Tennis...... Elbow, Anyone??

[DSB OUTDOORS]

Ok, rant! I hurt my elbow a couple of weeks ago splittling firewod. Thought it would just go away, no such luck.

I went and fired up the chainsaw yesterday. Bad mistake! I have a VERY high tollerance for pain but, pulling on the rip cord brought tears to my eyes!!

I did a enternet search on elbow pain, "Tennis Elbow" I also saw some brusing in the area, I think I might have torn the tenden. I got the brace, ice every couple of hours. But...

I start my archery hunting vacation on Saturday. Not sure if I can pull the bow back or not?? I just need to pull it back, Once! If I'm lucky!

Any thoughts?? Sudgestions??

[jmg8550]

Rest it as much as possible. And Ibuprofen is your friend when it gets really bad. I too am suffering from tendonitis, and it is affecting my service rifle matches . Also see a doctor to get an actual diagnosis. From what I understand, it takes a very long time to heal.

[Tim K]

Got it doing weighted pull ups two years ago. It took six months to heal and still flares up regularly. I found it took absolute rest to get it to go away at all. Ibuprofen does help.

[Holger Danske]

I injured mine shooting my new bow too much. much rest, ice nightly, and I bought a tennis elbow brace at a sports store to use at work while on the computer. Been 6 weeks, but i will skip bow hunting this year to make sure it heals fully.

[jmg8550]

Did you buy the full brace or just the pressure band? Does it help very much?

[02ducky]

Cortizone shot! That sucks man, I am sure this is the last thing you need to deal with.

[blackford76]

Cortizone shot!

Here is the only thing that will save your bow hunting trip.
I went to physical therapy for 8 months, I had it in both elbows, and both wrists. The shots worked in a matter of HOURS!!!
I did learn some stretching exercises that help, if we could meet up I could show you them real quick, they help.

Good luck!

[Clint45]

It takes a long time to heal. It will hurt for months. Surgery can speed the healing process, but is probably not necessary. I would forget about bowhunting this year if the tendon is torn. I would advise against more than 2 cortisone shots as repeated shots can break down the tissue leading to worse problems. There are some supplements at the health food store that can help you to heal, but it will still take a while. The brace and ice will help.

[Monky]

It is my professional medical opinion that you're just a big sissy..

In all seriousness if it was a torn tendon you wouldn't be able to use the arm at all.

'Tennis Elbow' gets thrown around A LOT!

While I would avoid archery season for this weekend, you should get into a doc ASAP so you can rehab it..

You don't want your gf getting mad cause you can't move your arm...

[Clint45]

In all seriousness if it was a torn tendon you wouldn't be able to use the arm at all.

If the tendon had actually snapped or torn loose you'd be correct. Most of the time the "tear" is partial and rather small, or it can be a third or even halfway through the tendon. It hurts very badly and simple tasks like holding a cup of coffee can be difficult. Takes a long time to heal and longer to stop hurting as exertion will inflame the area months after you think it is healed. Cortizone is an anti-inflammatory injection that will provide short term relief by masking the symptoms, but over-exertion can make the injury worse.

Glucosamine, chondroitin, flax oil, and lots of protein will speed recovery. Wear the band and use cold packs.