Falling apart?!

[vickster]

Bah, resurrecting this again

I have been offered three choices to try to treat my recurrent tennis elbow and was wondering if those of you with experience of this pesky condition could offer any insight!

Very swift history - started in autumn of 2011 - not sure of cause, possibly due to riding a too big bike...anyhow, tried PT for 3 months, no better, saw specialist and then had a steroid jab in mid Jan 2012 - couple of days of pain due to the steroid flare, back to PT, all good...

Flared up again about 8 weeks ago - probably due to lugging a heavy briefcase around the globe on business trips...anyhow, 4 weeks of physio, physio says my elbow is his nemesis (never seen such stubborn TE, and is unusually in my left, and thus non dominant arm)
and back to specialist with you!

Saw specialist this afternoon and the 3 options are...

1) TE is self limiting, but could take 6 months, 12 months, 2 years to go, no way of knowing...and I still need to lug bags around the world for work

although I have now got a briefcase with wheels

2) Activated Platelet injection - not common here in the UK, done lots in the US - from what I can tell this is basically PRP. Spec says he has been doing for a year, seen a 90% success rate, insurance should cover it - BUT involves a big needle, it hurts a lot, cannot drive straight after (not an issue) and will need to be very careful for a month, then 3-6 months to get properly better
...it looks like I may have to go to Japan again in mid Sept and mid Oct (but will figure out the bag carrying, acquire a donkey, tie my arm behind my back so I am not tempted to use it or something

)
Best thing - my spec had TE, had this done and is now better!

3) Surgery - tried and tested, 90% success, similar post op protocol and recovery to the jab, covered by insurance, and can still be done if jab fails...BUT is surgery with anaesthetic and all the usual risks, would have a 3cm incision, probably hurts a lot after

I have decided to try option 2) first (less invasive and also as poor success if after failed surgery) and would like to hear from anyone else who has had TE and what treatment, especially such an injection or similar

Cheers in advance

 

[Crackle]

It is self limiting, mine has gone. Quite when, I don't recall, it just slowly faded. I was put off the cortisone route by a friend who seemed to think his got worse after the injection. I've never heard of option 2, so can't comment.

 

[vickster]

My problem is with the work travel, I will find it tough to limit the carrying that has caused the recurrence and this will affect the self limiting! The cortisone certainly helped for a few months. It really hurts so will need to do something...and am impatient

 

[fossyant]

It's quite recent your injury. Taken me 3.5 years to get my shoulder and nerve pain sorted. Operation, bank on a good 12 months before it actually feels better than before the op, really wished I had not bothered for about a year before the pain eventually went. Additional fixes with multiple steroid injections into my muscles. Doing quite well now indeed.

This is on NHS.

 

[vickster]

Great news on feeling better

It's been 9 months - not an injury per se
Surgeon today said 6 months post op or post jab before it will feel right, 3 months to feeling better

I fortunately have private HC through work - hence all this happens rather more quickly. I want to try to get it sorted asap (and have the luxury of being able to do so) as I am expecting to have to travel to Asia up to 6 times in the next 6 months or so, plus numerous shorter trips to Switzerland (and some holiday hopefully).

Last time I got on a plane I dropped my heavy laptop briefcase on some unsuspecting chap's head trying to hoik it into the overhead locker due to the pain and weakness - he was ok, thank God it wasn't my wheelie case I cannot actually lift or carry anything with my left arm right now, even really quite light things - difficult if you have more than one bag! I just pulled a binbag off the roll - and even that hurt like feck, just holiding it with the left, pulling with the right!! TE is an annoying and bizarre condition - and I've not been near a tennis racket for 20 years lol

I also have an ongoing knee injury, from a bike fall nearly 3 years ago - this is unfortunately damaged for good - have had two keyhole ops. There is a surgical option but it's a lottery and major, so avoiding that for as long as possible

 

[vickster]

Well I had the platelet injection last night...and wow it was astonishingly painful at times - seemed to take ages, he injected about 2ml of plasma into my tendon - feck ouch - no anaesthetic as it kills the platelets. My arm is virtually useless today and still hurts like **** - the tennis elbow pain x about 200% . I see the spec again in about 4 weeks, he says there is a large black hole in the tendon on the ultrasound and didn't sound very hopeful that one jab will be enough.

Feeling a bit sorry for myself today, here's hoping I have superhero platelets and they do the trick. Got to go to work tomorrow, should be interesting - don't feel safe to drive and cannot cycle so the train for me! Bah

 

[Crackle]

I'm interested to hear how this goes. Cortisone injections hurt too, I'm told.

Chin up Vickster, you are at least tackling it positively and with luck, bringing it to an end.

 

[roadrash]

i have problems with my lower spine i wont go into detail but can confirm that you are correct cackle,cortisone injections do hurt as do facet joint injections ,but what hurt more was the fekin epidural ,that ones a bastard

 

[vickster]

I posted and it disappeared...weird

The cortisone injection itself didn't hurt (after the needle scratch) as the steroid is injected with lidocaine...this on the other hand was horrid at times especially when he wiggled the needle around! Specialist had the PRP himself for TE...all healed...especially as he said he didn't ever want another of those injections!

I am hoping I don't need another too! Bupa may not be so willing to cough up again!

 

[vickster]

10 days on, arm is still very sore...cannot lift anything even slightly heavy, cannot twist the arm, pronate my wrist. I even struggled to open a sandwich the other day and bags of crisps pose a challenge too! Taking some ibuprofen which seems to be helping. ofrtunately a very busy week of work means that the advised rest hasn't been too good and a business trip next week won't help either. Will need a trolley dolly to hoik my case into the overhead locker Last time I tried with TE, I dropped my laptop bag on someone's head!

Did try a 5 mile cycle after a couple of days, holding the bars was ok - flats and hoods, and braking on the suicide levers ok too. However, hitting any sort of bump hurt like ****. Might have another go on a bike tomorrow, perhaps get the MTB out for comfort, although pumping the flat tyres up could be impossible... Using the exercise bike instead

Hey ho...what a crummy condition!

 

[vickster]

6 weeks since the jab and no discernible improvement - cannot lift, carry any sort of weight, grip tight, reach or grab - all kind of normal functions for an arm

See the spec on Thursday and am going to have the next steps conversation. Pretty fed up with it now so think the conversation will cover surgery. Has anyone had surgery for tennis elbow - to relase / debride the lateral extensor tendon or whatever it's called?

I have a very small window of opportunity if the immediate recovery is less than a month - between a work trip to Asia and this year's holiday to Florida (I am lucky to have private HC so can dictate dates to a certain degree). Otherwise will need to wait until January and perhaps try another jab (even though the pain of that puts me off)!

Double bah!

 

[fossyant]

Only shoulder decompression and de-bridement and I was moving it about the day after. Back on the bike on the road after 2 weeks.

Stuff the work trip if you need an operation.

 

[vickster]

Unfortunately if I were to do that I'd probably find myself with a lot of time on my hands the next time redundancies roll round. Op is last resort, not sure if am there just yet

 

[cyberknight]

Just send your bikes to me , you need complete rest

 

[vickster]

If I remember rightly, you are a bit of a shorty...don't want you getting tennis elbow from riding a bike that is too big