Flexbar
After a few years of pain, steroid shots (never again!) and acupuncture (no help) someone recommended Thera-band Flexbar.
The simple exercises have had an incredible effect on my intensity and frequency of pain. Start with the smaller size, and move up. As always, YMMV.
http://www.thera-band.com/store/products.php?ProductID=20
Started PT
and the finger trigger point is one thing they suggested right off the bat. Of course having already scheduled friends to come in and help me re-roof a 12 x 42’ out building didn’t help the cause a whole lot but ice and massage seemed to help at the end of the day. Looks like a long haul to being healed!
elbow
I have struggled with various itises and some busted body parts from skiing and horse wrecks.
I learned something very important by accident rehabing a saddle mule with a bowed tendon. I had to take her for a walk every day. My arthritic knees started to improve.
Try an elbow brace, light weights a few times a week, NSAIDS and a hot tub. Maybe a smaller paddle might help. Make sure your form is good with emphasis on your trunk muscles.
Bent shaft paddle?
Ran into a paddler who swears that by switching to a Werner bent shaft minimized his tennis elbow. I experience bouts of pain that last on/off all paddling season, using Ibuprophen & an elbow brace.
Anyone else think that bent shaft would help?
Brace will help
while you wait for time to cure the condition. I’ve had it a couple of times and in each case it went away by iteself in about six months.
Peter
Trigger point massage works very fast
fast and permanent. You must let the muscle, ligament or tendon heal for a few days before straining it again. After a few days use trigger point again. Do this cycle until it is completely healed. Sounds like you found a good PT.
elbow
A bent shaft could be a good idea because it changes the geometry of your movements.
I’ve read your posts and blogs.
You didn’t get that elbow playing tennis !
Thank you for the trigger point
massage reference!I found a good video on the massage and a preventive exercise. I already started.
I’m no doc but have RSI experience
First of all, recognize that this is a “cumulative stress injury”. That means that your constant stress on the same area has now overwhelmed your body’s normal repair mechanism. So the LAST thing you need to do now is continue to stress it!
That means, lay off!
Braces only encourage you to continue to use the tissues incorrectly. If you do that, you’ll never heal, you’ll worsen. Want to ruin every nice weather period for paddling for the rest of your life? No?
So lay off that spot, let it heal, do whatever works (RICE often does) and take anti=inflamatory drugs to get more immediate relief.
Then let it heal and learn how NOT to repeat this particular movement improperly in the future.
If you do this, you can have a long and happy life inside the only body you’re going to buy, amigo. If you don’t, you’re going to be very sore and very sorry for a very loooonnnnng time…
Using TPM for 2 days has made my
elbow where I can touch it without jumping.
Theraband bars exercises
This video shows the simple eccentric twist theraband exercises that were found to work in a study published a couple years ago. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Orthopedics/Orthopedics/15048
http://www.acatoday.org/content_css.cfm?CID=4205
I have done them and they work. No more pain! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQfwpUd8t6o