Tennis Elbow/RSI

[Stephen Blair]

I forgot the rope guide, that's got to be 1 of the best things in rescent years to come out!!

 

 

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[gobbypunk]

Hi I had a cortisone injection a few yrs back and the next morning I cuold hardly tie my boot laces but after a few days pain went away and was ok my doctor advised me to massage the muscle with first 2 fingers on top of my arm and thumb underneath and this also helped alot and i still massage when it plays me up good luck as it hurts like f--- hope you mend soon

cheers Mark

[Logjam]

More effective to treat the causes of your pain than the symptoms. Good to hear you're already using efficient climbing systems. If you think it might be use of heavy saws try to reduce the strain on your elbows, sometimes possible to use separate tool line to help with weight of a large saw. Even hanging the saw on other side of your harness can make a difference so the other arm takes more of the strain.

 

I'm yet to be convinced about the efficacy of arnica although I know plenty that swear by it, for every report in favour there will be another with a counter opinion. http://saveyourself.ca/articles/arnica.php. Seems a lot of the benefit might come from the regular massage as you rub the stuff in.

[Macpherson]

More effective to treat the causes of your pain than the symptoms. Good to hear you're already using efficient climbing systems. If you think it might be use of heavy saws try to reduce the strain on your elbows, sometimes possible to use separate tool line to help with weight of a large saw. Even hanging the saw on other side of your harness can make a difference so the other arm takes more of the strain.

 

I'm yet to be convinced about the efficacy of arnica although I know plenty that swear by it, for every report in favour there will be another with a counter opinion. Does Arnica Cream Work for Pain?. Seems a lot of the benefit might come from the regular massage as you rub the stuff in.

 

The horse stuff is not just arnica, it`s got chamomile,tea tree oil and aloe vera as well in an alcohol gel base. £7.70 for 250ml. Helps the inflamed tendons pretty quick for me and others. I agree that it`s absolutely best to modify your work practices if you can , but with a physical job that`s not really practical.

[Robbyrasta]

A phyiso should be able to give you exercises to work the tendions around the elbow. It hurts like hell to start with, but relieves the tension pretty quickly.

[skyhuck]

Personally I would not recommend rest, I had it in both elbows for over 18month, I wore a neoprene support, which helped, mainly by keeping the joint warm I think.

 

I just kept on going and eventually it went away, I changed nothing.

 

Its been more than 5 years since I had it and I've been absolutely fine since.

[devon TWiG]

A bit like others have stated already, try to be as ambidextrous as you can to even out the work load esp on long prussik climbs , get a bigger ladder , get a groundie to help pull you up etc , always do a bit of stretching and warm up before any serious effort , I used to find getting back to my top anchor after coming down for dinner or 2nd day on big job hard work but never had any problems in 20 years .

[woodyguy]

Slightly concerning that you're describing tennis elbow and RSI which are two entirely different things.

 

Tennis elbow used to be treated with steroid injections but research shows that they make it last longer so they are not generally used now. I'd ask whoever is suggesting doing them some searching questions before you consent.

[enrieb]

I suffered from tendon pain in the elbow for ages, tried everything ibruoprofen, massage, ultrasound etc. Eventually a private physio worked out that the reason I was suffering from tendoitis in the elbow was due to my biceps being too tight/overworked. More importantly, the biceps was taking all the strain when climbing, because my upper back climbing muscles were weak. Weak lats, superspinatus, rhomboids etc. I had to work on rows, lat pull downs, rotator cuff, scapular rows, scapular pull ups. It felt better as soon as I started doing the exercises and it improved my climbing.

 

Also a compression band will help soften up the biceps, taking strain of the tendon. You can make one out of a bike inner tube

[keywee]

Thanks for the help boys, plenty to take on board. Hopefully it all helps as im starting to lose grip strength now.