Tennis Elbow

[soxpatch]

So I've been having awful pain in my right arm from elbow down to fingers since end of July. Gradually got worse to the extent where it was painful lifting a cup or even moving the duvet off me in the morning!
Saw a dr a few weeks ago (thought it was more serious than 'a bit of a pulled muscle'!) the cream didn't work.

Saw another dr today who confirmed I had tennis elbow. Now gave to take Naproxen twice a day with Lansoprazole each morning to counter stomach issues!

I'm gonna rattle soon!
If I'm no better in a month they can inject me to stop the pain.

Any advice anyone?

 

[Mark T]

It takes time to go down. I'm still recovering from tendonitis in my shoulder and that was a couple of months ago.

Fortunately after a couple of weeks of rest the pain should be better - but don't do what I did and then strain the tendon again when it started feeling better. Giving myself a couple more days of discomfort for my mistake.

My Dr gave me co-codamol because she didn't want to give me an anti-inflammatory.

What I now need to do is go find a physio to help me stretch the arm again so I can get the strength back in it.

 

[AndBreathe]

A number of years ago, I developed tennis elbow I just could not shift. Like you, I used to wake in the morning wondering how I could get to work without moving my arm from the bed.

I tried pain killers, rest, physio, steroid injections, and my GP reckoned the next step was releasing the affected tendon, which I rejected.

Randomly, at a cocktail party, I was asked by one of our guests, who had been invited by my partner, what the problem with my elbow was, as apparently, I kept touching it. So, I explained.

Fast forward, they guy was a chiropractor, who told me he had decent success with tennis elbow, and to give him a call if I wanted to give it a whirl. By then, if someone told me a diet of blue smarties three times a day would cure it, I'd have tried!

After one treatment, focusing on my shoulder, not the elbow, I was pretty much pain-free. After the second, I was pain free.

From time to time, I get the odd ache in the elbow, like this weekend, when I have been using a palm sander, but provided I recognise it and don't let it develop, I'm fine. I've had no further treatment.

Those two appointments were the best couple of hundred pounds I'd spent in a while!

Just relating to your situation; for me, the steroid injection worked for a very short while, and you can pnly have so many, within a certain period, I can't recall.

I do hope you manage to find something that works.

 

[soxpatch]

Thanks for your advice, I was told to rest it but unless I stop going to work & give up being a single parent for a while; not gonna happen!

The dr said I'm also at risk of carpel tunnel in that arm. It's my writing arm so that's why I'm more worried.
Will protect it as much as I can.

 

[pippaandben]

My husband developed tennis elbow which did not respond to either medication or injections and eventually had an operation. This has been a 100% success. The scar took sometime to heal as it is crescent shaped to allow for the bend of the joint. Told not to carry weights of any description eg shopping til pain free. Massaging scar helped a lot -would recommend Bio oil. Regarding carpal tunnel - do not worry about implications of this as I have had both hands done. One 5 years ago and the other 4 months ago. The last was on my right hand but had ability to write within the week. Both operations carpal tunnel and tennis elbow were day cases.

 

[soxpatch]

Aww thanks for the reassurance- I bought a support for it and work ordered me a support and I can have a risk assessment if it doesn't help!

 

[Mark T]

I guess it depends on what kind of work you do - but changing some aspect may help.

I work with computers pretty much all day (then come home and use one, I must be mad!). When I was in some pain I had our H&S person come down to check my desk and she rearranged a few things to make sure my arm was properly supported and gave me a few tips on correct posturing. That did seem to help.

 

[soxpatch]

Yeah I work with computers all day & on my iPad/phone at home lol. I've noticed less pain since the naproxen started & the strapping i got is useful at work. Hopefully it will get better coz it's like severe toothache in my arm from elbow down to fingers!