I've just been diagnosed with lateral epicondylitis (a/k/a tennis elbow), ow! Ironically, it's not from tennis. I'm wondering if anyone has had it and what you found helped.

I'm NOT looking for medical advice, but just for anecdotal stuff. There is a lot of disagreement about whether anti-inflammatories, elbow braces, straps, etc., help or are worthless. Just trying to sort some of it out.

Thanks,
Aderyn

Aderyn,
I am the Queen of lateral epicondylitis!
I have had surgery and injections. I will send you a private topic.

Shelley

"if it ain't broke, don't fix it"
*LC WOLF*

I had to quit playing tennis last year because of tennis elbow. I'm hoping that with a year of rest, stretching, strengthening, and massage, I'll be able to play this year. I'll be really really really dissapointed if I can't! I'd be interested to hear anything that worked for anybody else!

gregg

196/189/165

I had it too, OWIE! I got it from lifting 2 gallon watering cans off a high surface and then lowering them with one arm. Not a good plan. Then when it started to hurt, I thought, "Oh, I'll work through the pain!" and kept going! DOH!! REALLY bad idea!

Well, I work for two docs, so the first course of action was the newest class of anti-inflammatories, which did help somewhat. However, after a couple months, there was not a great deal of improvement, so I finally succumbed to my boss's advice to have it injected. Boy, instant relief! I mean, this had gotten so bad that I would wake myself up at night trying to turn over because my elbow was SOOO painful!

That lasted quite a while. Eventually (a few weeks later) it wore off somewhat, but it never was as painful again. Finally it healed, but literally it took about a year! Now I'm a little more careful when lifting things.

So, I can't tell you what is best for YOU but that was my course of treatment - AND I might add, I am the world's biggest needle weenie so for me to let him inject it was a huge leap of faith - and you know what? It didn't hurt at all! I was amazed! 'Course he does a lot of that type of injection and is very, very good at it.

Good luck with yours, whatever you decide is best! Sometimes some of our patients have good luck with physical therapy. So far I have not seen our docs recommend any type of brace or strap though....

Char

Don't squat with yer spurs on!

Thanks Charski,

A cortisone shot might be just what the DR ordered! I'll know soon after the first spring warmup. Till then it's stretching and massage. My brother is a massage therapist and taught me to do cross fiber massage. I can only hope it heals by spring.

gregg

196/189/165

Dh has tennis elbow, but he doesn't play tennis. His is from conducting. So far he's had the braces and anti-inflamatories and they aren't working.



Always eat your veggies first!
LCE member since March 2002

Bright, it sounds as if your DH and I are at the same point. Every morning I try to convince myself it feels a little better and the anti-inflammatory is working, but...I think it's just wishful thinking.

I'm going to ask my dr. for a PT referral and see if I can get anywhere like that.

Aderyn

I've heard it takes a full year to completely recover from a bad case of L.E. Tendons are'nt particularly vascularised. And it's hard to really rest it. According to my brother a certified massage therapist, massage is key too. Of course what else would you expect a MT to say?

gregg

196/188/165-170

It absolutely took mine a full year. And now I baby it a bit, although have started working out recently on our new CrossBow trainer and it's not bothering the elbow.

Not something I care to repeat any time soon, that is one of the more painful maladies I've suffered in my 50 years!

Char

Don't squat with yer spurs on!