Dreaded Tennis Elbow, Mark II

[Keeled Over]

Age continues to creep in.

I have had tennis elbow some years ago, and after the home remedies failed to help I went to PT and they got me fixed back up. Fast forward to now, and I have been battling this for 4 months. I was almost healed when a long planned canoe trip came up - I had to go - and I have now made things exponentially worse. Current PT guy says he can't help anymore.

Dr. Internet states a cortisone injection is the way go. I did have one many years ago for my shoulder and it did work well. I ended up having 2 injections. It appears the injection is still popular, but there are other treatments available I am unfamiliar with.

Has anyone had experience managing tennis elbow with a method other than cortisone injections? I am hoping for a speedy recovery because the steelhead are here now and ski season is around the corner, so any details regarding recovery time would be appreciated. The shot gets me right back out there, so that's good. Now a days I tend to question all things medical, primarily due to the fact that 2 of my Dr's. have pointed out that it is all to common to have the medico's just run up the bill, so I am hoping to go in as prepared as possible for this one.

Getting old is tough at times, but it's better then the alternative.

I have been using BB paddles for years. Maybe some new hi tech paddles are required!

Thank you.

 

[billconner]

I got "plasterer's elbow" (same as tennis elbow) parging a block building. Doc said try Icy Hot (cream, not patches) and it helped a lot.

Indeed growing old is not for sissies.

 

[Mason]

I developed medial epicondylitis (golfers elbow) over 20 years ago climbing and training for climbing. It's a very common injury among climbers. One of the best resources is Dodgy elbows, which shows eccentric exercises which really help. I've found stretching and warming up the forearm a bit helps immensely. I've also used the FlexBar which is another eccentric exercise. As well, I went through the cortisone shot and NSAIDS, but they don't last forever. I'm still climbing....

 

[jdeerfoot]

Good luck with finding a fix for your elbow. I have used PT’s a lot for a variety of problems, most recently a recurrent L shoulder problem due to lap swimming. What I try to do is find a therapist who is familiar with the activity which is causing my problem. I have had good luck with this approach.

 

[Alan Gage]

I'm certainly no expert but I think Cortisone shots are a good starting point. From what I know the main goal of the Cortisone shot is to lower inflammation in the target area which will then, hopefully, allow it to heal. I think of it like biting your cheek. Once you bite your cheek it swells up a little and you keep biting it because it's swollen. You have to stop biting it in order for the swelling to go down and then everything is ok....until you bight it again.

NSAIDs (Ibueprofin, Aleve, etc) have a similar effect but I imagine the Cortisone shot is stronger and more more targeted.

I've been fighting a shoulder that was getting worse and worse. A Cortisone shot a few months ago provided relief and it's also allowing me to rehab the shoulder to hopefully strengthen it for a more permanent solution. While there is still pain it's easily manageable and I'm careful to avoid movements that agravate it. I also pop some NSAIDs when it flares up worse to keep inflammation to a minimum.

This guy has some good info. Here's one of his tennis elbow videos:

Alan

 

[Foxyotter]

Have you tried the brace that goes around your upper forearm with little pad? Tennis elbow brace can be found in most pharmacy. I spent at least 6 months with the throbbing until I listen to my wife and got a brace. It was life changing both reducing throbbing and most pain while using arm. It also allow it to heal much quicker with the reduced inflammation.

 

[Bob B.]

No doubt about it pain sucks! Especially if it stops us doing what gives us tinglies in life. I do not have tennis elbow, but have had a problem with elbow pain for years. Lifting weights I do ok if careful. Shooting my longbow, I do ok if I am careful. Lifting 3 times a week AND practicing with my longbow in deer season … I have significant elbow problems, pain. The older I get, the worse the elbow pain.

When I paddle up river current multiple days a week in the summer AND lift weights, my elbow, shoulder complains. For that I have found tremendous relief from a sassafras paddle. It flexes nicely and I can paddle more with less discomfort.

Good luck with your elbow Keeled Over. I hope you find some relief.

Bob.

 

[Will Derness]

Quite a few years ago I developed tennis elbow during my canoeing WW years. I got some pain relief from using a Velcro wrap around my forearm, just below the elbow. It took quite some time for the tennis elbow to resolve itself by easing back on the aggressive paddling and focusing on my forward stroke being mostly a shoulder push of the hand on the grip, with the lower hand, with the tennis elbow, having only a slight pull on the shaft. Time to heal and the stroke change worked as I haven’t had a reoccurrence since.

Hope this helps, good luck!

 

[Paddlinhal]

I completely trashed both elbows snubbing (poling) down the Miramichi a few years ago. So bad I couldn't use a pair of pliers for months. First, those tennis elbow braces do work. Second, my pole was too slippery, requiring a real hard grip (basically mine was an over-use injury). Third, results may vary, but I started exercising that muscle by holding a pair of 8 pound barbells with upper arms vertical and forearms horizontal in front of me. Then just twist the weights up and down 20 times, 3 times a week for a few months before a trip, and I have never felt a twinge since. Or you can do any exercise that will strengthen your grip.

 

[Sweetfancymoses]

My doc told me to get the brace that Foxyotter mentioned. He showed me where to position the pad. After putting on the brace, I felt immediate relief. He also told me to take the maximum dose of ibuprofen for two weeks against the inflammation. That did the trick.

 

[Keeled Over]

Thank you all very much!

I'm going all in - strap for the forearm has already shipped, quick visit tonite to Walmart to pick up some potions, and some exercises to build things back up. I've cancelled my fall canoe trip and the ATV's are getting their carbs drained by weeks end.

Never should have got to this point, but it's what I usually do. As Foxy state above, I should have listened to my wife. I put injuries off so frequently Chick's standard line is "what did you think was gonna happen?

Thanks again!

 

[coldfeet]

I tried what foxyotter mentioned. That band with the bubble pressing down on the nerve or what ever is there. Boy did it hit me once paddling years ago. I had to paddle with left hand only and just kept my right arm in the sling position. I did try the shots. It did take a while to get better and for superstition reasons I will not mention it anymore...Now having my second knee replacement after the first one was recalled after 11 years is another issue..latest prognosis is muscle atrophy...waa......good new is my eye surgery recently is looking good, HAHA....they sucked the vitreous out and replaced it with some type of saline solution. My mom is 94 yo and keeps asking me what the heck did I do to myself.

 

[dogbrain]

I had really bad tendonitis in both elbows years ago when I was playing hockey, learning to play the mandolin and doing my job that involved digging snow pits. The mandolin really did the damage. I have played guitar my entire life and all of a sudden I was playing this instrument with a little fretboard every free moment of the day.

I'm curious about the PT's comment. Was it that final, or was there something else that followed. Did they do any dry needling? Scraping? All this has worked for me. I can't see a good PT willing to just give up like that. My recommendation is to find another PT. Make sure the strap you get isn't really stretchy. The point of the strap is to keep everything from moving around inside there. I have owned a few stretchy ones and they didn't do the job. You'll know right away if the strap is working. You'll go from not being able to grip to having a grip right away. As far as canoe paddles, one of the 11 oz ZRE paddles will make your elbow happier. If you have the money go for one of the 7oz paddles, but watch out, they can blow away.

Mark

 

[Keeled Over]

Thank you for that dogbrain,

He isn't fully given up, but is setting the stage I think in case I don't improve. I do think he is a bit frustrated with the fact he gets me closer to being healthy and then I go out and screw it up. He did mention some other techniques if the new process doesn't work.

Thank you also for the advice on the strap. It will be here today so I'll watch the stretchy aspect.

7 oz paddle......

 

[dogbrain]

Just thought that I'd add, try to put that strap on every time you do anything requiring grip. Opening a stuck jar, using a shovel or hand tools. It only takes a second of not paying attention to have a big setback. I hope for the best in your recovery.

Mark

 

[Keeled Over]

Thank you again everyone -

Icey Hot and new band are working wonders. Relieved to see it was not stretchy when it arrived.

Huge difference right out of the gate, and I've taken the added step of off-loading some of my chores. I have laundry detail at our our house, and it feakin' kills my arm.

Checked out some new sassafras and carbon paddles as forward-looking insurance, heh, heh.

 

[ppine]

I have had plenty of injuries in a career with basketball, skiing and horses. This week my left elbow is swollen at the joint, like there is a ball there. It is not painful so far. Could be bursitis. Anyone know what causes the swollen ball at the joint?

 

[Keeled Over]

Hey ppine,

I had a similar thing going on - felt like the elbow was filling up with fluid, which it was. At PT yesterday, and yes it could be bursitis. I now have to wait until the swelling goes down to begin working on the tennis elbow.

Good luck with your elbow!!

 

[ppine]

Thanks Keeled Over. I have been busy lately and the knot persists.
Today I squeezed 500 pounds of apples off my neighbors trees. We used a crusher and then a press. About 15 gallons of cider.
But apples are heavy and the elbow does not look any better. Let me know what you find out.

 

[Keeled Over]

Will do - I followed his directions and did nothing yesterday. And I mean nothing, and the swelling continues to decrease. I am taking 2 weeks until my next appt. and he said we are waiting for this to subside until we move back to treatment for the tennis elbow.. An injury within an injury he said.

To help gauge the severity he pointed out a bump I had not noticed on my elbow just above where the elbow bends. That should be going away. If it doesn't, and steps are not taken to address situation the bump can increase in size and then become permanent, at which point every time you rest your elbow on a hard surface it will suck badly. Even using the armrest in the car can hurt it - I stole one of Chick's 4,000 decorative pillows for car duty. It does help.

I'll update as things change. Try the arm bands - they do alleviate pain. I don't know if the alleviation helps to heal or is just to reduce the pain, but I'm a fan either way.