Tendonitis - ouch!

[Scuba]

DH & I have been playing tennis and now I have painful tendonitis in my elbow. I'm icing the elbow a few times per day and have stopped playing tennis until this heals. I'm trying not to strain it any further but from time to time I feel a mild tweak (i.e. When unloading the dishwasher and putting plates away overhead).

If you've successfully overcome this, how did you do it? Did you wear the brace that goes around your forearm all the time or just during some activity requiring exertion? Any advice would be appreciated as I'd love to get back on the court ASAP.

 

[Luck_Club]

Believe it or not. This came up the other night. A friend found an old school recipe that worked. He put castor oil on it and wrapped it up in gauze. I guess the castor oil has anti inflammatory properties.

 

[Bamaman]

Try Voltatan Gel, an antiinflammatory, backed up with one of the pain lotions with lydacaine. They will do wonders.

The forearm Velcro band and no use also help greatly.

Volteran is a prescription drug in the US. My wife is miserable without it.

 

[RonBoyd]

Several years ago, I injured the tendon in my thumb. The doctor told me it was the same injury as what is commonly called "Tennis Elbow." He told me (and further research confirmed) that the only cure was complete immobility until the injury is completely repaired. I had my thumb in a brace for over two years before the pain went away. It may not have lasted that long but a couple times I thought I could forgo this torture and started the healing process all over. Even today, five years later, I have to be careful and am cognizant of the slightest pain in my hand and immediately stop whatever I am doing when it occurs.


(FWIW, I believe the injury was caused by using my thumb on the spacebar when typing on the computer.)

 

[Avocadorunner]

One injection of cortisone resolved tendinitis in my elbow after six months of unsuccessful PT.

 

[kaneohe]

Ouch! I feel your pain. Had that once and lifting even a single dinner plate was so painful. Doc suggested that tennis elbow brace (worn all the time) worn below the elbow and not too tight.

Also suggested some exercises:
1)Arm straight out parallel to floor,hand open
a)bend wrist down to stretch (w/other hand but not to the point of pain
b)Hold 10 sec/7x

2)Arm straight out parallel to floor, clench fist
a)bend wrist up, hold 3 sec
b)Relax; do 20x

Alternate between 1) and 2) multiple times per day. Doc suggested doing it in
car when stopped at red light,etc. to get more reps in.

Took 1 mo. before things seemed to be getting better and many more before things were normal again.

Good luck w/ your injury.

 

[Sarah S]

Do wear the brace all the time. It helps protect you as you will be irritating it slightly during regular seemingly non stressful activities. The more proactive you are the swifter the recovery

 

[RonBoyd]

One injection of cortisone resolved tendinitis in my elbow after six months of unsuccessful PT.

Google Search

Cortisone injections are generally not recommended as they are associated with a risk of tendon rupture.

 

[RonBoyd]

Also suggested some exercises:

I have never understood this advice. If, for example, it was a broken bone, what kind of exercise would one recommend to heal the bone? A tendon is basically nothing more than a "soft" bone (with the below exception).

I, once, fell and injured the cartilage in my chest that holds the rib together at the chest. Very painful. I went to the doctor and told him I thought I had broken a rib. After examining me, he said I was going to wish it was only a broken rib; a rib has blood flowing through it, the cartilage does not. Blood is necessary for rapid healing. So instead of a few weeks pain with a broken rib, I could expect several months of healing.

 

[38Chevy454]

I developed tennis elbow, from carrying too much stuff on work trips. Switched to a backpack instead of briefcase. That solved the root cause problem.

As for healing, it just takes not using your elbow and letting it rest. Tendons heal very slowly, it takes time.

 

[bradaz2488]

When I was doing exercise on a weight machine I thought I was being smart by doing less weight and more reps.. wrong.... I developed a bad case of tendinitis in the elbow. So bad it hurt to pick up a beer .. Immobility, wrap and time was the only cure for me. I sold the weight machine ...

 

[Big_Hitter]

One injection of cortisone resolved tendinitis in my elbow after six months of unsuccessful PT.

didn't work for me - the shot helped for a few months then i got it again and had another shot and it only lasted a few weeks. most painful shot ever too

they way I got rid of tennis elbow was to extend the affected arm and stretch the hand up and down several times a day. Also use a gripping thingy, like a tennis ball or strength builder.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Also suggested some exercises:
1)Arm straight out parallel to floor,hand open
a)bend wrist down to stretch (w/other hand but not to the point of pain
b)Hold 10 sec/7x

2)Arm straight out parallel to floor, clench fist
a)bend wrist up, hold 3 sec
b)Relax; do 20x

Alternate between 1) and 2) multiple times per day. Doc suggested doing it in
car when stopped at red light,etc. to get more reps in.

this is how I got rid of it - the only thing that worked

 

[RonBoyd]

they way I got rid of tennis elbow was to extend the affected arm and stretch the hand up and down several times a day. Also use a gripping thingy, like a tennis ball or strength builder.

this is how I got rid of it - the only thing that worked

Coincidence... but did, I suspect, increase the healing time.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Coincidence... but did, I suspect, increase the healing time.

i had it for months until i started those exercises so I think it drastically shortened the healing time

one other thing I did recently when I had a flare up was have a massage therapist do that myofascial thingy on it - helped a ton!

now I don't look like every other old guy on the golf course with an arm band

 

[LOL!]

Watch youtube videos on Theraband flexbars. Then do the exercises It is best to do these exercises before you get tendonitis to keep your joints, ligaments, and tendons "in shape." You can do them while watching TV or as a passenger in a car.

 

[MRG]

I had a horrible case in my right wrist. I waited a long time(year) before going to the doc as I'd had it before and it went away on it's own. I was really bad when he saw me.

He put me in a hard cast for three weeks. Middle of the summer in KC, hot, miserable and sweaty. I went in to have it removed, he decided I needed it for another week! After a month of the hot nasty cast they removed it. Asked me if I wanted that nasty cast! Haha.

I didn't have to do PT, the immobilization did it all. I was a bit younger, 30?

Hope you're well soon, it was a painful condition.

 

[ncbill]

anybody ever had insertional TD in their Achilles tendon w/ Haglund's deformity?

I'm wondering if there's anyway to avoid surgery...

 

[6miths]

Voltaren gel. Agree. Miracle stuff. Elbow post tennis, hands post gardening or workshop, knees post hiking! Both regular and extra strength are on the shelf at Costco here in Canada. About USD 8 per large tube. Was just saying to DW yesterday that we should go into the drug export business!

 

[LOL!]

voltaren gel is just a NSAID in gel form. So aspirin, ibuprofen, and many others would be similar.

 

[Scuba]

Thanks for all the suggestions! Exercises really helped the bursitis I had in my shoulder go away. I think I'll try complete immobility except for the specific exercises. I bought a sling yesterday to help me keep it still. Thanks again!!

 

[W2R]

I had a bad case of tennis elbow in 1999, without playing tennis. It was due to lifting boxes during my move from Baton Rouge to New Orleans.

My doctor diagnosed it. I was already on Celebrex for my knees, and with the passage of time (months), rest, and lots of ice it eventually went away completely.

 

[rrppve]

Lots of ice. Also I found the Bauerfein EpiTrain brace to be helpful. The reality is that there is no really good treatment for tennis elbow and it takes time along with rest.
Hang in there

 

[jcretire77]

Also some PT's will use ASTYM, GASTRON and a newer type of therapy based upon the Fascial Distortion Model which helps through working the fascia. I had a lot of success with ASTYM a number of years ago for tennis elbow. I also went to a PT a couple of years ago who used the FDM on my frozen left shoulder and then this last fall on many issues on my left arm from over use on the golf course.

 

[Sarah S]

Be wary of a sling. Immobilizing the shoulder too risks frozen shoulder-surprisingly quickly