Tennis Elbow And Ibuprofin

[fred110]

I have the symptoms of tennis elbow and I have been taking Ibuprofin 600mg twice a day for a month. Will this cure the problem or just take the pain away temporarily? Can I exercise or ride a bike now? The pain is much less since I stopped using the mouse with my right hand. When I take a walk the elbow gets stiff unless I keep moving it around. THANKS.

[Fore Man]

I have the symptoms of tennis elbow and I have been taking Ibuprofin 600mg twice a day for a month. Will this cure the problem or just take the pain away temporarily? Can I exercise or ride a bike now? The pain is much less since I stopped using the mouse with my right hand. When I take a walk the elbow gets stiff unless I keep moving it around. THANKS.

I'm no physician but had a bad case of epicondylitis (same thing you have) last year. Motrin helped alleviate the pain but in the end what took care of it for good was one cortisone (mixed with novocaine) shot downtown at an orthopedic clinic in Chiang Mai. I was just about to give up golf for good and this turned the whole thing around. The doctor pinpointed the pain and made a small injection ino the site. I was skeptical as I have always heard that cortisone can damage the tissue that is being treated. He advised me to take 2 weeks off from golf and I was as good as new again. Good luck.

[bunnaag]

I also had cortison injections 2 times than it was ok.But the doctors do not want to give you injections more than 2 times per year I was told it seems it can damage something.Ibuproven can have side effects for stomac and kidney.

[desertrat]

I also had cortison injections 2 times than it was ok.But the doctors do not want to give you injections more than 2 times per year I was told it seems it can damage something.Ibuproven can have side effects for stomac and kidney.

Don't take ANY drugs unless your life is threatened (except special case Blue Diamond), especially since

so many drugs are fake.

[Kharzi]

The injury caused by any repetitive strain, more commonly known as ' tennis elbow ' but by no means limited to that part of the arm, is temporary but the symptoms can persist for months unless the affected area is completely rested. There is no other cure but the initial pain can be treated with gels and the like however in extreme cases direct cortisone injections into the affected muscle may be necessary.

Whatever you are doing, stop it and favour the arm.

I did swimming pool laps twice a day of up to 50 lengths sticking to the breast stroke. No problem for over 5 years then, bingo, couldn't even lift a pint of beer with my right arm. Doctor prescribed simple rest and to stick to halves! Bloody painful and took several months before I could carry any shopping etc etc.

[LadyHeather]

Make sure you take Ibuprofen with food as it can damage the stomach lining and is a well known cause of stomach ulcers:

Regular use of anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and Celebrex increases the risk of ulcers up to fivefold, says James Scheiman, MD, professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor.

These common painkillers suppress inflammation by blocking inflammatory substances called prostaglandins. However, these substances also help protect the stomach and intestinal lining from the damaging effects of acid. Thus, without these protective substances, the stomach and intestines become more susceptible to ulcers, Scheiman says.

From the WebMD site

[Sheryl]

The ibuprofen will both relive the pain and help reduce the underlying inflammation. That plus rest is the mainstay of treatment, with steroid injections a last resort.

As above poster mentioned, must be taken with food.

With time, rest and anti-inflammatory drug the condition will resolve but you will need to make some permanent changes to avoid it recurring i.e. avoid too much repetitive use of the arm. Alternating which hand you use for the mouse and other tasks is good idea (once you are ready to use the affected arm again). You can also get mousepads with elevated wrist rests on them which may help too.

[Fore Man]

I'd like to stress what another poster has advised...that ibuprofin, Motrin, Alleve, Advil and related NSAIDs are indeed nephrotoxic...they can and will cause permanent damage to the kidneys over time. There are documented cases of life-long migraine sufferers who took Excedrin and similar aspirin formulations to relieve their pain. And then in their early 50s these unfortunates were diagnosed with End State Renal Disease (ESRD) and eventually had to begin dialysis. ESRD has a high mortality rate and it is usually a one-way trip to an early demise unless a transplant can be arranged. Please do not rely too long on anti-inflammatories.

The pharmaceutical companies don't portray these risks adequately IMHO...we simply pop a 200-mg pill when we ache and think nothing of it and that's what they want you to do.

As a few posters have suggested, the real cure is to stop doing what caused the problem in the first place and then find some other way to handle the same action that takes stress off the elbow.

[Sheryl]

I'd like to stress what another poster has advised...that ibuprofin, Motrin, Alleve, Advil and related NSAIDs are indeed nephrotoxic...they can and will cause permanent damage to the kidneys over time. There are documented cases of life-long migraine sufferers who took Excedrin and similar aspirin formulations to relieve their pain. And then in their early 50s these unfortunates were diagnosed with End State Renal Disease (ESRD) and eventually had to begin dialysis. ESRD has a high mortality rate and it is usually a one-way trip to an early demise unless a transplant can be arranged. Please do not rely too long on anti-inflammatories.

The above as worded is somehwat misleading. Renal (kidney) damage is indeed a known adverse effect of NSAIDs but a rare one, certainly not something that is bound to happen to all who take them sooner or later. It is also usually reversible upon stopping the drug. Risk is highest in the elderly and in people who exceed the recommended dosage, especially on a long-term basis, and, of course, people who have any pre-existing renal impairment. There is also an increased risk in people who may be dehydrated for any reason.

The (U.S.) National Kidney Foundation's recommendation is that NSAIDs should only be used under physician supervision by people over 65 and persons with heart disease, hypertension or known liver or kidney disease This caution should especially be heeded with regard to long-term use. A physician can, with a simple blood test, monitor renal function and detect early signs of a problem before it reaches a critical stage.

Aspirin in normal doses has not been associated with renal problems in people with normal kidney function, but it should be avoided by people with underlying renal disease (as should most drugs, unless supervised by a physician). Tylenol/paracetemol are known to cause renal damage when taken in excess of recommended dosage and there is some equivocal indications that habitual long-term use at therapeutic diosages might slightly increase the risk of renal disease.

Exedrin is a combination of both aspirin and tylenol alomg with caffeine. Such combination products, unlike their individual constituents, are clealry associated with increased incidence of kidney disease and such products have been withdrawn from OTC use in some countries for this reason; they are best avoided, period.

[Toany]

Don't take ANY drugs unless your life is threatened (except special case Blue Diamond), especially since

so many drugs are fake.

and all have undesirable side affects. Pain is nature telling you to rest. If you use painkiller it will just mask this pain and allow you to carry on damaging your injury.

Learn to use the other hand for your mouse and look at your position when you use the computer. Rest is what you need for your injury.

Edited February 6, 2009 by Toany

[cathyy]

Sheryl is right about the use of NSAIDs needing to be under a the supervision of a physician in the elderly. I can give you a special case where even that wasn't enough to prevent kidney damage.

My family tends to get osteoarthritis early, and get it badly. For example, when I was 30 I went to the doctor simply to find out how many aspirin a day I should be taking for my arthritis. I had it in both hands, particularly the base of the thumbs, to the point where I could not grip something tightly. The degeneration was severe enough to be visible on x-ray. After making sure I didn't have rheumatoid arthritis, which he suspected due to my age and the symmetry of my symptoms, I was sent on my way with a proper dose of aspirin to take.

My mother had arthritis like mine and at the age of perhaps 40 was put on powerful NSAIDS. By the time she was 55 she had to quit taking them due to the renal damage. So, it's not just age, but also how long you have been taking them. The average person doesn't start taking those kind of medications several times a day until they are in that 65 year old group Sheryl mentioned. But if you are taking them regularly and are younger, you need that physician supervision. Taking a pill for the random headache or pulled muscle, no problem. Taking one 3 or 4 times a day, every day, you need to have a doctor keeping tabs on your liver and renal functions.

[fred110]

OK, thanks for all the input. I stopped the meds the other day, will keep using the mouse left handed. I will stop driving motorbike for awhile too.

[thaimat]

I have the symptoms of tennis elbow and I have been taking Ibuprofin 600mg twice a day for a month. Will this cure the problem or just take the pain away temporarily? Can I exercise or ride a bike now? The pain is much less since I stopped using the mouse with my right hand. When I take a walk the elbow gets stiff unless I keep moving it around. THANKS.

Lots of helpful posts on dealing with the symptoms, but not the cause. Most tennis elbow is caused by swinging improperly, putting too much stress on the elbow joint, after which repeated swinging develops the pain from the swollen tendons. Take a break from tennis till the pain is gone, then get a few lessons on correct swinging form, usually forehand side causes the "tennis elbow". Good tennis teachers can be found in LOS, and very cheaply. A proper swing is very easy to learn, and will extend your tennis enjoyment for many, many years.

[robblok]

I have the symptoms of tennis elbow and I have been taking Ibuprofin 600mg twice a day for a month. Will this cure the problem or just take the pain away temporarily? Can I exercise or ride a bike now? The pain is much less since I stopped using the mouse with my right hand. When I take a walk the elbow gets stiff unless I keep moving it around. THANKS.

Lots of helpful posts on dealing with the symptoms, but not the cause. Most tennis elbow is caused by swinging improperly, putting too much stress on the elbow joint, after which repeated swinging develops the pain from the swollen tendons. Take a break from tennis till the pain is gone, then get a few lessons on correct swinging form, usually forehand side causes the "tennis elbow". Good tennis teachers can be found in LOS, and very cheaply. A proper swing is very easy to learn, and will extend your tennis enjoyment for many, many years.

Tennis elbow is often used for describing RSI and is often not caused by tennis but by using things like a mouse a lot. They just call it tennis elbow.

[FBN]

NSAIDS are the first step in managing this condition but they are rarely effective if needed to be taken over an extended period of time (2-3 weeks). The key is in addressing the origin. If tennis, look at you grip and the swing; if golf, get the advice of a pro. If established, this condition is rarely reversed without a local injection of steroids and an extended period of rest and definitely a change in the action that caused it originally.

There are definitely cons in opting for the steroid. Usually, steroids will cause weakening of the muscle or tendon fibres and may lead to rupture in some cases over time but, in many cases, it is a last and only option.

Several injections may be needed but it is usually not recommended to get more than 3 over the period of treatment. This may be a year or more. Without any change in the movement or precipitating cause, it may return despite treatment with steroids so don't depend on the meds alone, address the cause!

This condition sounds trivial but, believe me, it can be severely debilitating!!

Sympathies and best to the OP!

[ericg1953]

I am also a sufferer of tennis elbow and can make a few sugestions. There are many excersizes that you can do with light weights to strengthen the affected tendons. I did go to see Dr. Mason at Bumrungrad and after 2 visits we decided that the cortisone shot into the elbow would be best. I took off 7 months from the tennis court..did alot of specific weight training and although I do still have pain I can play tennis 4-5 days a week and am very happy about that. I find that good thai massage in the area helps alot.

Edited April 22, 2009 by ericg1953

[Roota]

Despite a few decades of semi-extreme sports abuse to my body, including marathons, trekking, mountain climbing etc., I've so far managed to keep things mostly intact thanks to intelligent weight training, stretching (yoga is good), therapeutic massage, and glucosamine/chondroitin. And good long hot baths are not to be underestimated. NSAIDs only for emergency use.

[Captain Chaos]

Try one of those sports supports that fits around the forearm just below the elbow (with a velcro strap & buckle closure as you need to pull it tight) - I picked up symptoms of tennis elbow in my left arm (I'm right handed) few months back - seems it was due to incorrect technique when hitting the pads during boxing training - the strap really helped take the pressure off things and meant I could keep exercizing (didn't take any medications) - once a trainer fixed my technique, seems to be settling down nicely now.

Just a thought...

CC