Tennis/Golf Elbow

[evadgib]

Hi All,

I don't normally venture into this room but now that I'm here I thought i'd pass this on:

- Several times this year I have been incapacitated by the loss of the use of my left arm, most recently to the point where I could neither sleep, drive,use a computer or eat with a fork.

- I had no idea what the problem was but my suspicions centred on 'repetitive strain injury' due to computer.

- While being unable to sleep one night I fired-up my easiest computer to do some research & the answer seem to suggest 'Tennis Elbow' was the culprit. I had heard of it but had no idea how painful it could be!

- The cure appeared quite expensive online but all anyone reading this will need is: A Golf ball, A Tennis ball and a pair of those hand-grip spring things that look like a nutcracker/ giant clothes peg with rubber handles (THB 60-ish each in Big C)

- The treatment goes like this:

Golf Elbow: Place the tennis ball on a table & use your painful arm as a rolling pin to apply pressure to the affected area.

Tennis Elbow: Place your painful arm on the table & apply pressure to the top of your forearm using the golf ball/good hand.

Grips: I found a motorbike-throttle action relieved the pain very quickly if done regularly throughout the day. I also put one under my pillow for the first couple of nights.

Re computers; I'm ambidextrous therefore I moved the mouse to the other side of the keyboard

The overall cost of the above was around THB 500.

I hope this proves useful:)

[lovesomtam]

I have suffered extreme tennis elbow in the past. Very painful indeed!!!

Yes, the exercises help.

So does this such as the way you change the way you do certain things. If it is caused by using a computer too much, adjusting your chair to the right height, and having support for your arm and mouse and keyboards in the correct position is important. My company had a physio therapist come in to my office and do this for me.

Also the way you carry things such as shopping bags is important. Having your palms facing forward and upward whilst gripping things is important.

I eventually had to have cortisone injections - and after time , the pain has gone. Though I still have to be careful while doing certain things such as bicep exercises using dumb bells.

Hope this helps!

[thaiexpat21]

Both these conditions are so called "repetitive strain" injuries .

"Tennis elbow" affects the lateral (outside) of the elbow the technical term being "Lateral Epicondylitis"

"Golfers elbow" affects the inner (medial ) side of the elbow and is known as "Medial Epicondylitis"

Both conditions respond to the same treatment which in the early stages includes rest, icing, and anti-inflammatory medication.

Once the acute phase is over a gradual return to activity can be achieved.

In recurrent or "stubborn" cases a cortisone injection into the affected site may be helpful.

In some , rare, cases surgery may be advised.

[lovesomtam]

I almost had surgery done to my arms ( yes, I had it in both) but after finding out the procedure I chickened out.

Basically , they sever the tendons from the bone and just leave them 'dangling' is how it was described to me

[thaiexpat21]

I almost had surgery done to my arms ( yes, I had it in both) but after finding out the procedure I chickened out.

Basically , they sever the tendons from the bone and just leave them 'dangling' is how it was described to me

Not really !

Modern day surgery is a bit more sophisticated !

This elbow surgery is usually undertaken using an arthroscope

Here is some info

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00646

[Soutpeel]

I have varying bouts of tennis/golfing elbow over the years and found a strap in the golfing pro shops, which is velco strap, about 2" wide and you put it on about 3 fingers width below you elbow on your forearm and wear it while using the computer etc, ie any activity where you could get RSI and it works very well

per "lovesomtam's" comments about the surgery, when I talked to a orthapedic surgeon about getting this fixed he described almost the exactly the same way and as "lovesomtam" I chickened out as well

On cortisone injections, had them before and they did sh*t and apparantly you shouldnt keep getting the injections and is in the longer term they will also damage "things" and make things worse..

[Langsuan Man]

Here is an article describing several natural methods for this condition:

http://the-tennis-elbow-brace.blogspot.com/

Don't know if these velcro type braces are available here in Thailand, but this is what I have used over the years

[Soutpeel]

Here is an article describing several natural methods for this condition:

Tennis elbow.png

http://the-tennis-elbow-brace.blogspot.com/

Don't know if these velcro type braces are available here in Thailand, but this is what I have used over the years

tennis-elbow-strap.jpg

Yeap..similar availible at golf pro shops, even in Thailand I have 2, not as wide as the ones you post, but they do work