Tennis Elbow, How Long Did Yours Last?

[weten2]

I'm going on two years

I'm 60 and my first episode with tennis elbow (left arm) started 2 years ago and last 1.5 years. Just when it pretty much was over it started in my right arm. I've tried many things and it seems there isn't much lasting effect and it sems like it has to run it's course. I'm seriously thinking I will always have some form of it and should probably go to graphite shafts.
I started playing golf regularly at 51 and thing this is the main cause. Maybe my wrestling in high school and college might have contributed.

How long did yours last? Does it come back or always with you?

[Indianafox]

[quote name='weten2' post='2000524' date='Oct 11 2009, 09:40 PM']I'm 60 and my first episode with tennis elbow (left arm) started 2 years ago and last 1.5 years. Just when it pretty much was over it started in my right arm. I've tried many things and it seems there isn't much lasting effect and it sems like it has to run it's course. I'm seriously thinking I will always have some form of it and should probably go to graphite shafts.
I started playing golf regularly at 51 and thing this is the main cause. Maybe my wrestling in high school and college might have contributed.

How long did yours last? Does it come back or always with you?[/quote]


Well I can say that I'm 36..and got it last year (from a certain strength exercise) and I still have it. stretching helps (placing the back of your hand on the walll and stretching the dorsal side of your forearm. I've takin medication..but did not work

[HackerD]

After my case didn't get better with rest over the off-season, I went to a physical therapist. Regular massaging, ice and stretching reduced the pain and then we added strengthening exercises. It never got completely cured but is tolerable. You can search on "elbow pain" on this forum and read about numerous different experiences.

[retep]

put a beige color rubberband around your fingers & thumb.
straighten your arm out
extend your fingers so it stretches the rubberband out...
it worked for me and others...

[rory_h]

1.graphite shafts
2.Winn oversize grips (much better than the other sting-free grips i have tried)
3.strategically placed elbow braces (some postions much better than others.For me, i have to get it as high on the elbow as possible).
4. restricted full swing practice. I allow myself only one medium bucket per session

All this stuff keeps my elbow problems at a manageable level..

good luck..

[boo radley]

Hmm...I'm 44, so not quite a senior <grin> but have struggled with 'tennis elbow' or lateral epicondylitis for a couple years from another sport.

Have you had the cortisone shot yet? That provides amazing relief. Proper strengthening and stretching techniques and an elbow brace can bring things to manageable levels, but you got to do 'em. Aside from cortisone, there is no quick fix that I am aware of.

[dpark]

Had my first bout of tennis elbow two years ago. So bad I could not flip an egg in a frying pan. Got on a serious strengthening regimen for my lower and upper arm from my cousin who is a PT. Lasted about 6 months then slowly subsided. As others have already said, you need to strengthen supporting muscles in your forearm to avoid aggravating the muscle (can't remember the name) that results in tennis elbow.

[weten2]

I've been through the cortisone shock and it lasted for only two weeks and have done the other things mentioned with some relief but not totally
This post is directed towards the people (probably senior) who have had the tennis elbow over the years and it eventually went away on it's own. I have a 69 year old friend who said this happen to him. Is there anyone else?
I did appreciate retep's recommendation of the rubber band. I currently do the reverse with using a squeeze ball while driving.

[leoh923]

I started having problems 3 years ago, and switched to graphite shafts, on my Doctors advice, it was either that, or take 3 months off. After going pain free for about 2 years, I switched back to steel shafts, and had pain within 3 months. Tried a ton of different graphite shaft and club combos, found a set that suits my swing, and won't be going back to steel again. Pain free, 6 months now. Good luck.

[azone]

I played college tennis, and have been playing golf since I was 5. I have had one bout with "tennis elbow" and that was from an extended week of fly-fishing! My advice to the O.P. is do not "let it run its course." See a physician, get some Physical Therapy ordered, and you will be a lot better. Your PT knows how to bring this around. In my case, I had deep heat, massage, elec stim, etc. The program worked a miracle for me and I have not had further problems...

[weten2]

Leo;
This is the kind of information I was looking for. I am unemployed at the present and will be more religious on the exercises and ice. I was trying to save the expense of graphite and had bigger misses with the previous graphite set I had. I am leaning towards graphite for the reason I am not getting younger (60) and it will be more healthy for my body in the long run.

[omega]

I have been doing the following exercise and it has helped out.

[url="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/phys-ed-an-easy-fix-for-tennis-elbow/"]http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/p...r-tennis-elbow/[/url]

[mully]

buy a lastrap

[roho]

I had a bad case of it and it lasted for more than 3 years. The worst was over in about a year but it lingered on because I couldn't quit golf.
I have worn the arm band religiously and then one day recently I forget to put it on and I realized it was gone!

Things I did the last three years.
-stopped banging golf balls at the range. I may hit a few balls off the grass for a warm up but NEVER hit off the mats on concrete!
-wore an arm band every time no mater what.
-tried graphite shafts but couldn't get used to them. I went back to steel and used the foam inserts in the shaft called "prosoft" available at myostrich.com
-tried to arrange schedule so I didn't play back to back days.
-cortizone shots are just a mask which provide short term relief and no cure, my doctor wouldn't even give me one. -time is the only cure

[dpb5031]

It comes and goes for me seemingly without rhyme or reason. Right now my right elbow on the medial side is killing me so bad that picking up my coffee mug and lifting it to my mouth to drink is excruciating. I have gone the cortisone route several times and it does work very well for me, lasting about 6-8 months or longer, but it is not medically advisable to get more than 2 or 3.

I have found that midsize Winn grips help to some extent. Ice after a round is also a good idea.

[SwingBlade]

About age 54 I came down with severe pain from "tennis elbow" which for us is really "golf elbow." After 4 months of getting worse, a friend recommended getting one of those ACE elbow devices from the local drug store. It is a hard rubber strap that is placed about 1 1/2" below the elbow and pulled tight with the velcro adjuster strap. I used it off and on for 6 months and luckily never had a problem again.

I stopped playing completely for two months while wearing the cuff anytime I used the arm. After that first two months, I cut my golf back to 9 holes twice a month until it went away completely. Older people who try to play through the pain and play at normal frequency levels are just kidding themselves. Up to maybe age 40, one can try to play through the pain, but after that age one has to listen to messages the body is sending. Any pain at all anywhere over age 50 or 60 and one has to immediately cease the offending activity until the problem goes away or risk a chronic disabling injury.

[idiotbox]

I had both tennis and golfer's elbow in both elbows. I took 8 weeks off and then began a regimen of strengthening my forearms. Haven't had pain in almost a year. Good luck with it.

[weten2]

idiotbox
What exercises did you for your elbow and what was the frequency, reps, sets, weight, etc. I did some and it still hurts.

[innis9923]

I'm sure [b]most[/b] know this, but, there is a actually a difference between golfer's and tennis elbow. Golfer's elbow is associated with the tendon on the [b]inside [/b]of the elbow (medial) while tennis elbow affects the tendon on the [b]outside[/b] (lateral) of the elbow. Both can result in the same excrutiating pain, albeit in different locations, and both are caused by "overuse" of the tendon(s) resulting in small tears in the tendon fibers which attach muscle to bone within the elbow.

Effective treatment of both involve limiting use of the tendon (immobilization), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory meds (ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.) to reduce the irritation and swelling (source of the pain), and the use of pulsed ultrasound to break up existing scar tissue. In extreme cases, cortisone injections to the affected area can sometimes provide 3-6 months of pain relief...the downside being the symptoms are masked which usually results in continued use, additional tearing, and inflammation of the tendon (i.e. the injury worsens). While judiciously taking the anti-inflammatory meds and limiting use of the tendon, the regimented application of heat, massage, and physical therapy will speed up the healing process.

[SwingBlade]

[quote name='innis9923' post='2038316' date='Oct 31 2009, 10:14 PM']I'm sure [b]most[/b] know this, but, there is a actually a difference between golfer's and tennis elbow. Golfer's elbow is associated with the tendon on the [b]inside [/b]of the elbow (medial) while tennis elbow affects the tendon on the [b]outside[/b] (lateral) of the elbow. Both can result in the same excrutiating pain, albeit in different locations, and both are caused by "overuse" of the tendon(s) resulting in small tears in the tendon fibers which attach muscle to bone within the elbow.

Effective treatment of both involve limiting use of the tendon (immobilization), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory meds (ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.) to reduce the irritation and swelling (source of the pain), and the use of pulsed ultrasound to break up existing scar tissue. In extreme cases, cortisone injections to the affected area can sometimes provide 3-6 months of pain relief...the downside being the symptoms are masked which usually results in continued use, additional tearing, and inflammation of the tendon (i.e. the injury worsens). While judiciously taking the anti-inflammatory meds and limiting use of the tendon, the regimented application of heat, massage, and physical therapy will speed up the healing process. [/quote]

I really agree with you that most folks should stay away from the cortisone shots. Maybe it is an option for professional golfers or those for whom playing golf actually increases cash flow, but such shots should be under the care of a very conservative and experienced sports medicine specialist. As you said, PT and disciplined hot/cold therapy and keeping inflammation down is what helps it to not only go away but to actually heal.

Most folks need to quit "playing through the pain," especially players over 50. We can all survive three to six months of no golf. Concentrated pitching, chipping and putting for four to six months will probably do more to lower handicaps than actually playing anyway. Make the best of it and come back better than ever.

FWIW, my "Golf" elbow was on the outside, not the inside. I understand that golfer's elbow is more commonly on the inside, but sometimes is on the outside. Tennis players actually can experience both inside and outside problems. Perhaps it depends on one's swing characteristics and type of release? I think that a lot of us might like to understand a little more about the use of pulsed ultrasound for these types of injuries.

[farmer]

This is not going to be good news-I am 59 and have had tennis elbow for about 20 yrs. Have tried everything and nothing has worked for any length of time. My business (see name) requires that I do heavy work from time to time, so I have never had the opportunity to just rest the arm. There is a form of chiropracty called ART that advertises relief, but I have never tried it. It might be worth a try, and if it does work, I would like to know. Good luck!

[jrjones60]

I get tennis elbow after about 9 holes. Since I started wearing a Mercury ball bracelet on my left wrist I can play 36 holes with absolutely no discomfort whatsoever. I bought mine at tennis-elbow.com Give it a try. Hope this helps.

[Skydiver22]

When I was stationed in Okinawa I had Golfers elbow and tennis elbow at the same time, therapy kind of worked... cortisone gave me relief for about 5 weeks.
Ended up telling a local friend that I was going to quit golf and tennis for about a year to let it all subside... He told me I was crazy and ended up driving me down to a local acupuncturist. three sessions later I was symptom free... and still symptom free after 7 years. That first day I was needled was the start of believing the old ways of medicine.

[bdcava]

Me: Right handed, age 44, been playing guitar for 30 years, admitted range rat, tennis elbow in the left arm since April. I'm in NJ, so I figured I'd make today my last round for the year ( I do try to play on nice winter days if I can.) Every time I almost had this licked I would aggravate it doing household chores or working out at the gym. I'm going to really make an effort to baby it for the next 2 months and then if it still hurts I figure I'll go see someone. I'm taking some joint pills that they sell at Costco. It's a bummer for sure.

[Bobbers]

I know this'll cause some raised eyebrows, but what the heck...

I've been wearing one of those magnetic bracelets on my left wrist for about the past 1.5 years. Prior to that I too had a bad case of lateral epicondylitis (sp?) or tennis elbow and had been dealing with it for the better part of five years. One of my golfing buddies showed up at the first tee one day with a Callaway bracelet one of his kids had given him for Father's Day and said, "I'm never gonna use this, wanna try it?" I figured, "what the heck, nothing to lose", so I did. Three/four days later I noticed things feeling better, and while the bracelet looked like crap, kept it on. Long story short, I upgraded to a metal bracelet with stronger gauss strength in the magnets and haven't looked back.

My wife's niece is a practitioner of eastern medicine and was still in school studying acupuncture. That Thanksgiving she brought her "kit" to the family gathering so I said, "heck, I can watch football while you make a pincushion out of me, enhance my left elbow, it's better but still not perfect." She proceeded to insert needles (which you really don't feel, by the way, they're so thin) and gave me a twenty minute treatment. Made a good situation even better, to be honest.

Now, for the disclaimer. I did NOT believe in either of these treatment modalities, and truth be told, didn't WANT to believe them. Figured I'd be able to debunk them as so much b.s. if I tried them, adding to my curmudgeonly status. Wow, was I wrong...

Might not do anything for any of you, but I gotta say, I'm willing to take off my watch, but I will NOT take off my bracelet...

Luck to you.

[ted_magpie]

I had tennis elbow for about 6 months when I went to see my Dr about it. He gave me some exercises that included holding my arm down or behind me with elbow locked straight, then bending my wrist/hand down and back as far as possible. Really push and release then repeat several times. This flexes the muscles that get tight/inflamed and cause the elbow pain. Doing this stretching many times each day eliminated my pain in a matter of weeks. I continue to do the stretching several times a week and have not had any reoccurrence.

[dablph]

A Doc I play with told me to get a steroid shot.

 

I said, "you mean a cortisone shot" he said no it's another steriod shot that heals the tears other have mentioned as the cause of the pain. Didn't ask what the name of it was....thought my Ortho would surely know what it was....

 

I had my appt set up to go get one....but the weather was sooo good that day I skipped it to play golf.

[danattherock]

Great thread. I am 36 and live in Pinehurst,NC but work up on Nantucket,Mass. Been hitting on range mats (500+ balls per week) here lately as it is my only option. Also recently switched from regular flex graphite to Project X 6.0 (stiff) steel shafts in my irons. Much more accurate and better suited to my swing speed, but this along with hitting off the mats has sure caused some sore elbows as of late. I found two great products for the driving range to help anyone with any recurring injuries to include sore elbows of course. Thought I would post them here as it may benefit someone...


I just ordered this myself. Like $42 shipped.

[b][i][size="5"][color="#336633"][/color][/size][/i][/b][url="http://rangerelief.com/"][color="#0066cc"]http://rangerelief.com/[/color][/url][color="#0066cc"]
[color="#0066cc"][/color]
This product looks even nicer. Endorsed by VJ Singh and cost about $200. I am trying the cheaper option above first.[/color][color="#0066cc"][/color]

[url="http://www.thegolfmat.net/store/"][color="#0066cc"]http://www.thegolfmat.net/store/[/color][/url]

[Geohans]

I am a symphony conductor. I was travelling between two orchestras, practicing golf with a set of Ping Eye 2s extra stiff, and practicing the piano.

Tried to tough it out, play and conduct through the pain. Big mistake. thought I would have to change careers-- and NOT to golf.

tried everything for three years. then I straightened out my diet, cut out all alcohol for twelve months. 2 months into that program I was 95 percent.

The weakness never goes away-- 11 years later, I conducted Bach's Magnificat tonight and I can feel those tendons. the difference is, now I recognize the signals and drop an arm when it feels fatigued or tight.

Massage and general health were the deal closers for me. Including self massage-- this is possible with a tendon in one arm. Find the right spots with your finger, and press on the trigger points til the muscle/tendon releases. Keep digging around in your forearm, you will find spots to stretch, and you will be able to work or play pain free for some time.

[wrmiller]

Currently getting rid of tennis elbow in my left arm for a couple of months now. I wear a strap around my left arm that has a raised section on the inside that is supposed to go over the area of pain, I take Advil before my round, and I do stretching/flexing of the hand both up and down and rotation of the hand while cupped towards me. I also do some arm/wrist exercises with a 30lb dumbbell.

I recently played a round and forgot my arm band, but didn't notice any pain during or after the round. I continue to use the arm band even though I have no pain, as I don't want it coming back!