. If needs be, watch and re-watch them until you’re comfortable with certain moves and techniques. As said, this may not beat rolling, but it certainly helps and will keep your brain fresh and ready for when you return.
If you’re that bothered about keeping fit, you can also do other activities that don’t include your arm too. For example, this could involve using a mounted bike to test your cardio, or lunges to strengthen your leg muscles. Really, it’s about being creative and working with what you’ve got and not moaning about what you can’t do.
Conclusion
Overall, if you’re unlucky enough to suffer from a broken elbow during BJJ training then don’t despair. Whilst it’s not a nice experience, with patience and taking the correct rehab steps – you can return to training just as good as before.
Secondly, remember the old saying that ‘the mats will always be there’. This means that whilst your training may be put on hold, you can always come back at some point, even if it’s one year down the road – it’s still not a massive deal in the big scheme of things.
