Oh Ow, my right elbow is a mess. I am guessing tendonitis, all the symptoms are there. Anyone else deal with this? Been icing, taking it easy as I can but work and projects are messing that up some. Has anyone tried some type of elbow brace? Plus we have a stretch of nice weather and I want to get out before it falls apart. Just wondering before I got to the doc as I know what he’ll have to say!
dougd
Yes,I keep an elbow brace handy
all the time because after assembling a large project with a manual screwdriver, my elbows were so sore I couldn’t touch them. The braces are great prevention. The one with the plastic bubble did me no good but the nylon strap kind work for me if I keep them tight.
Man, I can’t help you but…
I sure feel for you.
I hate it when I can’t persue the stuff I enjoy.
Jack L
Elbow Pain
I had good luck with rest, ice, elevation, and ibuprofen. I also used s strap that had “bump” pressure point. The best thing I did was get a better paddle, and switch off paddling styles. Bent, straight, and double.
I had golfers elbow for almost
20 years. I used an arm band which helped a lot. When I learned about trigger point massage I was able to eliminate the problem and it has never come back. The older I get the more I use trigger point massage on every part of my body. I would be old and very limited in my activities without it. My sister is a massage therapist and she turned me on to it, but good luck learning about it from a doctor or physical therapist. Try to find a competent sports massage therapist who can get you started on self therapy. Good luck.
had it from paddling
when you get back to paddling, try a smaller blade. I was using a Werner rec. when I got the tendonitus; went back to the AB Edge. Got it after poling once, too, woke up at midnight in screaming pain. Chiropractor said it was bursitus, I burst the “bursa” , which are fluid sacks or something.
My experience
I suffered with this for years,Braces and advill helped,but not much. After much reasearch and consultation with sever orthopedic doctors,I decided to have Platlet Enhansed Theripy injections in both elbows. It’s new so I wasn’t covered by my insurance. In MY case it was well worth it and made a 90% improvment that has lasted 3 years so far. It takes 6 months work completly.
Good luck,Turtle
My experience
I suffered with this for years,Braces and advill helped,but not much. After much reasearch and consultation with sever orthopedic doctors,I decided to have Platlet Enhansed Theripy injections in both elbows. It’s new so I wasn’t covered by my insurance. In MY case it was well worth it and made a 90% improvment that has lasted 3 years so far. It takes 6 months work completly.
Good luck,Turtle
Rest and PT
I was young and didn’t know better. I have a high pain threshold and ignored the pain in my right elbow. Eventually went to an ortho and he quickly gave me a cortizone steroid shot. I later learned those can weaken the ligament etc and so vowed never again. I was lucky to find a great physical therapist who took an interest in a tough case. She got it manageable just as insurance was runnging out. I still must do stretches and strengthening exercises on the elbow regularly. I must wear the brace. Ace made a great one for me but discontinued it. It still restricts me paddling sometimes. It hurts regularly, but not a lot. My advice: Rest it and see a PT. Your future self will be glad you did.
Find the cause
is my first advice and my second is to change the physical interaction with that cause. I’ve had this before, I found that making changes that elminate the tendinitis and found that, for me, using a mouse was the problem. Once I switched to an alternate input device, the problem resolved itself.
I did use a neoprene support for a while, but I sweat PROFUSELY and this created a series of unpleasant effects under the band. There was a debate between me and those around me as to whether the armoa or the severe itching was the worst problem. Gave that up and just made sure that my technique (swimming and paddling) avoided making the condition worse. Any time I do feel the elbow start to act up, I find computer use is (for me) the major cause.
It’s funny, I always recommend that people give up the death grip on the paddle, but I seem to be unable to do that with electronic devices. Go figure.
Rick
All above sounds accurate…~2 decades
– Last Updated: Sep-30-13 1:21 PM EST –
ago I got a minor case = too dense a paddleshaft. Did ibuprof and gave it a rest then found something with more flex in the shaft and that's made all the difference for the most part. Having rested after that first bout I usually try to pump a little iron daily, with rest of exercise..as I often enjoy a little energy as well as shortening up my power pull phase with the straighter arm has helped since. Best of luck....
SteveD
The Band-It
It’s a tennis elbow strap that I’ve used in the past - essentially takes the strain off the ligament anchor point, which helps prevent the continuous mini-tears that retard healing when the joint is used while injured. I also used rest, ice, ibuprofen and targeted exercises - eventually healed it, but I still keep the Band-it around for when I start to get twinges…
Gotta agree with the
tennis elbow band. It helps. Also, I found that while paddling over distances where the need for extreme paddle techniques was not there, I save my elbows by keeping my thumbs on top of the paddle shaft. Its hard to “death grip” the paddle that way.
Find a good PT
I developed a pretty severe case of TE in 2011. It really messed up my paddling in '11 and '12, and I am still dealing with it but this year has been much better.
The straps seem ridiculous, like they wouldn’t do a thing, but they really help. Icing and ibuprofen are two means to the same end: reducing inflamation, which is important.
I intended to take some paddling lessons to have a professional assess my stroke and see if there was anything I was doing/not doing to cause the problem, but I could never get scheduled with a teacher and as my condition improved I let it slide. I still ought to do it. I’m largely self- and peer-taught, and I guess it is possible I am hurting myself with my stroke.
I went to a chiropractor who did all kinds of chiro-crackpot things–laser flashlight, electric stim, “stripping” and adjusting–without producing much result, other than on his income statement.
I self-referred me to a PT place where I did PT after my hip operation. They also applied electric stim, which I feel has no curative affect at all, and they really massaged the hell out of my forearms. They’d really dig in. There was also a regimen of exercises. I think the PT was most helpful, and encourage you to find a good PT and get working with them.
This year I was careful to slowly and consistently ramp up my paddling distances. The TE still gets to me if I paddle too hard, too far, but it is much better, and I’ve been able to stretch the distances I can paddle. I try to religiously use the elbow straps, and I also pop an iB before going out if I think of it, or after if I was starting to get sore. Ice might be preferrable since there are no side affects, but it is damn inconvenient. And Doug, alcohol combined with iB turns into acid in your stomach, so try to get a layer of food between the iB and your liquid courage.
Last week I paddled Little Tupper using my buddies gear: a 50-yr old Grumman and some of those crap paddles that are turned out of 3/4" stock, the ones that have a shaft that is flat and wide on the side of the blade faces. My paddles have oval shafts that are longer on the side of the blade edges than they are wide on the side of the blade face. Using the crap paddles, my elbows started chirping in the first mile. Apparently the slight change of grip made a big difference. So, it might be worth having somebody evaluate your paddling, like I intended to do.
Good luck with this condition. If you find a quick fix for it, let me know!
2nd the trigger point therapy
I fixed tennis elbow, golfer elbow, and several other problems with TP therapy. Check Amazon for Davies’ book ‘Trigger Point Therapy Workbook’. It’s all about displaced pain. My tennis elbow was caused by strained muscles in the forearm and triceps. My theory is that the tiny muscles in the elbow lose the tug of war. Mine were pulled tight like guitar strings, and I think that’s why the docs think they are tendons. Davies’ book is an easy read, the first few chapters describe trigger points, and the rest contain maps of muscles and pains.
elbow tendinitis
I was getting progressively worse right lateral elbow pain over a number of years of using a feathered double blade paddle with Adirondack style pack canoes. Assumed it was just tennis elbow and tried ice after, braces, PT, etc. The elbow then began to lock. Finally had an Xray in 2009 and found a spur at the insertion of the biceps tendon onto the ulna which was as big as my thumbnail. Saw an orthopedic sub specialist who said it couldn’t be fixed until the biceps tendon literally tore from the bone. I tried switching to non-feathered paddles and have been much better ever since. Also paddle with single blade when in bigger canoes. Find that paddling on the right side most of the time helps prevent flareups of the right elbow problem.
elbow tendinitis
I was getting progressively worse right lateral elbow pain over a number of years of using a feathered double blade paddle with Adirondack style pack canoes. Assumed it was just tennis elbow and tried ice after, braces, PT, etc. The elbow then began to lock. Finally had an Xray in 2009 and found a spur at the insertion of the biceps tendon onto the ulna which was as big as my thumbnail. Saw an orthopedic sub specialist who said it couldn’t be fixed until the biceps tendon literally tore from the bone. I tried switching to non-feathered paddles and have been much better ever since. Also paddle with single blade when in bigger canoes. Find that paddling on the right side most of the time helps prevent flareups of the right elbow problem.
Know how you feel
Had an MRI a few weeks ago, showed some type of tear. Did PT for about 3-4 weeks, twice a week, still hurts. Elbow locks all day and when I straighten it you hear the crack! Been doing that for almost 2 years, also keep me up because i like to stretch out my arms when sleeping then Crack! Friend had the tendons sliced from bone to relieve pressure, he said that didn’t work. He also had salt water shots in that area, didn’t work. I keep the bubble strap in my emergency gear for just in case. wondered about the bent shaft but it’s to expensive to just try it out. Might get another cortisone shot before seeing another dr. good luck
Tendinitis
I struggled with it for years. I recommend NOT letting them inject it - works for joints, not tendinitis. Went thru therapy, etc. Eventually I guess it scars enough to stop hurting. Stretching helps, and keeping it warm. Good luck!