Injury around elbow from 10 pin bowling

[homeseeker]

A few days ago I played bowling for the first time in some years.  Towards the end of playing as I making a shot I got an awful pain in my elbow area. This pain has persisted since the time of getting it.  I looked on line which suggests daily cold pack.

It seems to be easing it but stlil quite painful.

Can anyone recommend other treatments?

 

Is a hot pack better or other external treatment?  Medicine or not?

 

How long before I should consult a doctor unless it improves?

 

Thank u in advance.

 

 

Edited December 17, 2022 by homeseeker

[Sheryl]

If you have no contraindications, taking an NSAID such as ibuprofen will not only reduce pain by hasten healing by addressing inflammation

 

Be sure to take with food

 

Do not take if you have kidney or liver disease, ulcers, history of ulcers/gastritis or are on anticoagulants

 

Cold pack is helpful. Not heat.

 

Applying strap-like elbow splint like this may help   https://www.lazada.co.th/products/futuro-tennis-elbow-support-45975-1-i258130301-s398062147.html?clickTrackInfo=query%3Atennis%2Belbow%2Bstrap%3Bnid%3A258130301%3Bsrc%3ALazadaMainSrp%3Brn%3Ad1364e149bea79b2cea979453f2bcff6%3Bregion%3Ath%3Bsku%3A258130301_TH%3Bprice%3A100059500%3Bclient%3Adesktop%3Bsupplier_id%3A100059500%3Basc_category_id%3A12313%3Bitem_id%3A258130301%3Bsku_id%3A398062147%3Bshop_id%3A6442&fastshipping=0&freeshipping=0&fs_ab=1&fuse_fs=0&lang=en&location=Bangkok&price=342&priceCompare=&ratingscore=4.833333333333333&request_id=d1364e149bea79b2cea979453f2bcff6&review=30&sale=185&search=1&source=search&spm=a2o4m.store_product.list.3&stock=1

 

Do not bowl again or do other things involving repetitive use of that arm until it has fully resolved.

[mackayae]

Tennis elbow.

[Elkski]

Dontcha hate getting old

[Lacessit]

Rest, ice, compression, elevation.

 

I got relief from golfer's elbow with two sessions of acupuncture, that treatment may not suit everyone.

 

If you are going to take an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen, short-term only. Longer term causes kidney damage.

[Aussieroaming]

Tendon inflammation most likely, not major. I hurt my elbow in the gym a few weeks ago and it took a couple of weeks of rest to recover. 

[Surasak]

sounds like tennis elbow. best treatment I had for this was acupuncture. 

[TucsonDavid]

I’m a tennis player and have been for several decades. As others have said your injury sounds just like tennis elbow, which I’ve had. Besides the ice and ibuprofen, as others have also recommended, I use an elbow strap. Put on so that the pad is just below the elbow on the side of your arm facing away from your body and tighten just enough to provide support. Will help the tendon heal and prevent further injury. Good luck. 

[blackshadow]

6 hours ago, mackayae said:

Tennis elbow.

just what i thought........

[Tropposurfer]

8 hours ago, mackayae said:

Tennis elbow.

But he was bowling not playing tennis ... hahaha ????????????????

[Cutty Shark]

Hi, Homeseeker.  I was interested positively in your specifying of "10-pin bowling" rather than simply "bowling."  This makes me wonder whether you, like me, are from the Baltimore-Pittsburgh area, the home of my beloved duckpin bowling.

[mikebike]

23 minutes ago, Cutty Shark said:

Hi, Homeseeker.  I was interested positively in your specifying of "10-pin bowling" rather than simply "bowling."  This makes me wonder whether you, like me, are from the Baltimore-Pittsburgh area, the home of my beloved duckpin bowling.

5 pin is very popular in Canada... 

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, mackayae said:

Tennis elbow.

Bowling elbow.. ????

[scorecard]

 

Best and complete advice already given by Dr. Sheryl at the start of this thread.

[blackshadow]

go get a cortisone injection....

[4MyEgo]

22 hours ago, homeseeker said:

How long before I should consult a doctor unless it improves?

As others have said, sounds like tennis elbow, there are some stretching exercises that can help it get better, they worked for me much to my disbelief and appreciated not having the prolonged pain anymore as tennis elbow can last up to 2 years, mine lasted for over a year until I stumbled upon this video.

 

No tablets, creams, or packs, as for any injections, if you have any heart issues, forget it, doing these exercises should provide you with immediate relief straight after doing these exercises and I would be interested to know if they worked for you.   

 

 

Edited December 18, 2022 by 4MyEgo

[Freddy42OZ]

10 hours ago, Cutty Shark said:

Hi, Homeseeker.  I was interested positively in your specifying of "10-pin bowling" rather than simply "bowling."  This makes me wonder whether you, like me, are from the Baltimore-Pittsburgh area, the home of my beloved duckpin bowling.

Had he not specified I would have thought he was playing cricket. 
 

[homeseeker]

13 hours ago, Cutty Shark said:

Hi, Homeseeker.  I was interested positively in your specifying of "10-pin bowling" rather than simply "bowling."  This makes me wonder whether you, like me, are from the Baltimore-Pittsburgh area, the home of my beloved duckpin bowling.

I said 10 pin bowling not to confuse with bowling on the grass. I am sure duckpin bowling is fun but right now I need to get my arm better!

[homeseeker]

20 hours ago, TucsonDavid said:

I’m a tennis player and have been for several decades. As others have said your injury sounds just like tennis elbow, which I’ve had. Besides the ice and ibuprofen, as others have also recommended, I use an elbow strap. Put on so that the pad is just below the elbow on the side of your arm facing away from your body and tighten just enough to provide support. Will help the tendon heal and prevent further injury. Good luck. 

Many thx . I have ordered an elbow strap from Lazada as per the doctors suggestion too. I appreciate you're instruction how to wear it.

Edited December 18, 2022 by homeseeker

[homeseeker]

2 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

As others have said, sounds like tennis elbow, there are some stretching exercises that can help it get better, they worked for me much to my disbelief and appreciated not having the prolonged pain anymore as tennis elbow can last up to 2 years, mine lasted for over a year until I stumbled upon this video.

 

No tablets, creams, or packs, as for any injections, if you have any heart issues, forget it, doing these exercises should provide you with immediate relief straight after doing these exercises and I would be interested to know if they worked for you.   

 

 

Many thx ! 

Seems like it will be very helpful. 

I have added it to my recovery repertoire and just after one session a bit better....time will tell...the thought of my condition lasting even one year spurs me on to do all I can to get better asap.

✌️

 

[allane]

Several yrs. ago I had tennis elbow.  After a few days of trying home remedies, I went to a doctor.  He prescribed Arcoxia (etoricoxib-MSD).  This was a miracle drug. My tennis elbow was gone in an hour.  I don't know if it is available without a prescription.

[4MyEgo]

6 minutes ago, homeseeker said:

Many thx ! 

Seems like it will be very helpful. 

I have added it to my recovery repertoire and just after one session a bit better....time will tell...the thought of my condition lasting even one year spurs me on to do all I can to get better asap.

✌️

Amen to that, yes I recall the pain in both arms for over a year, excruciating at times, now after some times with those exercises I am doing light weights still have some discomfort in one arm, but nowhere near what it was and only really sort of bothers me when I do the light weights, but I believe I am strengthing the muscle

[Sheryl]

9 minutes ago, allane said:

Several yrs. ago I had tennis elbow.  After a few days of trying home remedies, I went to a doctor.  He prescribed Arcoxia (etoricoxib-MSD).  This was a miracle drug. My tennis elbow was gone in an hour.  I don't know if it is available without a prescription.

This is an NSAID, in a special category of COX 2 inhibitors - fewer GI effects than regular NSAIDs, but some other serious adverse effects. Thai doctors seem not to have gotten the memo on the latter however and prescribe it like candy.

 

It is available over the counter in Thailand but not in most Western countries because of an increased risk of stroke and heart attack. In fact Arcoxia itself is not approved by the US FDA, though they have approved some similar drugs (e.g. Celebrex) with addition a a special "black box" warning.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6074531/

https://www.fdanews.com/articles/75244-black-box-warning-added-to-celebrex-labeling

 

Arcoxia and other COX-2 inhibitors should definitely not be taken by people with any known underlying cardiovascular condition and many Western doctors refuse to prescribe them to  people over 65, period.

 

People unable to take regular NSAIDs (ibuprofen etc) due to ulcers gastritis etc might take a COX-2 inhibitor (arcoxia and others) with caution provided no history or risk factors for  cardiovascular events and usage is for short time only. Personally I'd opt for Celebrex over Arcoxia as more information available on its safety.

 

More recent research suggests the increased risk of cardiovascular effects may be true of the older, non COX-2 selective  NSAIDs as well.

 

People with kidney or liver disease should avoid all types of NSAID.

 

All this said, there is no doubt that all types of NSAIDs are effective for pain relief especially when the pain is due to inflammation, in which case in addition to temporary pain relief they help address the underlying problem.

 

But need to be used with caution and awareness of the contraindications.

[Andre0720]

Try checking if your elbow joint rotates fully or not.

The comparison is done by lowering the left hand to the side, then grabbing this left hand using the right hand, grabbing the left hand opposite the thumb,  and rotating the arm outwards. Check how far it will rotate. Then do it for the other arm.

If the arm that is painful does not rotate to the same degree as the healthy one, then your elbow joint might get locked at a given level of rotation. Calcium accumulation could prevent full rotation, which leads to joint inflammation.

If so, grab again the hand, and use it to twist the arm forcefully outwards, repeatedly, in an attempt to get the joint to operate fully. Success would feel like the joint just skipped over the blockage.

Kinda of difficult to explain, without mass...

 

(From my chiropractor... )

[Homburg]

On 12/17/2022 at 5:38 AM, Elkski said:

Dontcha hate getting old

It certainly brings unwelcome challenges, but all things considered, it beats the alternative.

[LarryLEB]

If the elbow pain is on the side of the elbow closest to the body, it is "golfer's elbow" (medial epicondylitis).  If the pain is on the side of the elbow away from the body, it is "tennis elbow" (lateral epicondylitis).

 

If have medial epicondylitis of the elbow and find that wet heat (aka hottish shower) on the affected area helps (better than the dry heat of a heating pad).  

 

I used to use Arcoxia, but now, if needed, I use Atulox, which is exactly the same as Arcoxia, but half the price:  both products are Etoricoxib.  I buy Atulox at the Pattaya pharmacies with the distinctive orange colour.  (not sure I'm allowed to name the pharmacy chain)   My orthopedist advises to use no longer than 5 days in a row, one tablet per day.  Available dosages are 60, 90. and 120 mg.

 

Be sure to read Sheryl's cautions in her above posts:  If you use Etoricoxib, use with caution.  I second Sheryl's advice regarding the use of Ibuprofen as well.  Note, however, that ibuprofen and etoricoxib should NOT be taken together; use one or the other!

 

My situation is more chronic; I don't expect to ever be completely pain-free, but lowering the pain works for me!

Edited December 18, 2022 by LarryLEB
clarity

[homeseeker]

Believe it or not to add to the condition of "tennis elbow" and golfer's elbow" there is I have now discovered such a condition called:

"bowlers elbow"

 

https://motusheals.com/bowlers-elbow-and-bowling-injuries/

 

In any event I am grateful for all the helpful suggestions in this thread and i am currenty attempting to use a number of these suggestions to try get better.

Mind you it will be a while- if ever- I attempt any more bowling!

 

????

 

 

[airbalance]

Try the med's and if it doesnt work, then you could explore other options.

 

Acupuncture, Physiotherapy, maybe even a thai massage that knows a bit about stretching and injuries?

 

Hopefully by this time you've already done the RICE protocol and you feel alot better. If you don't, i frequent a place for therapy and will be happy to share the name if needed.