Tennis Elbow Help please - Page 2

LindaL · 09-20-16, 05:38 PM

I got tennis elbow two years ago from Crossfit. It hurt so bad that I would just sit at work and rub my forearm all day. The arm band with the little plastic pillow in it helped. I also bought one of those hard rubber donuts from Sports Authority and squeezed it several times a day...strengthening your grip and help alleviate tennis elbow. I know there are conflicting opinions on icing, but I found that it helped.

This video helped me as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we4UoiKG3Co I didn't buy the products he uses, but you can improvise. For the flex bar he uses at the end, you could just use a rolled up hand towel for both exercises.

Figuring out what triggers it is key. I tried to rejoin Crossfit and ended up feeling it coming on in both elbows, so I stopped going immediately and haven't returned.

Usia · 09-20-16, 05:57 PM

My forearm/elbow pain aka "tennis elbow" is from prolonged and repetitive laptop use. I don't play tennis. It's worse in my right forearm because I'm right-handed. The pain started a year ago in August and only staying away from the laptop makes it better. A year ago, I wasn't able to lift weights, but now I can hold weights. It took a whole year for the pain to become manageable but it flares up if I spend more time on my laptop. Like today.

spaceygirl · 09-20-16, 11:27 PM

I knew I could count on all of you! What a community we have. I am going to try to heal and use your advice.
YOU ARE THE BEST!!!!

PrairieGem · 09-21-16, 05:31 PM

I had such bad tendinitis in both elbows last spring/summer that my doctor sent me to a surgical radiologist (a doctor that does things like ultrasound to treat kidney stones/fibroids, performs cardiac procedures, etc) for an experimental therapy where they use a laser (?) to clear out damaged tissue in your elbow. I didn't go through with that treatment, in part because it had an 8-week recovery period that was impossible for me to comply with given my caregiving demands. BUT the radiologist told me that in MOST CASES, minor tendinitis clears up in 6-8 weeks. For some people, we develop scar tissue that can continue to cause pain for months to years. In my case, I was going on 8-9 months.

That was really eye-opening!

I was referred to PT, but while trying to find a provider that was close enough for regular trips (caregiving duties again!)...it FINALLY started to clear up!! Within another 3-4 weeks, I was 75-80% better. I still feel occasional twinges when doing heavy weights, and I try very hard not to hyperextend my elbows or over-do it with my grip. (Frex, I have a terrible habit of holding a pencil in a death grip, so I'm better if I almost never write longhand.) I keep THINKING I should remember to wear my brace when I do weights... but so far I haven't.

Other treatment options included a week of steroids that didn't help, and regular NSAIDs. I asked about steroid injections, and she said that if the oral version didn't help, we'd already exhausted that. (Having been on 2 courses of steroids--injections and a month of oral treatment--this summer for a skin condition, I can heartily say how GLAD I am that I didn't have to go that route. I'm STILL trying to get those 15lbs off. *sigh*)

It really was a truly awful, debilitating, disheartening pain that was absolutely constant and went on for the better part of a year. But it DID finally heal, as promised, although it took longer than average. Good luck, and I hope you find some relief!!

ktkellerman · 10-16-16, 04:19 PM

I'm a little late on this one. I have tennis elbow. Did a round a prednisone and am now taking an anti-inflammatory. I refuse not to do some kind of weight training. So I went and bought a weighted vest and I only do legs. My vest has 1.25 lbs bags and i just use what i need for a particular exercise. I have used it with 21 DF and Rippedism. Has been working great.

Exercise Diva · 10-17-16, 02:40 PM

I got tennis elbow after shoveling ice off of my deck during that God-awful winter a couple of years ago and as everyone here has said, it took a LONG time to heal. It finally did go away but I stayed away from anything that put pressure on the joint and I modified my yoga a lot. Ice helped too.

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09-20-16, 05:38 PM
LindaL VF Supporter Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: South Florida	I got tennis elbow two years ago from Crossfit. It hurt so bad that I would just sit at work and rub my forearm all day. The arm band with the little plastic pillow in it helped. I also bought one of those hard rubber donuts from Sports Authority and squeezed it several times a day...strengthening your grip and help alleviate tennis elbow. I know there are conflicting opinions on icing, but I found that it helped. This video helped me as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we4UoiKG3Co I didn't buy the products he uses, but you can improvise. For the flex bar he uses at the end, you could just use a rolled up hand towel for both exercises. Figuring out what triggers it is key. I tried to rejoin Crossfit and ended up feeling it coming on in both elbows, so I stopped going immediately and haven't returned. __________________ Linda Disclosure: I was a Beachbody success story and part of a P90X infomercial.

09-20-16, 05:57 PM
Usia VF Supporter Join Date: Feb 2008	My forearm/elbow pain aka "tennis elbow" is from prolonged and repetitive laptop use. I don't play tennis. It's worse in my right forearm because I'm right-handed. The pain started a year ago in August and only staying away from the laptop makes it better. A year ago, I wasn't able to lift weights, but now I can hold weights. It took a whole year for the pain to become manageable but it flares up if I spend more time on my laptop. Like today. __________________ Dana Avatar: Oliver!

09-20-16, 11:27 PM
spaceygirl Join Date: Jun 2002	Thank you all for your love and great advice I knew I could count on all of you! What a community we have. I am going to try to heal and use your advice. YOU ARE THE BEST!!!!

09-21-16, 05:31 PM
PrairieGem Join Date: Jan 2013	I had such bad tendinitis in both elbows last spring/summer that my doctor sent me to a surgical radiologist (a doctor that does things like ultrasound to treat kidney stones/fibroids, performs cardiac procedures, etc) for an experimental therapy where they use a laser (?) to clear out damaged tissue in your elbow. I didn't go through with that treatment, in part because it had an 8-week recovery period that was impossible for me to comply with given my caregiving demands. BUT the radiologist told me that in MOST CASES, minor tendinitis clears up in 6-8 weeks. For some people, we develop scar tissue that can continue to cause pain for months to years. In my case, I was going on 8-9 months. That was really eye-opening! I was referred to PT, but while trying to find a provider that was close enough for regular trips (caregiving duties again!)...it FINALLY started to clear up!! Within another 3-4 weeks, I was 75-80% better. I still feel occasional twinges when doing heavy weights, and I try very hard not to hyperextend my elbows or over-do it with my grip. (Frex, I have a terrible habit of holding a pencil in a death grip, so I'm better if I almost never write longhand.) I keep THINKING I should remember to wear my brace when I do weights... but so far I haven't. Other treatment options included a week of steroids that didn't help, and regular NSAIDs. I asked about steroid injections, and she said that if the oral version didn't help, we'd already exhausted that. (Having been on 2 courses of steroids--injections and a month of oral treatment--this summer for a skin condition, I can heartily say how GLAD I am that I didn't have to go that route. I'm STILL trying to get those 15lbs off. sigh) It really was a truly awful, debilitating, disheartening pain that was absolutely constant and went on for the better part of a year. But it DID finally heal, as promised, although it took longer than average. Good luck, and I hope you find some relief!! __________________ ~Gem *Dux femina facti*

10-16-16, 04:19 PM
ktkellerman Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Baltimore, MD	I'm a little late on this one. I have tennis elbow. Did a round a prednisone and am now taking an anti-inflammatory. I refuse not to do some kind of weight training. So I went and bought a weighted vest and I only do legs. My vest has 1.25 lbs bags and i just use what i need for a particular exercise. I have used it with 21 DF and Rippedism. Has been working great.

10-17-16, 02:40 PM
Exercise Diva Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Boston	I got tennis elbow after shoveling ice off of my deck during that God-awful winter a couple of years ago and as everyone here has said, it took a LONG time to heal. It finally did go away but I stayed away from anything that put pressure on the joint and I modified my yoga a lot. Ice helped too.