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About four months ago, I woke one morning with an aching elbow. The way I tend to lay in bed makes it possible that I hyper extended my arm while I was sleeping (I tend to lay on my side/stomach, with my arm extended under the pillow and my head, and sometimes over the edge of the mattress. Anyway, I just figured it was minor muscle pain that would eventually go away. But it's remained sore to some degree ever since--some days just a little, like a bruise, others so bad I can barely lift my forearm. Based on all I've read, I'm pretty sure it's tendonitis.
Changed the oil in both cars this weekend, and the act of twisting free the oil filters set my elbow ablaze once again. So I finally went out today and bought a support bandage made specifically for tennis elbow. It puts pressure on the tendons and muscles immediately below the elbow on the upper forearm. The relief when I put it on was substantial and immediate.
Want I want to know is if I can ever expect my arm to feel normal again? Will it return to normal if I keep wearing this thing? How long should I wear it? I'd really prefer to avoid cortisone shots or surgery. Is there any exercise I can do to strengthen the arm so that the tendons are less likely to get inflamed? I'm in pretty good shape, active, and 40 years young, so this sabotage my body is trying to pull on me really pisses me off!
I used to have tennis elbow and the doctors could not cure it. So I began using DMSO. You have to get it through a farm supply store for it to really work, as I have tried health food store products, and they didn't work for me. DMSO is also used by urologists in certain cases, so it is safe in spite of the fears that some had years ago. I know it is used by urologists because two have told me so. When you use it you have to wash and dry the area. You apply the DMSO and then don't allow anything to touch your skin because it will absorb even the dye in cloth into your skin. It will burn and turn red, but that will go away in 20 minutes. I used to apply it maybe twice a day. I have also used it on my neck when it hurts, on bursitis of the knee, etc. and it cures the problem. If you have any questions about using DMSO I would do a google search on it. I have been using it since 1981. It has not harmed me in the lest.
About four months ago, I woke one morning with an aching elbow. The way I tend to lay in bed makes it possible that I hyper extended my arm while I was sleeping (I tend to lay on my side/stomach, with my arm extended under the pillow and my head, and sometimes over the edge of the mattress. Anyway, I just figured it was minor muscle pain that would eventually go away. But it's remained sore to some degree ever since--some days just a little, like a bruise, others so bad I can barely lift my forearm. Based on all I've read, I'm pretty sure it's tendonitis.
Changed the oil in both cars this weekend, and the act of twisting free the oil filters set my elbow ablaze once again. So I finally went out today and bought a support bandage made specifically for tennis elbow. It puts pressure on the tendons and muscles immediately below the elbow on the upper forearm. The relief when I put it on was substantial and immediate.
Want I want to know is if I can ever expect my arm to feel normal again? Will it return to normal if I keep wearing this thing? How long should I wear it? I'd really prefer to avoid cortisone shots or surgery. Is there any exercise I can do to strengthen the arm so that the tendons are less likely to get inflamed? I'm in pretty good shape, active, and 40 years young, so this sabotage my body is trying to pull on me really pisses me off!
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Rest the elbow - do not lift, twist, play golf or tennis, until this gets better. Wear the strap will help, as well as tylenol/advil (generic ok)/naproxen and get seen by your healthcare provider. This is called "lateral epicondylitis" if you truly do have tennis elbow. It can be injected in some cases for relief, but you still have to correct what caused the flare to begin with. Long term injury can happen - chronic pain, tendinitis, loss of strength, etc etc
Take care of it - excellent outlook.
I suffered with tennis elbow for a few months and then it got so bad I gave in and went to see a Dr. He gave me a cortizone shot. It in itself was pretty painful but it sure made it feel 100% better. Trouble is, it feels so good you have to be careful and let your arm heal and you might forget and over use it. I had to go in once more after a months or so for a repeat shot and after that it took about four months total for it to get better. I am not big on cortizone or any medications but my elbox got so bad I couldn't use my arm or even sleep at night. I have heard cortizon doesn't always work for everyone but it sure did the trick for me. And of course, letting your elbow heal. If you do wrap it be sure not to wrap it to tightly or you'll just make things worse.
Thanks everyone for the advice. I've been wearing the strap off and on since yesterday, and it really has helped a lot. At this point, I'm hoping I can just rely on it and giving my arm a rest to get things back to normal. If this becomes a recurrent problem, I may try the cortisone approach.
I used to suffer really badly from tennis elbow - couldn't even lift a basket in the supermarket. Tried the strap and that helped but was only temporary. I did not want to go the cortizone route so I tried Accupuncture. Believe it or notI had two sessions about three years ago and, even thought I occasionally get a twinge or two, I basically have been free of the pain since. Of course I can't guarantee it will work for you but what have you got to loose.
Errrr... yeah... I'm a bad case. To make a long story very short I ended up with eclectic bursitis (I think that's the name for it) last year. I have yet to have it looked at and I'm afraid it's starting to cause carpal tunnel syndrome because the way I have altered my "typing stance" to alleviate the pain. I'm also a mechanic and my dominant arm is also the one with problems so it bothers me constantly. I even get a tingling sensation in my fingertips from time to time although that is a relatively new thing. Yeah, I know, someone on this forum is going to rip me for it and I deserve it. I just hate going to the doctor.
Errrr... yeah... I'm a bad case. To make a long story very short I ended up with eclectic bursitis (I think that's the name for it) last year. I have yet to have it looked at and I'm afraid it's starting to cause carpal tunnel syndrome because the way I have altered my "typing stance" to alleviate the pain. I'm also a mechanic and my dominant arm is also the one with problems so it bothers me constantly. I even get a tingling sensation in my fingertips from time to time although that is a relatively new thing. Yeah, I know, someone on this forum is going to rip me for it and I deserve it. I just hate going to the doctor.
I totally understand not wanting to go to the DR. but I am going to scold you for not going. There are some very nasty diseases that start very similar to what you are explaining---I certainly do not want to scare you I am only being honest. Yeah, it's a pain to go to the Dr. but in the long run it would be nice to find out it's something easily taken care of, right? There is a chance it will only get worse with time and then take longer to heal.....take care of it before it gets any worse!
I had carpal tunnel and went to a chiropractor. It was cured in a matter of two weeks. It was on the same wrist as my tennis elbow, and that in turn is on the same side as my sore shoulder. A physical therapist does just as well with curing all if it stems from the shoulder. From this day, ever since hurting my shoulder, it is easily hurt by gardening too much. I have used DMSO on tennis elbow and shoulder. I have also had physical therapy and chiropractic treatment at different times. An MD will just want you to have surgery, and I refused it. He said if I had surgery I would lose the strength in my hand forever, well, after two weeks at the chiropractor my strength came back, and the pad on my hand has the same muscle as before, but I was told that I would never regain that muscle.
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