Personal Experience With Tennis Elbow?

[Cabin Fever]

Been suffering with Tennis Elbow for 3-4 months now.... It's just killin' me! I had NO idea such a thing could be so painful!! First noticed the pain and weakness when bow season started and I was having a hard time carrying my bow in my right hand. From what I've heard and read, doctors can't help much. I got some stretching exercises from various online sites that's suppose to help, but it doesn't seem to be doing much. if anything. Been taking 800mg Ibuprofen, pretty much round the clock and tried wearing that arm band support. I read that the best thing is rest, which is impossible, as I'm right handed and that's where I have the tennis elbow pain. Typing, using the mouse, texting, using utinsels, shoveling ashes out of the woodstove, or anything that involves movement or having weight in my right hand just aggrevates the hell out of it. It feels so "weak" and painful that I sometimes have a hard time picking up a cup of coffee or a bottle of water. About at the end of my rope and might have to go see if a cortisone shot might help. 

 

Anyone have any personal experience with tennis elbow? Treatment? How long did it last?? ( I read symptoms can last 6-24 months...... just shoot me now!!!)

[Merlot]

I have not had tennis elbow per se but have had tendon, ligament and joint issues in several areas as a result of sporting injuries. I am very injury prone also. Usually suffering in one way or another and so am becoming an old hand at healing them.  There are 2 or 3 things you can try that have worked for me. Gelatin powder ( Great lakes Brand) as a daily part of my dietary intake has been great for all my issues. I had a chronic knee problem that went away..totally.

 

Also Progesterone cream rubbed into the area and than DMSO rubbed in over the top of the cream.DMSO acts as a delivery system to the joint and has anti-inflammatory properties itself. DMSO is great for arthritis too. Actor James Coburn cured himself of it.

 

Can the gelatin powder be bought at any drug store? I am having similar problems with tenderness in my right elbow. difficult moving, grasping objects with my right hand...bad pain in the elbow area. Thanks.

[virgil]

Have you tried physical therapy?

[bluecoupe]

I had it once.  I got one of those "foam" kind of elbow supports. It was pretty snug and it helped. I even got to rubbing bengay on it before putting the support on.  I wore the brace pretty much as long as I could take it, but everything needs a break once in a while.  I think mine started getting better after about 6 or so months. I probably should of gone to the dr though

[Cabin Fever]

Done all the PT and chiropractic exercises I found online (lots on YouTube).... so far, nothing has helped. Read that doctors will just send you to PT to do the same exercises that I found online.... $$$$$. Showed my BIL (chiropractor) the exercises that I found to do and she said that's all that a PT would have me do anyway. 

[G-Man]

I'm left handed and had same problem rest is the key, finally after 2 days in sling after 5 months it was 90% better and I got good at right handed 1 finger typing!!  learn to use your left hand, I had to use my right being left handed, 2 days of rest will do wonders.... might come in useful if deer/turkey come in opposite side and you have to shoot opposite handed...

Edited January 13, 2014 by G-Man

[wooly]

You may be able to reverse the effects of tennis elbow by taking up bowling!

[virgil]

Aside from the basic exercises and stretches that you can find online, PT's can use modalities that can effect the inflamation that's causing your pain.  Once the inflamation is under control, the stretches and exercises can help prevent the problem from recurring.

[BUCKANDAQUARTER]

I got it from pitching (baseball). It took a long time to adjust and realize that any repetitive motion will bring it back. I have to be careful and somtimes wear a support when hand nailing, etc. Throwing anything for any amount of time is out of the question. It sucks.

[NY Indy]

The only real "cure" is time....It will go away. Best to simply deal with symptoms with many of ideas above. I personally used acupuncture along with heat, ice, creams, therapy etc.....Very painful!

 

[F-150]

I have had tennis elbow for 15 years and wear the arm band with great success, but sometimes it is not enough. I have tried to change the way I do things.  Good Luck !!

[jjb4900]

I went with the Cortisone shot after nothing else worked..........that was over 10 years ago and haven't had any problems since.

[PWGUNNY]

Tennis elbow-  I've been an avid tennis player for 40 years, I've never had tennis elbow, until last year.  Last spring I developed tennis elbow from pulling the arrows out of the NEW target butts that the archery range had installed.  The new butts were extremely difficutl to pull my arrows from.  I shot for maybe 90 minutes.  I was sweating from the effort of pulling my arrows.  I tried my Scorpion Venom, but it made it hard to grip the arrow on the pullout.   That night of shooting gave me tennis elbow.  I made up my mind to avoid the indoor range for a while till the new butts were broken in.  I actually solved that problem by only shooting FMJ arrows, this I highly recommend.

 

The tennis elbow took about 4 months to go away.  I still played tennis, but with pain.  It was painful just to lift my coffee cup.  I did not find any relief, other than letting time heal it.

 

Good luck, I've felt your pain.

[moog5050]

Do NOT heat tendonitis, it will make it worse.  Heat for muscle strains makes sense as it brings blood in for the healing process.  Tendons have very limited blood flow (exterior) and the heat will cause further inflamation.  Rest and NSAIDs are the best protocol.  This is based on my own experieince and advice from my cousin who is a physician.  I have had occasional tendonitis bouts due to years of weightlifitng, but they have all healed in time.

[genesee_mohican]

I've had it bad a few times. Be aware that some anti biotics make it worse and can cause it to start in the first place.

I would recommend Glucosamine with chondroitin.   As far as ice or heat the thing that helped was 15 mins of ice, then warming up and soaking in hot water right after.

 

 

[ELMER J. FUDD]

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[EagleCrag]

I believe tennis elbow is the same thing as archer's elbow.  I get it from shooting my bow, I'm right handed and I get archer's elbow in my left elbow.  I can somewhat control it because I don't let it get very bad before slacking off.  When I first got it years ago, I didn't realize what it was or what was causing it and I had to completely stop shooting for 6 months before it went away completely.  I typically don't shoot after the season ends until the spring and I try to compensate by doing arm conditioning exercises to get my muscles ready to start shooting again.  When I do start shooting, I don't ignore the initial symptoms any longer--I pay attention and slack off, as necessary--usually by shortening my sessions or shooting fewer sessions per week.  Not the best situation in the world, but it allows me to manage it enough to hunt without any trouble.  In my experience, some of the remedies above may help with the symptoms, but the cure is to stop shooting.  I didn't want to face that, but had to years ago after quite a few short layoffs and then starting to shoot again.  If it flares up badly in the future, I may switch and shoot left handed and see if I can do that without any problems.  I suspect the process of pulling with my left arm instead of pushing might have a different effect (none) on my left arm.  This info is just what I have experienced, nothing more. 

[Cabin Fever]

I just got a cortisone shot in the elbow 2 days ago for this. Also need to wear a support band around that problem area at all times, unless showering, for the next 2 weeks. Have to see how it goes...