Tennis elbow

[TheVisitor]

Anyone else suffer? I'm currently chucking devils claw, glucosamine with chondroitin and MSM plus rosehip oil down my neck to try and improve it. I'm also spending less time on the laptop as using a touchpad aggravates it. I'll be seeing the doc in the week. Any suggestions on managing it in the meantime?

No suggestions, just sympathy. I got it this summer, from playing ( a small amount of gentle tennis). We went bowling yesterday and I had to use my other hand. I think it just takes time to heal.

Bowling is a bugger and I had to use an 8lb ball last time I went. It still hurt. I have it in both elbows, really useful when I've an English GCSE essay I need to get out.

My DH had bad tennis elbow, and a doctor friend of his recommended a tennis elbow strap (you can get them in Boots etc.) you put it round your forearm in the correct position. He has found it helps a lot. He also got a vertical mouse for his computer at work (similar to a joy stick I think) which has helped.(only relevant obviously if you use a computer+mouse )

strap

That looks good, thanks!

meant to say you can probably get them cheaper than in Boots if you don't want to shell out £19 !

had a steroid injection into the area and it enabled me to play badminton again until i became unwell with something else.

it has virtually cured my tennis elbow which stopped me from hitting a shuttlecock over the net.

I'm dreading needing one. I hate needles and steroid injections there are horrendous, aren't they?

it was fine.. far less painful than the tennis elbow. My BF had the op where they go in and scrape the bone to roughen it up and apparently the tendon or ligament reattaches ,but lower down the arm so it doesnt pull as much.

Anti-inflamatories.
When I had this I couldn't pull a plug out with that hand or pick a cup of tea up.
A nurse friend advised ant- inflamatories and to carry on taking them even after the problem had gone for a while. It worked and the problem never came back.

I had several steroid injections and eventually had to have the tendon cut. I now have golfer's elbow (same but on the inside) and I've had 3 steroid injections in that - GP won't do another one and I'm facing more surgery if that doesn't work.

I found the strap a big help.

Strap helps, but I lived with it for a year plus with the strap. Only the steriod injection (not really painful, just uncomfortable) was the only thing that really helped.

I've tried using a powerball to excercise, no difference. Even had 1/2 nitro glycerine (sp) patch applied for 3 months daily, no difference!

Saying all that, it seems to have come back again. Winter seems to aggravate it, so it maybe time for injection 3.

Hi Visitor
A recent large study showed steroid injections helped in the short-term ie the pain often (but not always) improved. The problem was it tended to aggravate the long term situation - so not good.

Exercises were shown to help though. Laser therapy can help too as can deep massage. Often the problem starts elsewhere so a chiropractor would be a good bet to look at your neck. The strap will help in the short term but you might want to sort out the whole ergonomic situation of your laptop not just the mouse. For more info go here. The video is useful and there are links to ergonomic workstation and PC stuff.

Good luck with it.

bump

"I'm currently chucking devils claw, glucosamine with chondroitin and MSM plus rosehip oil down my neck to try and improve it"

Save your money they are all junk. And, yes, be wary of steroid injections. The evidence for them is dubious and they make no difference to long-term outcomes.

Speaking to you local physiotherpaist would be useful. And, of course, don't do anything that aggravates it!

"I'm currently chucking devils claw, glucosamine with chondroitin and MSM plus rosehip oil down my neck to try and improve it"

Save your money they are all junk. And, yes, be wary of steroid injections. The evidence for them is dubious and they make no difference to long-term outcomes.

Speaking to you local physiotherpaist would be useful. And, of course, don't do anything that aggravates it!

where is the pain in tennis elbow ?

In the last few months I have had pain in both elbows, but mostly the left one (I am right handed). I looked it up and wasn't sure if it was tennis elbow or not.

My pain is in the lower joint (the one nearest your body), and oddly seems worse overnight and first thing in the morning. When I first got it, it was very painful for a few days, now it is a more nagging background that I am aware of most of the time, with a flare up often overnight - disturbing my sleep.

It didn't seem to be as a result of any abnormal activity on my part. And odd that it is in the other elbow to a lesser extent as well (that is the one I use the mouse with). I was puzzled that maybe I lean on the left elbow a lot when I am using the computer to browse rather than type (resting my chin on my fist).

i believe thats golfers elbow.might be a bursa.

i believe thats golfers elbow.might be a bursa.