Tennis elbow - grrr... | Arthritis Information

 

This tennis elbow (tendonitis of the elbow) is not getting any better.  Voltaren gel, heat, ice, etc will take the pain away for a while, but it always comes back.  I've done a round of Medrol which worked wonders for 10 days, but then, you guessed it, the pain came back.  I'm getting quite annoyed.

Advice, anyone?
When that happens to my husband he gets a cortisone shot...

[QUOTE=wanttobeRAfree]When that happens to my husband he gets a cortisone shot... I have been having a bit of that myself. Have not been doing any heavy lifting. I was hoping that maybe stopping the abx would help. I don't care just anything that would help would be alright with me. Maybe this is an after effect of seasonal allergies. LOL I just want it to be anything but RA because I want it to go away. It is in my good arm the worst. I do have it a bit in my right arm. Seems to be in my knees also. Just seems I have enough old things going on I do not need new problems. No flexeril or anything similar in the house right now... though the two beers I had on Saturday night definitely took the pain and stiffness away for a couple of hours!!!

I will have to make a note of that on my new study.

Hi Jasmine, I know you are an active person, perhaps along with the elbow brace Snow suggested, keeping it immobile for a period of time?  I have had a bout of this before and keeping it immobile seemed to help.  The pressure from the brace not only helped the pain when I did use it, but also reminded me not to over use!

Sorry, girl, thats all I've got!  I hope you find some relief and you're out bouncing about again soon!

I, finally after almost a year, was told I had golfers elbow which is the same thing, tendonitis.  I went for accupuncture and after 3 visits it is feeling really good.  I could probably go for one more but will wait for awhile.  Hope this helps.

My husband's shots are hit or miss. He gets tendonitis in various places and eventually gets himself a shot. Sometimes it doesn't work at all but most of the time he does get relief. He says when it hurts like hell when he gets it he knows they got the right spot and it works. I mean they all hurt but these make him want to go thru the roof I guess. I'm so scared of needles- the pain must be awfully intense to have people get shots in places like that!!!!

Is he getting cortisone treatments?  They are brutal!!!  I tried it once on the other elbow and the pain from that was worse than the tendonitis.  It also ate a hole in my elbow so no more of those for me.  Accupunture is much different and you barely feel the little pins. TeedOff2009-10-19 12:50:21Yes sometimes they work and sometimes not so well. Maybe they get immuned to the shots after awhile. Strange my shoulder is not giving me as much trouble as my elbow. So for this I am thankful. Maybe taking it easy for the elbows is giving my shoulder some much needed rest. [QUOTE=JasmineRain] I'm getting quite annoyed.
[/QUOTE]Annoyance I understand. Many years ago I wrenched my elbow during a cross-country move. The ONLY relief I gained, aside from temporary relief via a "dose pak", was from physical therapy, including hydrotherapy and physical manipulation.

There are several differential diagnosis of elbow epicondytis. This from WebMd, which I understand is frequently dismissed as the site depends on ads...nonetheless:
[quote] Tennis elbow specifically involves the area where the muscles and tendons of the forearm attach to the outside bony area (called the lateral epicondyle) of the elbow. Your doctor may call this condition lateral epicondylitis. Another common term, "golfer's elbow," refers to the same process occurring on the inside of the elbow -- what your doctor may call medial epicondylitis.[/quote]
FWIW


Sitting idle is not an option. Ahhhh... a few hours of drug-induced bliss.  Broke out the Vitamin V tonight. ;)  Might even take an Ambien later before bed, just to make sure I can sleep without this damned elbow acting up.  Gonna give it a couple more weeks, and if there's no improvement I'm going to have to go see my buddies at the orthopedics group.   And I definitely know it is "tennis elbow" (lateral) and not "golf elbow" (medial), though I've never played either sport.  Confirmed by the doc. Well, I went to see my doc last week, and she is sending me to physical therapy.  I start tomorrow morning.  Hopefully we'll get this elbow tuned up soon! Good luck with the treatment plan Jasmine, so frustrating it has not gotten better!  I hope you find relief soon!

:) What is that? A smile? I hope it is good. [QUOTE=JasmineRain]:) [/QUOTE]

It is my humble, but considered, opinion that we all need to get together with Sam Adams and rest our various elbows on the bar.

I hope you get as much relief from PT as I usually do.

A toast to pain-free, fully functional elbows and other body parts!
No PT today; had to stay home with one of the boys who was home sick.  Had to reschedule for early next week. Tennis elbow
Golfer's elbow
Milkmaid's elbow
Nursemaid's elbow
Archer's syndrome
Bowman's syndrome
Miner’s elbow
Weaver’s elbow
Housemaid’s knee
Hod-carrier’s shoulders
Dustman’s shoulders
Miner’s beat hand
Etc.
Etc.

Interesting how labor's syndromes outnumber recreation syndromes; although archer's bowman's could be either or both.

I hope your elbow is improving, JasmineRain, and that the rest of your joints are at ease.
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