Tennis Elbow?

Has anybody had tennis elbow?

I'm right handed and my left elbow has been playing up over the last month or so.

My problem is that I've been on a lot of medication over the last year, and I've not long ago stopped taking some steroid tablets.

I have also had problems with my hands.  When I wake up in a morning my finger joints are really stiff.

All this happened around the same time so I asked my consultant on my last visit about this and she said it can happen!

So it's both hands (fingers) and my left elbow.

All I can do is bide my time and hope that it is the effects of coming off the steroids.

But if you've suffered tennis elbow what is is like?

Russ

Sorry to hear about your joint problem, Russ. I know how painful these things can be having had the problem in both shoulders, knee and elbow. If it is arthritis, not a lot can be done I'm afraid. If it is calcification of the ligaments then usually a cortizone injection can do the trick, but having said that, they never worked on me. A good muscle relaxer and pain killer is celebrex, which was a wonder drug for me, as it stopped all pain, but unfortunately my doctor took me off them after trials showed that they were not good for people with dodgy hearts, like me.

I hope it does not stop you playing this wonderful game.

I've had a couple of instances of Bursitis(?) - tennis elbow - and it hurts.  It's not a sharp pain but a dull continuous ache and at one point made my fingers swell to the size of sausages.  It didn't restrict the movement at the elbow really, it was just always constantly nagging away.  There's not really much you can do apart from rest and anti-inflammatory painkillers.  Apart from the swelling in my fingers there weren't really any side effects so I suspect that the steroid explanation, a friend was a long term user of steroids and it did have an adverse effect on her bone density and joints and swears by Glucosamine and Chondrotin (it works, I use it all the time now - get a big bottle of them from Tescos).  Not a medical explanation I know, but it may help.

Thanks for the replies.

When I first came off the steroids my finger joints would be stiff first thing in a morning and both my elbows would ache, not every night but on a regular basis.

I've been off the steroids for five weeks now and my finger joints still ache but not as bad as before. My right elbow hardly aches now but my left elbow is the same or worse!

Deep heat has been used and seems to work for a day but I don't know if it's helping or just masking the ache.

Now if I have got Tennis Elbow then I need to rest, which means no golf, but putting practice will be alllowed!

From what I've read on the internet it's not really Tennis Elbow but I just wanted to here from somebody who has had it.

Russ

Russ ,couple or three questions 1) are you a digger with your clubs,big divots hit fat sometimes?

2) What shafts are in your irons ,make ,flex and material?

3) Which grips are you using and what size?

Thanks Steven I'll go and get myself a support and see if that works for me.

Dave I don't normally take a divot, I'm more of a sweeper with my clubs, but if I try and hit the ball a bit harder I do dip a bit and take a big divot. I don't do this too often, maybe once a round.

My irons are Yonex V-Mass 270

My shafts are steel and the lable on the shaft says 'Yonex V-Mass 270 uniflex.'

The grips are Yonex, the ones that came with the club.

I bought these clubs from American Golf and they were custom fitted.

If I remember correctly I'm a standard length, grip and the lie is 2 degrees upright.

Russ , good info need some more,

as your a sweeper are you bad shots thins, if so how often do they  occur ,what shots have you hit that gives you the most discomfort?

What other activities to you particapate in sport related?

Dave, on a normal round of golf I might thin a shot two or three times.

I can't say that any type of shot, or a particular club gives me any more discomfort than the others. 

As for other activities I don't do any, I'm a dedicated golf nut.

Russ

Last ? Russ ,How often do you go to the range and are you now playing of winter mats at your club?

We are not off winter mats at my club, nor have I played off winter mats this year, everything is off the tee or grass.

The last time I went to the driving range was about three weeks ago.

Normally if I'm on a driving range I do work on my driving, not my irons.  I work on the irons on the practice ground at my club.

Russ

Russell,  I was hoping for something to lead to why your tennis elbow occurred, other than coming off your medication which is something I am unable to comment on. I had suffered with TE about 4/5yrs ago it came from nowhere all of a sudden very painful just below my left elbow ,I persevered with it for about a month not resting from golf (and I play allot) and I then got in the right elbow. Seen the Dr he confirmed TE , the ligaments get inflamed and rub each other  so was told to rest them not to play golf ,and take anti inflammatory. As you do totally ignored the Dr wasn't going to give up golf but took the drugs, I soon realised most of the pain came from bad shots ,thins mostly (comes from being a range rat).At the time I was using Cleveland TA7's so I decided to buy a set of matching clubs with regular graphite shafts,this I believe was the single most important thing I did. No more nasty shock waves coming up into my arms antagonising my ligaments/tendons. I also took to wearing elbow straps quite basic ones the purpose of the strap is to separate the ligaments to reduce friction. Now on the market are these a must get Russ,this is the Bentley of straps I have several friends who swear by them and are inexpensive some of them are squash and badminton players . 

http://www.physioroom.com/product/Aircast_Pneumatic_Armband/2033/37869.html

I carried on playing golf just as much as ever within six weeks  the problem had disappeared totally I have never had a reoccurrence. I kept my Cleveland graphite's just in case I ever  needed them again ,I have lent them to 3 TE sufferers  who all benefited from using them having a rest from steel shafts.My father in law suffers from the finger tightening in the morning this has improved allot from taking Glucosamine ,took several weeks to take effect, he also massaged them in hot water which also helped with circulation I would assume.

1) Get the strap 2) take anti inflammatory 3) If you wish Pm your address and I will send you my graphites to use. (dont worry I'm not emotionally attached to them) 4) Do my carpet drill this will stop you thinning the ball ,sweeping is not good get into the back of the ball for a more solid contact = you don't feel the ball.

A lovely response, David.

Dave, thank you for all your help and suggestions.

It is very nice of you to offer to lend me those clubs but I'm happy with my clubs, so thank you again.

Playing golf doesn't appear to make my elbow/fingers any worse.

It's just a constant ache.

I can see where you was going regarding the hitting fat/driving range questions.  Hitting fat or being on a mat at the range doesn't make my elbow any worse.

For now I'll have to take it that it's coming off the medication that is causing the elbow/finger aches.

I'll give it another couple of weeks to see if it calms down then I'll go to the doctor about it.

I'll certainly try the suggestions that you have made, I hope they work.

As I've already said, deep heat works for a while.

Russ

My pleasure Russell,

From what your saying if golf has not made your elbow any worse I doubt that you are suffering TE the very nature of the injury golf would almost certainly antagonize the problem.

You are probably on the right track with coming off the medication.

good luck aches & pains are no fun.

Great site for strappings Dave, tempted to buy loads of them for all my little aches and pains and walk onto the course like Robocop!

Would also stress again the benefits of Glucosamine and Chondrotin.