Tennis elbow - not nice at all!!!

[Roadhump]

I have been suffering from this for about the last 4 months. I always thought it was a mild irritation thing and would never have guessed how painful it really is. I've had Naproxen prescribed and it barely touched it so the Dr sent me for x-rays and has said when the results come back he will give me a steroid injection.

It may seem unrelated to cycling, but as I never play tennis I can't think what has caused it. It is very difficult to take weight on the affected arm and when out cycling if you raise the affected arm it can be very painful, luckily its my left arm so its not as important for indicating to impatient motorists which way I intend to turn etc.

Just felt the need to share that - if you ever get it, you have my sympathy.

 

[Old Walrus]

It is a total pain! I had it for the first time last year causing me to withdraw from an off-road charity ride due to the jarring. It disappeared after a few months with no intervention apart from a Boots elbow support.

However, it's back! I think the cause is over exertion at cricket nets last weekend which does not bode well for the season

Good luck with your treatment, I am going to keep on riding as shiny retirement bike arrived this week, woohoo!

 

[Roadhump]

Thanks, and hope you enjoy the retirement bike - and hope you T.E. subsides as well.

 

[Archie_tect]

I played a regular badminton and squash when I got it in my 40s - it cleared up when I stopped but just before Christmas I badly twisted my elbow pulling a heavy suitcase which flipped as I was dragging it and a few days later back came the familiar pain as you say when trying to grip while applying weight or pressure on the joint or trying to lift my arm... if you google it you can identify which ligature points are affected... it takes up to 6 months to clear up to heal on it's own but will go eventually.

 

[simon.r]

After several steroid injections, some of which worked for months, others for a few days, I paid to see a Physio. He assured me it was down to a neck problem and sorted it out in a couple of visits. That was several years ago and, touch wood, all's still well.

 

[ScotiaLass]

I have been suffering from this for about the last 4 months. I always thought it was a mild irritation thing and would never have guessed how painful it really is. I've had Naproxen prescribed and it barely touched it so the Dr sent me for x-rays and has said when the results come back he will give me a steroid injection.

It may seem unrelated to cycling, but as I never play tennis I can't think what has caused it. It is very difficult to take weight on the affected arm and when out cycling if you raise the affected arm it can be very painful, luckily its my left arm so its not as important for indicating to impatient motorists which way I intend to turn etc.

Just felt the need to share that - if you ever get it, you have my sympathy.

I can sympathise!! I had it in both elbows, one much worse than the other.
I had physio, acupuncture and all sorts of painkillers.
I finally had a 'tendon release' operation on it. That was working well until I overdid it during the recovery period (because after over a year of having it it was nice to be able to move it freely!) and damaged it again
I just live with it now.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I've got a sneaky feeling I've got it now in my right elbow.

I broke that elbow in a cycling off a few years ago, but TBH I've not had any ongoing problems with it until it started to hurt when doing anything remotely physical a couple of weeks ago.

Rest is not an option due to work, and seeing the Doc is not an option until they either work weekends or I book a holiday to go in the week!

So the best I can hope for is to try and limit the use of that arm, (right arm and I'm right handed though!), and hope it clears up.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I had it in both elbows a year or so ago. Sympathies.
I used this support the short one shown and a slightly longer version when driving travelling (lifting trolley cases into aircraft lockers on a regular basis). I also used them on the bike and eventually the pain faded away and it's not returned.

 

[Roadhump]

After several steroid injections, some of which worked for months, others for a few days, I paid to see a Physio. He assured me it was down to a neck problem and sorted it out in a couple of visits. That was several years ago and, touch wood, all's still well.

I was seeing a chiropractor recently after trapping a nerve in my neck when I came off my bike on the canal towpath (another horribly painful thing - I would prefer the tennis elbow to that), I was sitting in his waiting room for my last appointment and saw a leaflet encouraging people to see if chiropractic could help with joint pains - I considered it but then at £30 a time I thought I would give the steroid injection a go first.

 

[young Ed]

It is a total pain! I had it for the first time last year causing me to withdraw from an off-road charity ride due to the jarring. It disappeared after a few months with no intervention apart from a Boots elbow support.

However, it's back! I think the cause is over exertion at cricket nets last weekend which does not bode well for the season

Good luck with your treatment, I am going to keep on riding as shiny retirement bike arrived this week, woohoo!

what is your shiny retirement bike?

oh and as for anyone with tennis elbow, you get my sympathy not had it but i know how much just spraining any part of your body is a dis-advantage/pain!
Cheers Ed

 

[vickster]

You certainly have my sympathy. I had TE caused by cycling, got 4 months relief from steroid, no real benefit from physio and acupuncture, no relief from platelet rich plasma at all and unfortunately needed surgery about 14 months after it started (with a follow up op to remove a knot of suture and scar tissue about 8 months later). I was lucky to have private healthcare given how much treatment I had. Avoid surgery if at all possible, it flipping hurts afterwards and is a long slow recovery with lots of physio.

Rest is the best thing. Mine never hurt specifically while cycling but I think it was down to a too big bike and braking while stretched.

Good luck, it's a frustrating condition when it becomes chronic. Mine was never going to heal according to the surgeon, the tendon was barely attached at the end! It was my left non dominant arm, but still a pain.

It's left me with tight neck and shoulder muscles with pain in the arm which actually seems better at the moment, probably as I can't cycle!

It's very rarely caused by tennis except in tennis players. Any repetitive action or overuse can cause it, could be DIY, decorating, computer use etc

 

[Roadhump]

I had TE caused by cycling.........Rest is the best thing......Mine never hurt specifically while cycling but I think it was down to a too big bike and braking while stretched.

Thanks for the detailed reply. It really worries me that cycling could be the cause. Like you, it is my left, non-dominant arm and it gets less use than my right arm. Can you say for certain it was down to the bike or was it a process of elimination? I hope it is actually just something that would have occurred anyway.

.

It's left me with tight neck and shoulder muscles with pain in the arm which actually seems better at the moment, probably as I can't cycle!

This actually gives me some (cautious) cause for optimism. I had a bad elbow in my right arm about 8 years ago and put it down to too overuse in the gym, although it wasn't as bad as this, it was still bad enough for me to curtail my gym activity, since then I have had problems with my right shoulder nut that went right down my arm into my wrist, but has now cleared up (it periodically comes back temporarily) so if the elbow and shoulder are linked, I hope it is just the other side doing the same and it will eventually clear up on its own.

 

[vickster]

I think cycling caused it as I was using a too big bike. Probably exacerbated by mouse / Laptop use

Have you got a physiotherapy programme? Spend some time and money with a good sports physio, if not before the steroid after.

Steroid is often a bandaid, my specialist no longer uses it at least for private patients, and goes straight with PRP which has a 90% long term success rate, my tendon was just too far gone, a year of treatment. Indeed, he himself had it for TE and never had another issue. I will say though, a very painful injection, not available on the NHS and very costly to self fund.

My shoulder pain was not linked directly to the elbow, more that I simply didn't use t,hat side properly for 18 months or whatever and developed an imbalance and tight scalenes

 

[Sham69]

and goes straight with PRP which has a 90% long term success rate

Sorry vickster, what's PRP?

Had tendonitis inside/outside elbows on/off for decades. In the distant past, steroid injections (Cortisone) have worked brilliantly for me and given several months of relief but, I'm informed, can cause problems in the longer term which is why many GP's are now reluctant to give or recommend them.

Any activity involving gripping can aggravate the condition and the many folk I know who've had tendonitis tend to find it hangs around in the background and flares up periodically - something you just accept. It's possible to manage the condition to some extent but it's impossible to avoid all types of gripping which is why, I guess, it never completely leaves those of us who've had it in the past. Fortunately for me, it doesn't seem to be a big deal any more and I still cycle regularly, lift weights pretty enthusiastically, use garden pruners, carry heavy stuff, use DIY tools etc etc - but tennis, squash and badminton are out!

 

[vickster]

Platelet rich plasma

They take blood from your good arm, spin it in a centrifuge, then inject the separated plasma into the tendon.