Tennis Elbow

[Steve Maskery]

Never played tennis in my life, but that doesn't stop me getting the elbow. Used to have it permanently, but last few years have been pain free. Suddenly started up again, although I've not spent as much time in the workshop this year as previous years. It's a horrible pain, even picking up something light at arms length (like a glass of whisky) hurts like mad. Some nights it's even woken me up.

Does anyone else get this after a stint at the bench, and, more to the point, does anyone have a cure? Don't even think about suggesting giving up the whisky.

Cheers
Steve

 

[les chicken]

Steve
I know the feeling it catches me frequently because of my athritus but a physio friend gave me the following excercises and it does work.

Have a warm bath or shower and massage the elbows well in the warm water. While in the bath or shower arms outstreched raise your hands back towards you as far as you can and hold for a few seconds. Repeat this about five times and you will feel the tendons in your elbows.

After the warm water treatment, get a towel and drape double folded over the bicep of your arm. Stand next to a door frame as if you are going to walk through with your arm outstretched with the towel against the upright. Use your other arm and press your forearm against the upright of the door. In this position once again raise your hand back towards you as far as you can and hold for a few seconds. Repeat this about five times as before.

Afterwards rub the elbows with a non steroidal cream like ibrufen.

Seems long winded but it will work.

Then have a whisky (Talisker or Grouse) depending on mood. It got so bad for me last year as yourself I could not even pick a small glass of whiskey up. But these excercises sorted me out in two weeks, now I tend to do the stretching everyday as I shower and it really helps.

Les

 

[Drew]

You have my every sympathy Steve. I've recently been diagnosed with gout in my feet, legs shoulders and hands, so I know the feeling trying to pick up a glass like that. A bit pathetic picking up a pint in both hands. I reckon I must look like someone terrified of an earthquake and determined not to spill a drop. :lol:

Drew

 

[JFC]

Ive had the problem since i was in my early 20s and go through cans of deep heat when fitting windows . I think ill print off les's cure as its real agony when it hits !

 

[Jarviser]

I was free from the dreaded TE for a few years then got it back scrubbing the patio with a broom. As my other hobby is air pistol shooting it messes up both pastimes.
I use an Epi-Med clamp whilst working and driving (and shooting). It helps by pushing the tendon towards the inside just a little.
http://www.norlite.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Tennis___Golfers_Elbow_Clamps_64.html

 

[dennyk]

I had that lousy thing a few years ago, seen my Doctor and she gave me a cortisone injection in the elbow joint, worked great , I've never had the pain since.

I find lifting a glass of malt now and again good theraphy

 

[gwaithcoed]

I suffered for years on and off with back pain. A friend told me to get someone to rub it with whisky. The whisky dosen't help with the pain but the exercise that you get when trying to lick it off works wonders.

Alan.

 

[tim]

I get gout as well (bet its got nothing to do with a background in the Navy and the drinks industry). Bear in mind that whisky is one of the worst things you can take - its the tannins and purines that set it off. Red wine and lager are also really bad for it too. So I stick to cider and really good white instead!

Steve - I sometimes get what may be TE if I've been using the computer lots esp if drawing ie Sketchup. Tends to be my left elbow because I find myself sitting with my left hand under my chin while drawing with the right. As a result the elbow point is resting and rotating on the desk surface for some time. Maybe coincidence but could be worth checking how you sit etc.

Hope it improves soon.

Cheers

Tim

 

[Philly]

Hi Steve
You are not alone! After a couple of days of stock preparation and planing my right elbow gives me stick for days, giving TE-like symptoms. Also mucho keyboard/mouse action adds to the joy.....
It all depends on how long I go between using the hand planes regularly. I barely used a plane while making my Maloof style chair and now I'm planing left, right and centre on my latest project I'm having to be very careful.
Bet collectors don't have this problem? :wink:
Philly

 

[Keith Smith]

Steve, I had tennis elbow for years. Same as you I couldn't even pick up a cup. I had physio for a few months and she got me an Epicondylitits support, the same as Jarviser quoted, which helped at lot, but it doesn't get rid of the problem.

A friend bought me one of those magnetic/copper wrist bands. I wore it for a few months and gradually the pain went, so I took it off (the downside is it attracts metal fillings and grinds them into the skin) within a few days the pain was back.

I then wore it for a couple of years, and since then (finding a large clump of wood to grasp) I have had no problem.

The other advantage is that you can always use it to check that brass and stainless screws aren't just coated steel. :lol:

Keith

 

[Guest]

I am just recovering from tendinitis in both my feet.(I believe t/e is tendinitis). As I have Chrones disease I cannot take many different medications but I have found that Dihydracodeine and Paracetamol(basically painkillers) have a great effect for me. My doctor couldn't prescribe anything so I asked for the Di.... and as I said, I can now walk again.

 

[Adam]

I used to get it playing squash, and eventually tracked it down to mishits on my backhand (don't worry this is going somewhere!). What was happening was I had my arm "kinked" then to play the shot I'd straigten the arm. If you don't hit the ball properly to provide some resistance you end up straigtening the arm and absorbing all the momentum of the racket. I've found you get the same effect when planing - especially with a heavier plane like a jointer. As you get to the end of a plank, you straigten out your arm (locking it straight) to reach that last distance. Changing technique to walk along long boards you are jointing, or just being careful when you are planing may help?

Just a thought?

Adam

 

[Neil]

Steve, find a good Osteopath or failing that, a good chiropractor (difficult in the UK, admittedly). SWBMO's dad had tennis elbow and on the advice of his doctor & consultants was about to have an operation. One trip to our local chiropractor and everything was fixed, and it hasn't bothered him once since then.

Do you know of a good doctor who could give you a referral? :wink: :lol:

Cheers,
Neil

 

[The Restorer]

Steve,

I've had this on and off for a few years. Used to be really bad in my left arm. I the end i went to the doc and had a cortisone injection into the elbow (hurt like hell about an hour later and couldn't use that arm from then til the end of the next day. But once all that pain went away, it was great. Haven't had a problem since.
I found that the main aggravator was long session working on the PC preparing drawings.

PS more whisky of an evening should mean you won't be woken by the pain :wink:

 

[Steve Maskery]

Do you know of a good doctor who could give you a referral? :wink: :lol:

You must be joking.

Thanks for the replies, I might try some of that gel stuff. I did have some steroid injections years ago, but they will only give you three, as there are detrimental effects too.

Sounds like it's an occupational hazard for us woodies.

Cheers all,
Steve

 

[Chris Knight]

Another sufferer here. I go for a couple of cortisone shots when it is bad - they work like magic. I found that lowering my chair and getting a mouse mat with a wrist support helped too as long spells drawing on the computer made it a lot worse. The aim is to have my elbow a good bit lower than my wrist.

I have tried glucosamine to no effect.

 

[Taffy Turner]

Steve,

I used to suffer really badly with TE in my left arm (from batting whilst playing cricket). It got to teh point were I couldn't pick up my after-match pint in my left hand!!!

A couple of visits to a physio (look in the Yellow Pages for Sports Injury specialists) soon sorted me out.

I also wore one of those compression straps while batting for a while, but I find I don't need it now.

I also wear a copper brecelet on my right wrist, and I absolutely swear by it. I don't pretend to know how or why it works, but if I stop wearing it for a couple of days the arthritis in my akles, knees and spine gets almost unbearable.

Hope you get it sorted - I know how painful it can be.

Regards

Gary

 

[mudman]

You have my sympathies. Got it in the right elbow after hitting it whilst caving. Really painfull then made it worse by not resting it and doing some lifting and putting up of shelves. Then #2 son has a paddy and in slamming a door catches my left elbow. :shock: So, now I have it in both elbows.

Left one seems to have more or less recovered but I still get some pain in the right one. I use a neoprene elbow support with a strap that tightens below the elbow. This seems to stop any flare-ups.

A guy that practices a chinese therapy showed me a pressure point on the inside of the elbow that worked like magic. If you cup your elbow in your hand (on the other arm obviously :roll: ). Roll your fingers over the outside of the elbow and press down with the tips for about 10 seconds. Works for me but not as well as when the expert did it when the pain just dissapeared. :shock: