C-Forum

I've re-aquired my tendonitis for the season. It usually doesn't develope unitl later. Any thoughts on the elbow braces looking things with the water packet thingy, It really started to hurt near take out. Usually I dose myself with a couple thousand mg's of vit. I, but I want a more permanent solution.

Andy

I use some combination of Ibuprofen, Rest, Ice, and elevation. I also have a brace that has a little pressure point built in. In addition I switch sides and use a shorter paddle. Somehow this all works.

I too am having early problems with my elbow this season.

Inner elbow would indicate to much use of bow draws. Watch how you paddle and see if this has anything to do with it.

Those straps can help quite a bit, if the first one does not help try a different style.

Get a wood stick, easier on the joints.

Mine was because of a death grip on the paddle shaft. Had to learn to loosen my grip there. Practiced paddling with only three fingers holding on, esp on a cross-fwd stroke when the combination of grip and sideways pressure on the joint can be too much for the little tendon that takes all the pressure.

Pain on the lateral side of the upper forearm that affects grip strength is most often long digital extensor tendonitis (tennis elbow) and is very amenable to rest, ice, deep massage, muscle specific stretching and acupuncture.

Been there, had that.. it took mine about 8 months to heal,,just slowly got better and finally went away,, Its was in mycase important to stop repeating the same motions over and over that aggravated it. I switched sides ( righty to a lefty) and that helped a lot. switched hands under water when i had to roll..hope you heal soon

Take a break from paddling and go hiking or biking.

Make sure you warm up and stretch before paddling. Amazing how many paddlers don't. Forearm an shoulder stretches work for me.

Focus on using good technique(less arms more torso) when I get lazy I tend to use more arms and that's when I have problems.


Ditto on lighter grip on paddle!!


All else fails, get a kayak(just kiddin')

Dave

straight blade....no matter what material...

..just another possible option.

been there, between abusing my rotator cuff and paddlers elbow ended up in the doc's office a couple of years ago. He perscribed a regimen of exercises involving different thicknesses of surgical tubing for the shoulder-it worked. For the elbow an even simpler soution: Sit in a straight back chair with your knees at a 90 degree angle, take a can of soup, large chunky worked for me, in your afflicted arm. Place your arm so the wrist extends over the knee and do curls with your wrist. repeat repeat again. it worked for me. Cheers.

lots of stretching.
straighten the arm, face your palm up, fingers down towards the ground..pull back gently on your fingertips.

If your getting it on your shaft arm, rather then your top arm which is on the grip, adding a paddle index to the shaft, or trying a bent shaft paddle does help.

I wore a tensor elbow brace as well which helped while paddling.

I had alot of elbow pain on my shaft arm. i realized i was low bracing with arm extended straight. now i try and keep my elbow at 90 degrees and don't have a problem. at least not with my elbow.

The only thing I've gotten out of my wife's nursing school: rice
R - rest
I - ice
C - compression (ace bandage)
E - elevation

I've found that beer works quite well at the takeout too.

And I agree with " Make sure you warm up and stretch before paddling."