Help! Anyone else with tennis elblow? (lateral epicondylitis)

[Smellybum]

Howdy ye'all,

I've been diagnosed with the above (not a major loss to the guitar world I know...) However I am determined to keepl playing - despite the pain.

Just wondered if any of my fellow knuckleheads have had this in the past or living with it now, mine is brought in by playing (Sitting on standing)

I've been recomended Penetrex - although Dr's inthe UK are against it,

Thanks in advance for any replies.


(BP/Mods) -this is ball releated, especially as I have a BP AL and reflex on my 2010 ordersheet! -

 

[dstockden]

Yep Ive had it, i had that and carpel tunnel at the same time.
right around the time i recorded my first CD. Hence some of it was played with just my right hand!
I had to rest it for aggggggggggggggeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssss and i wore a support i got from Boots.
Basically it all came down to rest in the end i'm afraid.

 

[cjl5150]

I have tightness in my left forearm and wrist with numbness and tingling in my fingers. I don't know if that's what you're referring to or not. I was told by a chiropractor that it wasn't carpal tunnel but something in my elbow. It drives me crazy and affects my playing. I really don't know what to do. Can't afford a doctor right now...

 

[beej]

Bummer man- that sucks.

Haven't had it, but I did have 8 months where playing hurt like a bitch after I damaged my rotator cuff (was boxing, threw a mean hook out went the shoulder).

In my case, time off and it got better. Though never the same.

 

[batyak]

I've also got problems with tingling in the fingers, mainly the ring and pinkie! It's called cubital tunnel syndrome. It's to do with the ulnar nerve that starts at the neck, goes down your arm through the elbow and effects the pinkie, ring finger and side of the hand. Massaging the neck and shoulders does it the world of good, as odes trying to sleep with your arm straight. But it still needs to be rested as much as posible, which sucks big time!

 

[tornandfrayed]

Smelly, i've got tennis elbow...between guitar and golf its hurts almost all the time...i have had shots of cortizone and a chiropractic treatmeants...nothing seems to help for long!

 

[travs]

My left "funny bone" flairs up with pain on and off all year. riding my Ducati and playing my Albert are worth the pain. I am cutting back on the 'sauce' in 2010.

 

[batyak]

Heat before you play and ice after works a treat for dodgy joints!

 

[metalmarty]

Golden standard for treating epicondylitis lateralis:

1. fysiotherapy
2. injections with corticosteroids
3. surgical release of the extensor-origo. Relatively simple for a good orthopedic surgeon.

Playing doesn't slow down recovery, so keep at it .

 

[browndog]

I haven’t had tennis elbow but I’ve had rheumatoid arthritis since I was 25. In my upper body it effects the hands, the wrist, the elbow and shoulder. All of which makes it impossible to play when I have a flare up.

Over the past couple of years with the advancements in new drugs I’ve been able to keep flare ups to a minimum but somedays when I least expect it. It comes back and reminds me who’s boss. Its a terrible debilitating disease.

 

[Sweat]

Mike,

Suffering from it right now, have made a few comments before about it, it is my left elbow, i ignored it at first but this summer became to much and I started losing feeling in my fingers.
Went to the Doc and got the steriod shot, helped but I did not listen to her and rest it week later worse than ever, thought about giving it up at that point.

Went back to the Doc got anoher shot and this time listened to her, rest rest rest!

I also decided to make changes in my guitars and playing style to help but the biggest thing is something my wife discovered, it really works,

100% Pure Emu Oil!! Started using it back in October and have been mostly pain free since and able to do things I thought I would not be able to any longer, it really does work, i use it on the elbow once or twice a day.

stuffs not cheap but worth it.

 

[ScoobySteve]

I know how you feel smelly

I play guitar, play competitive tennis, throw American football, and box.

MURDER on the arm.

Just rest well and make sure you stretch!

 

[azazael]

Smelly if you use emu oil just be sure not to adjust you're satellite dish on the roof.

 

[guitfiddle]

I've got tennis elbow in my left arm as well. Just started about 6 months ago. Not bad enough to keep me from playing YET, but plenty painful. Makes it hard to lift things, even just my arm, in certain directions as well. Sucks getting old.

 

[colinboy]

Mike you,ll have to learn how to play with no tension in your hands,arms and overall body.this is what happens when the muscles tense up too much over along period of time,try and practice new material and existing stuff very slow with your hands and arms especially as relaxed as you can and work up the speed slowley with minimal tension.

 

[Pain-Free Music]

Hi Everyone,

I haven't posted in the forums in awhile. Partly because I like reading people's comments and seeing pictures, but mainly because I'm too busy playing my AS! However, I saw this post and knew that I had to respond because this is my area of expertise.

First off, an introduction. My name is Jim O'Gara, M.Mus., LMT. I am proud EBMM Axis Sport owner. (That's me at B.B. King's.) [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suLkdPTxlJ4"]YouTube- Excuse Me: No Doubt Tribute. Different People at BB Kings[/ame] I am also a licensed massage therapist who specializes in the treatment of repetitive strain injuries, particularly those developed by musicians. I should know about those I had bi-lateral carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome and thoracic outlet syndrome. I had been playing an instrument since 7 and by 26 both arms were in complete, and constant pain and numbness. Believe me when I say to you all dealing with repetitive strain injuries, "I feel your pain!" Mine was so bad I was considering suicide. ( You can read my bio at Jim O'Gara's Bio .)

It was through muscular therapy that I was able to get rid of all three conditions and it is through the same therapy that I am able to continue to play today relatively pain free. (The pain only comes back when I don't follow my self-massage treatment schedule.) The above video I linked to was 1.5 years after I hit rock bottom with my pain and started recovering.

I'd like to offer my help to ANYONE on this forum who encounters repetitive strain injuries. My personal email is [email protected] , contact me there and we'll set up a time to talk on the phone. I can guarantee you will see a dramatic decrease in pain within a week, and can have it totally gone within a month.

My personal thoughts about some of the treatments already mentioned:

1. Do NOT play through the pain! The pain is telling you a message, and that is to stop for awhile and treat your muscles! If you can, during your recovery phase, dramatically decrease your playing time as playing, ie putting repetitive strain on the muscles that got you this pain in the first place, is only going to lengthen the time needed to recover.

2. Cortisone/corticosteriod shots are ok in the short term, and in limited use, for a couple of reasons. 1) While they decrease the swelling in the tendons, they are not addressing the factors that caused the tendon swell, namely the overly tight extensor muscles. 2) Repeated cortisone shots lead to tissue degeneration.

3. Surgery should only be seen as a last resort. And even then, if one doesn't not release the tension in the muscles pulling on the tendons, causing inflammation and thereby compressing nerves, the pain will inevitably come back. (Google CTS recurral rates after surgery.)

4. While I can not help someone totally eliminate their pain with rheumatoid arthritis, as it is a immune system disease, I can teach you to greatly decrease it by relieving the pressure of the muscles that are pulling on your joints. (arthr-joint, itis-inflammation.)


To the original poster with the tennis elbow, I say, "You're not alone!" I've met a number of trombone players with the same injuries. The good thing, perhaps the greatest of things, is that there is hope. (referencing "shawshank redemption" there.) Tennis elbow is relatively easy to get rid of in a short time.

To BP and any other EBMM folk, thank your for making your guitars very comfortable to play! Their ergonomics really help in lessening repetitive strain injuries. And if you would ever want me to come to the factory to give y'all (I'm in NC, we say "y'all" here.) a clinic in self-massage for repetitive strain injuries, I am totally game!

Now back to playing my Axis Sport.......

 

[ProtoChicken]

I suffered with it in my picking arm starting in 1994. I was at Berklee at the time so I played through the pain which turned out to be a really bad idea. It resulted in me not being to open doors, take left hand turns in my car, or even sign my name with out severe pain.

I ended up at Brigham and Women's hospital musician's injury specialty clinic, and after that had two different stints at Sports Medicine rehab center in Boston. It took two years to feel good again, and in the end I quit playing for 3 years after playing for 20 out of frustration due to frequent recurrences, all because I was stubborn and didn't follow through with my physical therapy and strengthening exercises, and couldn't be bothered to warm up properly. When I decided to play again I made a concerted effort to take care of my arm properly and it's made a world of difference. I wish I had done that in the first place 15 years ago.

I won't bore everyone to death with the details, but if you need any advice on preventive and healing exercises as well as a couple of devices I found that did wonders for me shoot me a PM.

I will echo Pain-Free Music's sentiments (his advice is spot on in every way) and say that as hard as it is, if you are told to rest your injury then rest it. Also as much as a pain as it is 15 minutes of warming up and stretching before picking up your guitar is essential. I still have flare ups, but they are easily manageable, and usually as a result of me not warming up before playing.

 

[Vito Porkleone]

Smelly - A tip for you...

When I went through this a couple of years ago, one thing that REALLY helped was to keep the arm straight while sleeping. This really relieved the pressure on the elbow during the night, and it definitely helped alleviate the symptoms until the latter part of the day.

It's hard to do at first, but if you think about it when you first go to bed, after a few nights you'll start to catch yourself bending your arm during the night. Sounds weird, I know, but that, along with some rest and ibuprofen will do wonders.

 

[Smellybum]

WOW!

Thanks a lot you guys,
Loads to be getting on with, sorry so many of you are in the same boat, but thanks for the advice, my main job is IT support and typing along with guitars seems to be triggering it the most, hopefully I can rest over the festives....

Thanks again..

 

[Miqueas92]

Me TOOOOOOO!!!

My Dr. just told me to not play anymore, well, you know how that went over

Mine was so bad that I could not hold anything up with the palm of my left hand turned up. Playing wasn´t so bad, it was the aftermath.

But, it is a lot better today. Sometimes it still hurts but very managable.

What did I do?

I moved my guitar higher up on my body, it took loads of strain off of my elbow. It does not look so cool but....

It still hurts from time to time but, I play about 5 hours a week at Church and a lot of practice at home. I can hold everything I want to, even lift weights with minimal pain.

I´m very interested in the remedies mentioned here, especially the warm up and stretching ideas, could you elaborate Proto¿¿


Mick