Obviously in the case of golfers elbow
I was incorrect. I’m wondering if the nature of the force affects development of “tennis elbow” or “golfers elbow”. A repetitive short, sharp transient force (tennis backhand) might be more likely to cause it than what occurs in paddling.
well you’re wrong
As a tendinitis sufferer I can tell you you’re wrong. Wrist flexion caused me great pain in the forearm muscles during my time with elbow tendinitis.
I had it at age 19
overuse injury.
OK, but people on here seem to be
calling virtually anything tendonitis. And it isn’t obvious that inflammation of a tendon connection site near your elbow was directly related to sore forearm flexors. Might be so, might not. Where was the pain of the tendon connection near your elbow?
wood…
Don’t go with a burly paddle(canoe or kayak)…get a less expensive laminated paddle with a somewhat flexible shaft. Stay with a smaller surface blade and take the polyurethane off the shaft…and using a light, comfortable paddling glove till summer temps.
…and use good posture when paddling. Take a rest after a number of strokes or simply change hands/sides.
$.01
Flexible…
and “flexible” are two different things. There is nothing worse then a “springy” shaft with two ABS blades on either end. Half the energy you apply gets dissipated in the flex.
displaced pain ?
I’ve had many cases of golfer and tennis elbow, though I do neither sport - they are from kayaking. For me, golfers elbow is caused by a tight muscle behind the armpit - no surprise, it’s used to pull the paddle. My tennis elbow is caused by tight triceps muscles - again, no surprise, pushing the paddle. My theory is that the tiny muscles in the elbow lose the tug of war between larger muscles and that’s where I feel the pain. I learned a lot about displaced pain from a trigger point therapy book, it has saved me many a visit to the doctor.
http://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Point-Therapy-Workbook-Self-Treatment/dp/1572243759/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333581619&sr=8-1
my tendonitis
Wow - lots of awesome advice - thanks to everyone! My pain isn’t on the inside - it’s on the outside and top - where the forearm ends, so I think the comments about my tight grip make alot of sense. Also the comments about bending my elbow too much.
I’m a new kayaker, and I’m 47, so technique will be important. I found a used Greenland I can get for a good price so will try that too.
Tiny muscles in the elbow?
warm up slowly
when you go paddling, paddle very easy with no strain for a good 20 minutes and let the joint aires warm up slowly.
after much great discussion
Couldn’t this just be a matter of overuse? If you are renting, then you probably aren’t doing it very often. If you are past thirty, a new fairly intense exercise can cause inflamation. If I go snow skiing once a year, I can’t walk for a day.
Get a smaller paddle, ice, ease up on the grip, and do it more. It will workout.
Ryan L.
ok, good point
FWIW mine was on the top of the forearm if you look down at your arm when it’s bent at your elbow.
But that’s a good point. She likely has tendinitis if she has a diagnosis, but many of these other descriptions may not be. People tend to call any knee or elbow pain ‘tendinitis’.
Technical term, lol
sorry, I’m a computer nerd, don’t know the names of muscles. In my worst episode of tennis elbow I had a muscle pulled so tight it felt like a guitar string. Wonder if that’s why the docs think they are tendons. After I worked the knot out of my tricep it swelled back up into a muscle again, about the diameter of a pencil.
same for me
I had pain in same spot, iam 49. I had cortisone injection in both elbows. Plus I now use a greenland paddle. I find the greenland paddle is less stressful on my elbows. Doctor said it was golfers elbow.
If your elbows keep hurting I would get the cortisone injections. Good luck.