The GP Has Helped This Senior
No pain now even digging hard to keep with local euro yaks (cept the young superfit ones :-). I think the loom/blade grip and “auto” indexing promotes a softer grip too, and have a wide blade base to push against. Having a longer one made for my W-Vag solo open boat. Just thoughts.
Live with tennis elbow
in both arms and forearm pain also for a couple of years now!! Dont know why as i tried physio etc. So what do i do. I refuse (as suggested) to stop paddling but I do take ibuprophen and put “Bandit” braces on both forearms and now paddle with a GP - a GP is imperative if you have tendonitus and i love it - its not like you are giving up a good paddle - In actuality I wouldnt go back even if my tendonitus resolved! Try it!
Wrist Rotation
– Last Updated: Mar-22-09 12:58 PM EST –
Do you use a feathered paddle? Consider going straight to see if that works.
I have to watch I don't death grip things like holding a tennis racket or baseball bat. The white knucles give it away.
joint pain?
I don’t have tendonitis, but sometimes my wrists get quite sore, and i find taking Glucosamine and Omega-3 tablets help alot with it. Might not do much for your tendonitis, but if it helps with any joint pain on top of it then great.
Elbow grease
I get the “twang” when I stretch my left arm straight out. I surmise that it happens because things are too tight. I have recently tried to straighten my arm out to the point of discomfort, then feel along to the spot that hurts the most. When I find it (just above my elbow on the outside) I keep my arm straight and apply pressure to the painfull spot to help it stretch out. Seems like I can make it go away by doing so. Tried the bandit thingy’s and they tend to help me as long as they are tight enough. Also have the occasional wrist pain and MRI says arthritis. Usually paddling the canoe doesn’t cause any trouble though.
Tom
all good stuff mentioned , try an borrow
a bent shaft paddle , see if it helps , they are a lil pricey (to ME, I don’t work in bankin or wall st) . And as stated afore unfeathered .
M
Again, MANY Thanks,
These are all GREAT suggestions of which I will try many of them. To clarify some things:
I do use a bent shaft paddle for the majority of my trips, but on this trip I was using a straight shaft paddle (which tends to make it a bit worse)
I have tried ‘feathering’ but haven’t had alot of sucess, I intend to work on this technique this season
The ‘BandIT’ braces look interesting, I plan on discussing this with my chrio this week, we have discussed the tendonitis before
The ‘pain’, yes it is tendonitis, pain & burning on the outside of the elbow joint (where the tendon crosses over) and a little bit of pain on the top of the wrist (where the tendon crosses)
A ‘GP’, I would like to try one, I’ll look for someone in my club (PSC) that may have one and that I could try out
I will also use an Advil type drug, the other joint supplements sound more appealing, I try to go drug free whenever possible
THANKS
You may find these threads
interesting:
http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=833484
http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=849853
http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=945768
Mike
Try to find
a chiropractor in your area that does the Graston technique. You can Google it and maybe find someone in your area.
pman57
– Last Updated: Mar-23-09 6:00 AM EST –
Your responses to everyone's suggestions shows your sincerity. People have posted great advice.
I second the not feathering comment.
I quintuple the Greenland paddle comment. Nice idea, esp during your recovery from the current lateral epicondylitis (i.e. until it resolves). And hey, weren't you looking for an excuse to get a GP twig. Now you have it. :-)
No one likes meds. You need Ibuprofen. Unless you have had bleeding GI ulcer in past or are currently on Coumadin or PLavix, you should take it.
The splints, althought helpful, generally do not do the trick alone. Band-It, however, is the best of the splints. You have to wear it tightly to have any benefit. Were it me, I'd not use it, though. For most people (but not the poster above, who I respect), little improvement, inconvenient, and majority wear incorrect location or tightness (should be immediately below, or distal to, the lateral epicondyle "bone", and should be tight).
Paddle stroke like the gentleman on this video--Frankenstein, arms outstretched, up by chin, and no pull behind front part of cockpit, and it will not be a issue again. This remains the key advice, I'd say, pman57.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u73lFSUHWS4
THis vid from comely Jean Totts at Sweetwater shows an excellent non-death grip forward stroke. The key for avoiding tennis elbow is the pull and recovery phase ending "early". Forward part of cockpit at the hip. Notice, his elbow does not bend. This demonstrator does it well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkUS2fyKgoU
If truly recalcitrant after trying the above for a month, then your doc can prescribe oral steroid Prednisone taper which takes care of it in 4/5 people--but it'll come back again if offending activity continues.
Next, if the Pred doesn't do it, comes injections of steroid a couple times--safe, superficial, not harmful to tendon, painless when done properly. That ought to do it.
If still not gone, and one is sure to be using the rigt padde stroke and eliminating everything else that could be causing it--all of us, me included, are assuming its paddling, but could be something at your work; mouse on computer is a major cause for many--then orthopedic surgery. Now we are talking about 2-3% of all cases will require surgery.
Hope to paddle with you sometime, Pman57 in NE llinois. Rock on, brother.
G'luck. Cooldoctor1 in Geneva, IL
The joint is overused
don’t use it so much.
I suffer from recurring tendinitis in my right elbow and shoulder. It is work related from years of pulling on pipe wrenches heavy lifting. I am equally sure that dehydration is also a factor in many of the muscle and joint problems I have had. I don’t drink enough water during my work day. In order to be able to paddle regularly I don’t strain myself at work any more. I also start my day with a 20 oz. bottle of water.
Take care of your elbow. Pain is a sign that you are doing something wrong. Let it heal (sometimes 6 weeks for me) and try using some of the techniques the others have suggested to reduce the strain on your elbow. Think torso rotation and less arm paddling.
I hope you heal quickly. Spring is here.
Agree–back off it for a while
I’ve been renovating a huge room. While finishing the drywall (taping and mudding), I discovered I had tennis elbow on my right elbow. No surprise, given that that day I had neglected to switch sides and had relied almost 100% on my right arm (not to mention pressing down too hard with the tools). From then on I made sure to use both right and left sides and switch frequently. I also took Vitamin I on the worst days, as well as applying Icy Hot (which feels wonderful).
After I started paddling and weight training, that right elbow flared up once or twice but the pain gradually faded away. It’s back to normal now. And thank gawd I’m done with the drywall work, painting, and floor tiling.
Scottb’s comment about dehydration made me sit bolt upright. I have a tendency to go without water and lunch when immersed in a project (and while biking and paddling). I just forget to drink and eat for too many hours. That such practices would be bad for joints makes total sense–thanks, Scottb; I’ll take more care about such things from now on.
Don’t ignore technique…
…but go find DHEA in your local pharmacy/health food store…I injured my elbows (Both of them) while in the service…DHEA not only stopped the pain, it helped repair the elbow joints…take about 100Mg a day…
Many senior’s use the DHEA for knee joint problems…
Lots’a stuff out there about DHEA, (Google “DHEA joint pain”) read, decide…It helped me greatly…all I can say…
Do not be too quick to blame paddling
I have been suffering this bi laterial pain now for almost 2 years. Had multiple cortisone shots and gave up paddling for months at a time. Pain still there and the last shots were in early December. I have have paddled 20 miles since then. The shots wear off in about 3 months. They hurt now. I’m a desk guy and use ergo keyboard and a track ball. It is common for men over 50. The paddling advise is sound in this thread, but I have to think it is more than the paddling.
I do have a week vacation paddling in the San Juan Islands next week. And I know I will be hurting when it is over. Jeeze, I’d stand in line for surgery if it would resolve the pain.
INFORMATION OVERLOAD
Again, MANY THANKS for all the GREAT input. I will take all into consideration. In retrospect, I under estimated the flow of the canal, usually its ‘negligable’, but was coming off of being flooded. It was still a low flow, but higher/faster than the norm. Since half of the trip is ‘upstream’, well, you get the picture. I also was using a straight shaft paddle in my little Perception Sonoma10, which is not my norm. Also being 50 plus yrs old and not in 30 yr old shape also play into the mix. I will continue to work on my form, as I’m shooting for an ACA L1 class in July. I will keep you all informed. THANKS
Don’t do it!
I would definitely stay away from feathering, it will only encourage you to twist your wrist back and forth. Any action which causes you to flex/extend your wrist, especially repetitively, will make your tennis elbow worse. If someone tells you that you can paddle with a feathered paddle and not twist your wrists, they might be right, but the twisting of the shaft will have to come from other unwanted movements of the body…lifting one arm more than the other. Paddling asymmetrically isn’t a good idea.
Feathering is slowly going away in the paddling community; many paddlers have incrementally decreased their feather angle from 90 degrees all the way down to 15 degrees and more and more paddlers are not feathering at all. Many of the benefits paddlers feel when they switch to a GP are provided, in my opinion, by the lack of a feather angle, not by some magical power inherent in GP’s. I’m not bashing GP’s, they are a great option for some people. I actually built myself one and gave it a fair shot; I just didn’t like it.
A great friend of mine and I both have tennis elbow. For me, it started while painting my house; he’s had it for a while. I can paddle many miles, he can’t paddle more than a couple of miles. He uses a feathered paddle, I don’t.
I hope this helps,
Pedro Almeida
I agree its not the paddling
I haven’t paddled in months and it can get worse during the off season ! I agree poor paddling can “aggravate” it but it didnt cause my tendonitus- I wish I knew what is causing it but noone can figure it out (both arms!) Some internal problems i guess.
Good luck as i know many get rid of it and you may be one of the lucky ones.
Update & Thanks on Tendonitis
Just to keep all up todate. I’ve been in therapy with my chrio using electic stimulation and I also purchsed an arm brace. Therapy has been going well, will test it on the water in a few weeks.
I Don’t Think This Was Mentioned
– Last Updated: Apr-02-09 6:23 PM EST –
The older you get the more important it is to do a LONG SLOW EASY warmup before paddling hard. I found this out the hard way. Knees and bicycling.
elbow tendonitis
Thanks to all who have posted here, especially cooldoc. Most excellent, thorough and helpful info. I overdid it on an SF bay paddle during rough weather and have been working with this for awhile, but this info most helpful i’ve found.