Tendonitis/tennis elbow

[Bluesheep8]

Hi, putting this here for traffic as I posted on health and got no response. Anyone had this? What helped you? I'm taking ibuprofen and paracetamol daily and have a support strap to wear at work. Work have also provided me with a sideways mouse to use. I'm unable to fully straighten my arm and it's SO painful, even when I'm not using it. Any suggestions/experiences? Tia

Seeing the doctor getting intraartocular steroid injections helped for a while and then later gabapentin tablets.

You need physio.

I second the injections. Instant relief after a long time struggling with the pain. Physio did nothing for me.

My GP told me to get a specialist strap for below the elbow only; it had a sort of plastic plate which had to be located in the right place. Also, with my arm extended and my hand parallel to the floor, hold a can of beans or soup, and flex my wrist up and down several times a day.

It got me sorted in about 6 weeks.

Thank you everyone. I'm seeing a physio but the exercises are excruciating. Will take more painkillers and keep trying

Is tennis elbow the same as repetitive strain injury? I had rsi (I assume) in my elbow - agony - and it was a good year before I could type . I had a few steroid injections over that time but the best cure was not using it in afraid.

I tried...

Exercises
Ice
Ibuprofen
Physio
Special strap
Steroid injections
Ultrasound guided steroid injections
An MRI to rule out a bone problem

None of them helped.

Then I paid $800 for Platelet-rich Plasma injections guided by ultrasound and that fixed it almost instantly.

It still aches a bit occasionally a few years later but it hasn't recurred.

The ultrasound was interesting because you could see exactly where the tendon was damaged.

A physio can ultrasound or refer you for one if they think you need it. If it is lateral epicondylitis it will be sore. Very sore, and for quite a while, but it will get better. Ask the physio to recommend an elbow band if they think you need it. I don't know how long this has been an issue for you, but I would not advise injections initially until you've at least completed some physio. The elbow is very difficult to get full movement back in, so it is important to do your exercises.
Also, give your GP a call, they might be able to change the type of NSAID you're taking which might help. Good luck 👍👍👍

Thankyou everyone. If I'm honest I'm surprised by how much it hurts when I'm not even using it. Annoyingly enough I'm recovering from a frozen shoulder (other arm) and it's as blooming painful as that was at its worst

I feel for you, it was so painful when I had it 💐

It's horribly painful I had it for the first time earlier in the year. Nothing helps and it just disappeared - I'd forgotten about it actually - looking forward to that leaping up again.

Thanks everyone. Seeing gp again on Thurs, am persisting with exercises, pressure strap and ice.

Google tennis elbow exercises. I got support from work physio ( nhs) but had to try lots of different exercises and it took months to be back to anywhere near normal movement. I used ibuprofen gel ice/heat and an elbow strap when doing repetitive or strenuous movement
I now do light resistance training which seems to have helped weirdly and also yoga but I did that before .