Tennis Elbow any advice please.
I managed to over do it in January, and ended up with very limited movement in my elbow after a sprinting session.
I have been to a physio and have had a couple of sessions of massage and ultra sound. I have been given a set of stretching and light resistance exercises to do.
I am now at the stage where I have full movement back in my elbow, but the outside of the elbow is tender if prodded and if I have to grip tightly to lift anything heavy then I can feel discomfort in the outside of my elbow.
I have done very little paddling since January, but did compete at the Tryweryn at the weekend, the elbow was sore after the event, but after a day of rest on Sunday all was OK. Went paddling on Monday, the weir was in flood superb waves, did to much (live and don’t learn that’s my motto) and now the elbow is only just getting back to the condition it was in on Monday before I went paddling.
After that long diatribe my questions are;
1. should I just not bother to paddle again until all discomfort to the elbow has gone?
2. If I’m sensible (there’s always a first) can I just do very light sessions, the gauge being stop at any sign of discomfort whilst paddling or I can still feel the effects of the paddle after a day of rest?
Tennis Elbow Advice Please
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Seedy Paddler
- Posts: 440
- Joined: Wed May 26, 2004 2:00 pm
If you really want to get over it back off and rest util tenderness has gone. If it is still bothering from January I would go back to the quack and ask for cortisone injection - that and rest was what did for me in the end.
You can continue to paddle but if you push it the inflamation keeps recurring. One thing that I found helped (and I still tend to wear for polo) is a neoprene elbow support. Don't know if it is extra support or the localised warmth improving blodd flow or purely phsycotic, but it certainly helps me.
I did mine several years ago, Polo seemed the main stress culprit - start/stop, hyperextension and throwing a ball around. I did various things - including timeing cortisone injections to competition timetable. But it only really cured when I stopped competition paddling/traing for about 3-4 months. Still managed the occasional pool & club sessions where I did some light cruising.
You can continue to paddle but if you push it the inflamation keeps recurring. One thing that I found helped (and I still tend to wear for polo) is a neoprene elbow support. Don't know if it is extra support or the localised warmth improving blodd flow or purely phsycotic, but it certainly helps me.
I did mine several years ago, Polo seemed the main stress culprit - start/stop, hyperextension and throwing a ball around. I did various things - including timeing cortisone injections to competition timetable. But it only really cured when I stopped competition paddling/traing for about 3-4 months. Still managed the occasional pool & club sessions where I did some light cruising.
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PaulBolton
- Posts: 127
- Joined: Sat Jul 28, 2007 10:30 pm
- Location: Lincoln
Hi Peter,
guess that explains why you haven't been out on a Thursday evening. Really sorry to hear you're not 100% Didn't you have issues with this last year? Perhaps it's worth seeing your GP, stressing the long term nature of your problems and asking to be referred to a specialist?
Also, I believe a couple of paddlers are GPs/medically qualified - hopefully they'll let you know what can done under the NHS - physio generally works on the symptoms not the root cause!
Don't over do it!
Paul
guess that explains why you haven't been out on a Thursday evening. Really sorry to hear you're not 100% Didn't you have issues with this last year? Perhaps it's worth seeing your GP, stressing the long term nature of your problems and asking to be referred to a specialist?
Also, I believe a couple of paddlers are GPs/medically qualified - hopefully they'll let you know what can done under the NHS - physio generally works on the symptoms not the root cause!
Don't over do it!
Paul
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html ... elbow.html
provides a pretty good overview.
Rest is good.
Very occasionally it ends up needing surgery.
Hope you get better soon.
provides a pretty good overview.
Rest is good.
Very occasionally it ends up needing surgery.
Hope you get better soon.
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djberriman
- Posts: 806
- Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 8:19 pm
I had this at the end of last season, had it quite a bit over the years partly I suspect to a joint issue in the elbow. I also got golfers elbow at the same time.
I raced the last two races with it and treated it with heat spray before paddling warming up well, neoprene elbow support during paddling and ice or anti inflammatory gel afterwards, did the same for playing squash.
On seeing NHS physio advised to carry on doing what I was doing but gave me some stretches to do, 20 times 3 times a day. His advice on carrying on was that was the only way I would tell if it was improving, to stop would probably mask the issue. Was offered injections but I turned them down as I'd rather have them as a last resort and I'd also like to be able to feel the damage (if any) I am doing. Pain is there for a reason!
I eased off on training over the winter (gentler paddling, lower grade water), stopped playing polo and did the above and it was quite quickly solved. The golfers elbow is taking a little longer but it is getting there.
I believe it would probably clear up quicker with rest but that's not in my nature and then I'd probably have to do rehab anyway.
Hope that helps.
Duncan
I raced the last two races with it and treated it with heat spray before paddling warming up well, neoprene elbow support during paddling and ice or anti inflammatory gel afterwards, did the same for playing squash.
On seeing NHS physio advised to carry on doing what I was doing but gave me some stretches to do, 20 times 3 times a day. His advice on carrying on was that was the only way I would tell if it was improving, to stop would probably mask the issue. Was offered injections but I turned them down as I'd rather have them as a last resort and I'd also like to be able to feel the damage (if any) I am doing. Pain is there for a reason!
I eased off on training over the winter (gentler paddling, lower grade water), stopped playing polo and did the above and it was quite quickly solved. The golfers elbow is taking a little longer but it is getting there.
I believe it would probably clear up quicker with rest but that's not in my nature and then I'd probably have to do rehab anyway.
Hope that helps.
Duncan
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GreenPeter
- Posts: 69
- Joined: Thu Sep 11, 2008 6:33 pm
- Location: Peterborough
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Andrew Hadfield
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:49 am
- Location: Nottingham
yes i do recall a phase of paddling with carry mat taped over the grip of my paddle for maybe 6 months. now you've reminded me why! cheersAndrew Hadfield wrote:Green Peter,
You may wish to consider using a paddle with a slightly thicker shaft.
Myself and many others have suffered from the same problem / symptoms, all of which were a result of being forced to grip too hard.
Hope this helps!
Andrew
I found that a rest and the use of specialised straps recommended by a doc e.g. http://www.equipmentforsport.co.uk/products/view/384 helped with a golfers elbow.
At the end of that season my paddles snapped, and when I replaced them, I went for a smaller blade and the elbow problem never returned. Even if you feel your muscles are powerful enough for a big blade, it still places a lot of strain on the tendons, which for many of us may be a weak point [my dad and brothers are all tradesmen and have always suffered from tennis/golfers elbow; so it there may be genetic pre-disposition.
At the end of that season my paddles snapped, and when I replaced them, I went for a smaller blade and the elbow problem never returned. Even if you feel your muscles are powerful enough for a big blade, it still places a lot of strain on the tendons, which for many of us may be a weak point [my dad and brothers are all tradesmen and have always suffered from tennis/golfers elbow; so it there may be genetic pre-disposition.
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kendall chew
- Posts: 101
- Joined: Tue Mar 23, 2010 11:21 pm
- Location: Cheshire
Peter,
Tennis elbow is a symptom of whole limb dysfunction. It is important to realise that the pain is telling you something.
As an osteopath, I treat Tennis Elbow (TE)fairly frequently. I can almost guarantee that if you prod your neck on the same side as the TE you will find a bit of discomfort ( try prodding the other side for comparison) to clear TE effectively you need to understand that the neck, chest wall, forearm flexors and extensors need to be treated. Unless you do this it is a bit like trying to fix the light bulb when the fuse is broken.
If you go to : general osteopathic council . org you will find an osteopath close to wherever you live - try it you might be surprised.
Regards,
Kendall Chew.
Tennis elbow is a symptom of whole limb dysfunction. It is important to realise that the pain is telling you something.
As an osteopath, I treat Tennis Elbow (TE)fairly frequently. I can almost guarantee that if you prod your neck on the same side as the TE you will find a bit of discomfort ( try prodding the other side for comparison) to clear TE effectively you need to understand that the neck, chest wall, forearm flexors and extensors need to be treated. Unless you do this it is a bit like trying to fix the light bulb when the fuse is broken.
If you go to : general osteopathic council . org you will find an osteopath close to wherever you live - try it you might be surprised.
Regards,
Kendall Chew.