Tennis elbow - again

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maddmatt

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Apr 1, 2013
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Location
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Nick - are these any good for tennis elbow? Aircast Pneumatic Armband

I have acute tendonitis in the left elbow which runs down the forearm, am seeing a physio who has done massage and acupuncture and is doing ultrasound tomorrow, I have need popping diclofenacs but these seem to have no effect whatsoever so stopped taking them, elbow definitely gets worse after shooting. Last week I took a video on the ipad (someone filmed me), playing the video back at 1/8 normal speed I was amazed at the amount of recoil our bodies take even with 'soft' shells. Guess the forearms are tensing up and griping harder to compensate.

 
Increase your grip.

I used to suffer terribly from tennis elbow. So I stuck a palm swell on and wrapped the stock grip area with that stuff you rebound tennis racket grips with. You can put as much or as little as you wish. Start with loads and as it starts to get better you can peel off .

I had all my stocks made with palm swells and big grips after that. The EvoComp is massive thanks to the arthritis coming now as well...

Oh the joys of the over 50's.

:wink:

 
I have just had Cortisone injections into mine. I get it in both elbows but we call it Golfers or shooters elbow as it is on the inside, where as tennis elbow is on the outside, is this same for you guys?
I do sometimes use a strap around forearm when shooting which helps a bit.
I also have a moulded glove grip on gun a bit like an evo-comp, but It's still a problem.


http://www.tirovesti.co.uk/

 
Matt, has the Physio given you any exercises? What else has he/she advised?
Have been doing several stretch exercises plus some resistence training with a light dumbbell, issue is the next day the elbow is worse, so have backed off them, will see what she says tomorrow. As it affects my left arm its not the grip (pistol) thats the issue. Other then that its all good :)

 
I've just been through about 3/4 months of the same... quite painful at times, I took a month off in april-ish to try and let it go away, but it didn't - I have kept regular exercises and ice packs. My left arm was almost unusable at one point, and I had very little grip power. 
 
I think I have narrowed it down to the motion I make when breaking the gun, so I have tried to move to a more 'twist' fashion (only 20deg or so) which has eased things a lot, and the flare up after shooting has reduced. 
 
Nick gave me great exercises and I wore one of these braces - from Amazon  - which has been excellent, much better than the first one I bought at Boots.

 
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Basically, TE is an overuse injury. It's inflammation/irritation of the common extensor tendon usually caused by a repetitive activity. Physios use various forms of treatment and people respond differently to them. The TE straps can help by stretching/offloading the tendon that is inflamed/irritated although simple stretches can have the same effect. I've always found ice on the affected area to be pain relieving and helps reduce inflammation (if present), ice cube massage over the tender area. However, as you are currently seeing a Physio, I don't want to tread on their toes too much so will not be too specific...I have my reservations about certain treatments offered to people with TE due to lack of evidence to back them up but don't want to influence you too much..Nicola is correct in saying that widening your grip can help (tennis players might have 2-3 grips on rackets and cricketers often have 2 grips on their bats) but your Physio is probably the best person to speak with regarding that. Might be worth demonstrating your gun hold (without the gun....) to them. It is also possible that the trauma could be caused by the action of breaking the gun..

You right about recoil. It is amazing how much the shoulder moves. Lots of micro trauma to the joint but also absorbed elsewhere in the body. The only way to eradicate recoil is to stop shooting, however you can minimise it with recoil pads/Isis/lighter shells etc.

Any questions or problems, please do not hesitate to ask.

 
Thanks Nick, will add those to the mix to try and get rid of it, might try one of the straps when shooting to give it some support and see what happens.

 
Updated the link to the Tennis Elbow band I used... sorry, borked it the first time!

 
Not doing/adapting the activity that causes the problem is often the best way to ease the problem but the pain can last a long time. It is self limiting, therefore will eventually go but Physio can help accelerate this process.

 
I have arthritis in both shoulders, knees and bizarrely in only one ankle? go figure that one. Luckily my doctor used to shoot so is quite sympathietic, he recommended the much maligned semi auto if I wanted to extend my shooting life, so far after 8 years with it I have had no problems touch wood.

However lately Tendonitis has begun to creep into my right elbow, so I am thinking of having an ISIS unit fitted and reducing down to 24grm cartridges along with the swimming regime that my doc recommends I should be good to go for a few more years yet.

Nic wait until you get past 60 things dont stop working they start to fall off !!

 
Yep, often ways round things to help if you are having problems. I think Stuart Clarke had to use a semi auto after suffering trauma to his shoulder. Where there is a will there is a way.....

 
I feel your pain, had an injury at work that resulted in TE. I found the stretching exercises and favouring my opposite arm as much as possible helped, still took about three months to lose the pain and my grip has been reduced...good luck.:(

 
Increase the grip on the gun.......and try to keep off hours of using computer / ipad keyboards.

Especially bad if you are on mobile phone holding it to your ear for hours at a time.....I had to start using an ear piece......

Jake mine was outside.

I found the tendon bands just let me carry on work....or shoot.....especially when really tight.....but just masked the pain.

I am not professing to be medical at all......just suffered for over a year......

Who can afford to go at £60 a go to physio on a regular basis......not shooters.....they see cartridges or competition entries or fuel money.....so I started writing down what I did each day......and it is amazing how many repetitive things you do....that you think are nothing. Mine started to ease up when I was abroad with no Internet connection......so no typing and no calls with phone to ear because I left it switched off in the safe for 10 days.....

And that peeps was a big wake up call......as to how to do things. Worked for me....but everyone is different....so can I suggest you analyse what your repetitive actions each day are?????

 
Big yes to that from Nicola.

Mine is also much better after two weeks away from a computer on hols.... only the other arm hurts now from Repetitive Supping Injury. 

 
Anyone who is paying £60 to see a Physio on a regular basis is getting taken for a ride.... A good Physio should diagnose, provide initial treatment and then show the patient how to self manage the condition. Patients should not been seen as cash cows.. And that is the truest story of all... (Sorry Nic, couldn't resist) ;-)

 
Big yes to that from Nicola.

Mine is also much better after two weeks away from a computer on hols.... only the other arm hurts now from Repetitive Supping Injury.
happens quite a lot, Matt....people over compensate with other arm and then they have TE in both.... Always best to try to use alternate arms you do things with (insert rude comment) or share the load like lifting heavyish objects with both arms etc. Like I said, avoiding or adapting the activity can help when acutely painful.
 
I switched from beer to vodka to minimise the weight impact - but seriously the reduction of mouse and keyboard over two weeks has helped me - going to be looking to improve keyboards etc over the next few weeks... 

 
Doh, just re-read your comment Matt....supping injury. Missed that....brachioradialis muscle - most important muscle in the body as it allows you to lift a glass of *insert Alcoholic drink* to your mouth.....

 
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