Who has experience with tendinitis? I assume that the pain in my elbow/forearm is tendinitis. I've had it since late November and to my horror, paddling really cranks up the pain the next day. I also work construction and that messes me up just as much.
I've got a doc's appointment set for next week and I'm hoping to walk out of there with some sort of treatment option. But until then.... Who has experience with this? Throw me a glimmer of hope that this won't slow down my paddling once I get rid of it.
With ALF approaching I want to get on the water and sharpen up as much as possible. But after a local run yesterday that included lots of play, my arm is destroyed. I'm in a catch 22 situation. AHHHHHHHHHHH!
I've had issues which probably started from my real job, more carpal tunnel syndrome though.
Especially in the spring as I'm getting into paddling hard again, it flares up every season.
I've found that choking up on my paddle helps and really focusing on keeping my non-T-grip hand looser on the paddle shaft. Really squeezing it hard isn't needed and only tires out your hand. I try not to choke up on it too much though, especially not where finesse/technique is needed.
If the pain is on the "inside" of the forearm, where the big muscle attaches at the elbow and hurts when you grip, you might find some good thoughts by googling "golfer's elbow." I have it too from time to time in both arms. You'll undoubtedly be told to rest it and ice it...
I have had some success by working out opposing muscles, stretching the area, massaging it, and wrapping it when I paddle or do pull-ups, etc. If you extend your arm in front of you, palm down, try to raise the back of your hand up and back towards you. You can do it with a light weight if the gripping doesn't hurt. I have seen a video online where you fill a bucket with dry beans and put your hand and forearm in it and move the hand all around against the resistance of the beans. Whatever works, I guess. Stretching is pretty self-explanatory, as is massaging on the sore area. To wrap it, I use a short piece of ace bandage and pull pretty tightly around the forearm just below the elbow. Mine hurts the most where the forearm muscle attaches to the bone. I wrap it so that the forearm muscle can't "bulge" so much when it flexes, and it seems to help a great deal. A pretty legendary climber who hung around the wall I used to work at always wore this type of wrap, and I never knew why until now.
This is just my personal experience, but I have improved my situation with this process. Folks with medical training may have different and better ideas.
There are some exercises with light weights you can do to counter whatever is causing this. You can probably google some of them or speak with a therapist. I used to have severe "golfer's elbow which is on the inside of the elbow as opposed to tennis elbow where the pain is o the outside. Paddling aggravated it as well as Bicep curls with heavy weights so I lay off those. A few years ago I had a series of cortisone shots and they helped a lot, at least temporarily, and you can't do that too often or, as I was told, it weakens the ligaments there.
I have the same problem. I told my Dr. about it, he said welcome to 44. He also put me on Aleve (2 in am) every day, which seemed to help. Let us know if you find something that works. I am going to try the other suggestions that have been posted.
A cortisone shot (which hurts like hades) really helped me a lot. I battled with the pain for years and tons of stretching, an arm band and exercises just didn't do it.
I wouldn't classify it as an age thing just yet. I've gotten it since I was about 16, and it has flared up occasionally over the past five years or so. I attribute it to throwing too many curveballs.
As far as treatment, rest doesn't necessarily mean stagnation. I've found that I get it from using one motion repetitively, so when I switch sides it tends to go away. I've gotten it a few times this off season while training, and if I avoid the exercises that caused it to flare up, and stretch my elbows out a bit longer, it goes away rather quickly.
But I know what you mean, it is a real pain in the butt. Or elbow, anyways.
It looks like this is just something I should be prepared to deal with off and on. I talked to a kayaker friend who had the cortisone and he hasn't had a flare up since.
MarkZ...thanks for grip advice. I've been trying to stay less "white-knuckled" on the paddle but sometimes that goes out the window. I'm sure as I face more challenging water, I'll learn to lessen my grip.
Right now I have a ring support with a gel pad that seems to ease up the tension when I grip/grab things.
I'm going to try the bandage thing while I'm at work. The double whammy of work and paddling isn't going to change too much in the coming months. I am going to look for a job that isn't as butt-whooping as ten hour days in construction. I'd rather spend my physical exertion paddling!
Ibuprofene and rest. Dr may give you some stronger medication.
Rest until no pain (long&sucks I know) then physio will give you some exercise to do as long as you don't do anything that hurts.
For me it's getting better after 4 years and I am more confident then last year about reaching a complete healing one day...
Marc, I got very different advice from both a physical therapist and orthopedic surgeon. They both said there was no reason to curtail my activities (and I made it well known that included WW canoeing).
I'm now fully recovering from 2+ years of tennis elbow in my right arm, only now to find symptoms in my left (all the snow shovelling can't help...). My right arm was "chronic" before I sought help, which might explain the long recovery time. I'm hoping to ward off chronic symptoms in the left arm with this exercise: http://info.thera-bandacademy.com/flexbarelbow
Yeah well, every cases are different I guess. Tennis elbow and rotator cuff tenditis are different beasts also I am sure but anycases, no web advises you may get should replace consulting a doc...
I wouldn't just accept it as an age thing. I had a couple of bouts of tendenitis in my 50's, but found the causes and eliminated them.
One was work-related. My computer and briefcase were too heavy. Took less paper home, used a shoulder strap.
The other was paddling related and was pure stroke mechanics. I turned up at a Bob Foote course with a brace on my arm. I almost had dropped out because it hurt so much. Bob looked at me and said "You won't need that by tomorrow." He was right. Once he had straightened out my crappy forward stroke the pain went away and never came back.
The lesson here is there might be a coaching cure rather than a medical one.
Careful with cortisone shots, they are wonderful, but work to mask the pain, while reducing inflammation and you can end up doing more damage not even knowing you did it.
I have braces for tennis elbow and carpel tunnel that I use on and off. Not sure if there is a support brace made for your situation?
I think your Dr. is right that these issues appear with over use and age from my experience. PT exercises, anti-inflammatories (vitamin I), ice, and rest. But who has time for all of that, when you need to paddling.
You have my sympathy. I got tennis elbow at 40. The culprit was doing hammer curls while weight training. Stopped me from doing competition.. heck, paddling, weight training, outdoor work for over a year. Did all the RICE, Doc, PT stuff. It was pretty chronic. Nothing worked.
I resigned myself to surgery. Then a Doc bud told me about a new thing called tape therapy. I tried it. In 2 weeks, the pain and inflamation was gone. I was paddling again shortly after. I was amazed.
It's been 15 years with no issues until last month. Then while weight training, I did...hammer curls (make note to myself, nail it thru thick skull). For short term relief, ice massages work real well. There is stuff on tape therapy all over u tube. Any good PT should be able to help you with that now. Good luck.
(all the snow shovelling can't help...). My right arm was "chronic" before I sought help, which might explain the long recovery time. I'm hoping to ward off chronic symptoms in the left arm with this exercise: