Tennis elbow from windsurfing

inf2003 · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 148

Last year I overdid it during an early spring windsurfing session after taking a long break from the sport due to other obligations. What happened after that session is I developed a bad case of tennis elbow and lost all the strength in my grip and a bad pain on the outer knobby bone of the elbow. It took a good 8 months to get better. However now every time I windsurf or use my hand in a gripping motion like running a drill or a chainsaw it re occurs. I’m afraid that this will prevent me from windsurfing at all as it flares up bad every time I windsurf. Has anyone ever experienced this problem before and what did they do to cure it. Any antidotes to offer? I dont want to have to stop windsurfing.

motogon · Joined: 19 Aug 2000 Posts: 376 Location: Philly

Get boom with smaller grip diameter.

kevinsurfsskis · Joined: 30 May 2000 Posts: 8

You have to do the stretching exercises for the elbow and stay in the harness as much as possible, use ice if it flares up and stretch, you have tendonitis. For the stretching exercises try to google it for examples and if you ever sail at Shoreline look for the big grey dodge van parked next to the shower and I'll show you.
Kevin

bpbates · Joined: 19 Mar 2000 Posts: 47

I had the same issues. Glucosamine chondroitin cleared it up. I'd stay clear of the creepy guy in the van by the showers by the way.

LUCARO · Joined: 07 Dec 1997 Posts: 661

Timely question.

Not sure if you are in the bay area or not but I am often looking for injured people to use as demo patients when I teach physical therapists.

I have a practice specialising in orthopedic and sports PT in sunnyvale www.lucaspt.com

And I also teach physical therapy continuing education to licensed PTs regarding a variety of topics one being overuse tendinopathy.
www.ptconed.com

Anyway I have a class this saturday and i am looking for demonstration patients. There is no charge for being a demonstration patient in fact you recieve a gift certificate for a free massage. Previously i have had a sailboarder as a demo patient and they felt they got a lot out of it. Typically we will do some hands on treatment and instruct you in exercises to do at home to continue your progress.

contact me here (http://www.lucaspt.com/contact.php) if anyone is interested in being a demo patient this saturday in sunnyvale it takes about 1 hour of your time and i have 2 slots availiable.

FYI: for the last 10-15 years considerable research has shown that most chronic tendon disorders including tennis elbow are not characterised by inflammation, like we used to think. In fact the main pathology is that of "degeneration" (structural disorganisation) of the collagen matrix. This understanding has dramatically altered our approach to treating such problems and the effectiveness of our treatments.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

It's been discussed at great length multiple times; use the SEARCH function to find them, and/or just go straight to the bottom line: see a physical therapist AND get it treated AND learn to treat and prevent it on you own in the long term OR face decades of this problem, possibly with irreversible tendon damage.

Sure, glucosamine/chondroitin may help quickly, but primarily because its second ingredient is willow tree bark extract ... converted in the body to aspirin ... an analgesic (aka a pain killer, aka a chemical bandaid). It's also anti-inflammatory, but as Lucaro says, tendinitis is no longer thought to be an "itis", rather localized pathology (tissue damage), temporary if treated properly but potentially permanent if abused too long.

Mike \m/

inf2003 · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 148

Isobars, you said it has been discussed multiple times. I searched many different ways prior to posting and only found one post and it was about golf elbow. I understand it is similar but that’s the only post I found.

Lucaro, I would love to be your guinea pig but I am in southern NH. Thanks for the information.

I do find that stretching and massage helps but the biggest thing that helps most of all is to not windsurf because that is what inflames it the most. I was hoping to avoid that option.

I have an idea to try my "Clincher" water-ski gloves. They have a dowel at the fingers that wraps around the bar and is connected to a nylon strap the goes around the wrist. They take all the force off the fingers and put it on the wrist. It works incredible for waterskiing. The big problem is they don’t make them anymore and mine are quite tattered. I think this would be a perfect solution as it does not inflame when I water-ski due to these gloves. Gymnasts use the same concept in their grips and I was a gymnast for many years. Ill give it a try.

Thanks for all the responses.

barrard · Joined: 01 Oct 2008 Posts: 7

I had the same problem when i was first learning to windsurf. Anti-inflammatory medicine works very well, not just as a bandaid, but to prevent damage that occurs becasue of swelling. I also started to realize that the pain was worse when i was dehydrated. Drink lots of water to keep hydrated, the tendon gets dry and tears i think. Also, i went to walgreens and got a specific arm band with a velcro strap that wraps around your forearm right below your elbow. It helps strengthen the tendon/muscles in your grip and really fixed me up, i dont even use it anymore unless needed. Hope this helps.

Mulekick84 · Joined: 18 Mar 2006 Posts: 407

I fought this for a long time from lifting weights and mountain biking. I finally went to an Ortho doc and he gave me a shot of steroid. Hasn't twinged since, although the shot hurt like hell. They give you a pre-shot with a small needle. I saw it and said, that's not too bad. Then he broke out the big 3 incher.

I'm sure some of the web experts here will disagree or say its not permanent, but I threw out the elbow wrap I had been wearing for 4-5 months every time I exercised. Pain gone, strength returned!

chophop · Joined: 16 Apr 1996 Posts: 230

I have dealt with this problem for over a decade. It started when I trained with a personal trainer who was an ex football nose tackle. At the time I was 5'11"--146 that is to say skinny. He had me pushing a bench press at max resistance for 2 reps.
Within a month I had terrible elbow tendonitis. It took it a year or 2 to subside despite trying everything from chiropractic therapy to steroids injections to rest to antinflammatories to shamanic massage.

After a year or two it did get better but still flares up some with almost any activity that really uses the arms a lot from snowboarding to windsurfing to hedge trimming. It seems like it is permanent.