OT - "tennis" elbow pain solutions?

[NHAero]

What's worked for you? I don't play tennis. It's worst just when I get up. I notice it more on the bike than any other activity.

[wallymann]

What's worked for you? I don't play tennis. It's worst just when I get up. I notice it more on the bike than any other activity.

i got tennis elbow a couple years ago after moving a couple thousand pounds of boxed slate tile. my left forearm was so weak i couldnt tie my shoes without excruciating pain, right forearm unaffected. took months to heal, the better part of a year. these little compression deals helped ease discomfort significantly.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61e87MXDjyL._SY450_.jpg

as far as the bike goes, i'd look at changing your grip habits and hand positions so you're not activating your forearms so much. ideally, your hands should be pretty much relaxed most of the time, unless you're on the rivet or banging elbows in a sprint!

[teleguy57]

Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) or golf elbow (medial epicondylitis?) I have bouts of the latter. Two things that seem to help are cross-fiber friction (hurts like a son-of-a-gun at first, then goes numb:)) and stretching the forearm by pulling the fingers back toward the arm and holding.

Just as it comes on from overuse, also takes a while to calm down, at least in my experience.

[DRZRM]

Yeah, I trashed my elbow killing carpenter bees with a squash racquet and it took months of ice and PT to finally resolve it. See your doctor.

[Black Dog]

Recovery is slow for this. Take your time and be careful to minimize re-injury. Took me the better part of a year to get rid of mine.

[Marcovelo]

So, I read a scientific paper describing the so-called Tyler Twist exercise to address tennis elbow. The exercise involves eccentric contraction--that is, elongating the muscle while under load (vs shorting the muscle while under load, which is what we normally do when exercising).

Paper available here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2971639/

The general idea seems to be that without exercise the tendon tissue does not seem to repair. however, ordinary concentric contraction stresses the tendon/muscle too much.

Theraband makes a product--the power bar or flex bar?--in three or four degree of torque specifically for this purpose.

You load the power bar using the non-injured arm, and allow the torque built up in the bar to lengthen the muscles of the injured arm while you slowly resist the untwisting.

Also note: this is in ADDITION to standard PT.

I had very good results with this treatment. You can do it yourself. Read the paper. Watch some videos (but be sure the pay attention, I saw more then on that were not demonstrating eccentric contraction, even though that is what they claimed they were doing). Be consistent with your treatment. Try to be patient. Some of this stuff takes considerable time to heal, especially in masters athletes.

hope you heal quickly.
-marco

[bikser]

I've had Tennis and Golfers elbow last year and half. New hand surgeon I went to recommended PRP treatment (Protein Rich Plasma) I think. Had that done about a month ago (after MRI ruled out tears etc.). So far, seems to be healing up now. PT, massage, taping, stretching, icing all provided mild short term relief. Only issue with PRP is insurance doesn't cover it.

[daker13]

I used to play tennis with a very stiff racket and got tennis elbow. (I subscribe to the view that tennis elbow among tennis players is either from a stiff racket, or bad form.) I switched rackets and did pt, but for a while I wore something like the strap pictured above. I bought it at a drug store, and it had a plastic disc (rather than the bag of gloop pictured) that, when the strap was tightened, pressed down on the tendons of my forearm. This made the pain completely go away. So you might try something like that when you're riding.

[DfCas]

I was looking at surgery after the docs help was no help at all. I tried this as a last resort and it healed me. Instant relief.

https://www.amazon.com/Aircast-Pneumatic-Armband-Golfers-Support/dp/B00XH8RQVS/ref=asc_df_B00XH8RQVS/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309837891290&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8995256190718277308&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9009439&hvtargid=pla-419764022566&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=63334408682&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=309837891290&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8995256190718277308&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9009439&hvtargid=pla-419764022566

[djg21]

What's worked for you? I don't play tennis. It's worst just when I get up. I notice it more on the bike than any other activity.

I started to develop tennis elbow from working long hours in front of a computer typing. I purchased a Microsoft ergonomic keyboard (https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Ergonomic-Wireless-Keyboard-L5V-00001/dp/B07MZC2VYF/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_147_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=8WBYMCEDWZ6SYWQ981W5).

My symptoms went away in about a week.

[Bruce K]

I find Kinesiology tape helpful when I get flare ups (believe it or not) from shooting sports practice.

Either Rock Tape or the Pro Tape found at CVS seem to hold well.

I have used 2 different applications depending on the severity of the discomfort

BK

[Louis]

This won't help the OP directly, but might help others and will also show how a small change can make a big difference:

I used to have R elbow issues due to rowing (indoors, not OTW, which I don't do). Someone on the C2 forum suggested modifying my grip, which had been fingers on top of the handle and thumb below. I switched my thumb to the top of the handle, so now I just "hook" the handle with my fingers, and my thumb is along for the ride. I haven't had elbow issues since, and right now I'm rowing more than when I had the problems.

Good Luck

[tomato coupe]

... recommended PRP treatment (Protein Rich Plasma)...

Platelet-Rich Plasma.

I've had success with both cortisone and PRP injections for tennis elbow. They both have pros and cons. Cortisone gives fast results (when it works), is pretty cheap, but it's not a good idea to do it too often. PRP takes a few weeks to take full effect, costs quite a bit more, and seems to be a bit "safer." YMMV.

[soulspinner]

Having been a tournament tennis player (played in a tourney Jimmy C played in...that was the era) my only solution was to carry a tennis ball around and squeeze it all day..above are some very good suggestions.

[bshell]

Omg, Marco, thank you for that link to the Tyler Twist.

I've had the lateral epicondylitis for decades (carpentry) and just 'dealt' with it (suffered). Now I have something to try.

[PeregrineA1]

Turn your hand over, from your normal carrying position, when gripping and carrying.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jimcav]

So, I read a scientific paper describing the so-called Tyler Twist exercise to address tennis elbow. The exercise involves eccentric contraction--that is, elongating the muscle while under load (vs shorting the muscle while under load, which is what we normally do when exercising).

Paper available here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2971639/

The general idea seems to be that without exercise the tendon tissue does not seem to repair. however, ordinary concentric contraction stresses the tendon/muscle too much.

Theraband makes a product--the power bar or flex bar?--in three or four degree of torque specifically for this purpose.

You load the power bar using the non-injured arm, and allow the torque built up in the bar to lengthen the muscles of the injured arm while you slowly resist the untwisting.

Also note: this is in ADDITION to standard PT.

I had very good results with this treatment. You can do it yourself. Read the paper. Watch some videos (but be sure the pay attention, I saw more then on that were not demonstrating eccentric contraction, even though that is what they claimed they were doing). Be consistent with your treatment. Try to be patient. Some of this stuff takes considerable time to heal, especially in masters athletes.

hope you heal quickly.
-marco

while i personally used cross friction ice massage and reduced activity in the past, I have seen similar "twist" thing: in the gym, on a free-weight bench press, a guy had a bar with a short rope attached to the bar and the other end a weight, we would wind up the rope on the bar (both hands) and then use his affected arm, letting the wrist go from full extension (wrist cocked up, backward) into full flexion (curling forward/down, toward the palm side of wrist). After doing his sets/reps, the rope had unwound to where the weight touched the ground. It worked for him and I know several other guys tried it--I forgot all about that until I saw this post. So if you don't want to buy a flexbar thing, and have any sort of rack or span you can place a dowel across with rope and weight; then that is another way to do eccentrics. Eccentric lowering was the key to my Achilles injury recovery--I can say in that case the critical thing was doing the eccentric range of motion VERY slowly. I wasted over a year doing the reps to fast--had to lower over 7-10 seconds for it to work, and it did within a few weeks.

[classtimesailer]

It will take forever to go away. I'm pretty sure mine stemmed from riding with my arms too straight. Not necessarily locked but maybe sometimes. It was painful to pull a bottle from the cage. I forced a new habit on myself to ride with bent elbows. And then, all of a sudden, 3 years or so passes, and, "Hey! My elbow doesn't hurt anymore,".

[54ny77]

This: https://armaid.com/collections/frontpage/products/armaid

Try it. Seriously.

[cloudchaser]

I did the Tyler Twist with a green Theraband Flexbar. After 8 weeks, the symptoms are nearly gone.

[91Bear]

My condolences. I got tennis elbow from sleeping funny and it took about six months to go away. Hurt like a mofo. I used one of those ACE forearm wraps (https://www.amazon.com/ACE-Adjustable-Americas-Satisfaction-Guarantee/dp/B00FQT3RW8/ref=asc_df_B00FQT3RW8/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309748512671&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17606121203692030078&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028068&hvtargid=pla-566812063373&th=1)like in the first picture. The bag was full of air, not "gloop" as stated.

It was inexpensive and it helped.

[loxx0050]

while i personally used cross friction ice massage and reduced activity in the past, I have seen similar "twist" thing: in the gym, on a free-weight bench press, a guy had a bar with a short rope attached to the bar and the other end a weight, we would wind up the rope on the bar (both hands) and then use his affected arm, letting the wrist go from full extension (wrist cocked up, backward) into full flexion (curling forward/down, toward the palm side of wrist). After doing his sets/reps, the rope had unwound to where the weight touched the ground. It worked for him and I know several other guys tried it--I forgot all about that until I saw this post. So if you don't want to buy a flexbar thing, and have any sort of rack or span you can place a dowel across with rope and weight; then that is another way to do eccentrics. Eccentric lowering was the key to my Achilles injury recovery--I can say in that case the critical thing was doing the eccentric range of motion VERY slowly. I wasted over a year doing the reps to fast--had to lower over 7-10 seconds for it to work, and it did within a few weeks.

You post brought back memories of the rope/bar/weight plate that was at my high school weight room. Used to use that thing every now and then during the summer when I'd hit the weights. After using that thing (along with arm day) our dumb asses would go play basketball. Even trying to shoot a free throw on arm day was an effort in futility as we put on an airball clinic with the first few shots.

Anyways, I would agree that this would definitely help with tennis elbow. I'm actually dealing with some currently too because of beer league softball (diving slide and bruised my elbow...along with taking batting practice in the cages for way too many swings). Going on the 2nd week of soreness and just ordered one of those "Tyler Twist" bars off of Amazon just before lunchtime. That way I can randomly do those exercises while sitting in my office during work.