Coming "Back"

[toon66]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner

Offhand I'd say that all these contraindications are a good reason to avoid spinal fusion surgery. Or maybe your doctor is full of crap and doesn't realize how resilient the human body is.

At various times in my life I've been told never to play tennis again (due to tennis elbow) and never to lift more than ten pounds overhead (due to mild scoliosis).

sorry for getting off topic but I currently have tennis elbow. I've had it about 3 months now and have not gone to a doctor though I had one session of accupuncture and a therapist friend told me to rest and ice it. How did you eventually alleviate the issue? I can't not workout for months on end.

[Dreamliner]

Originally Posted by toon66

sorry for getting off topic but I currently have tennis elbow. I've had it about 3 months now and have not gone to a doctor though I had one session of accupuncture and a therapist friend told me to rest and ice it. How did you eventually alleviate the issue? I can't not workout for months on end.

This was many years ago. But as I recall, I rested until the swelling and acute pain subsided. Then I embarked on a forearm strengthening program. After little more than a couple of weeks of rest and rehab I was back on the court. Although I seem to recall working my way back to the sort of time I was logging on the court prior to the injury.

I also remember researching the proper mechanics for the backhand stroke and, reckoning that that was the cause, sought to refine my stroke. I know that I was meeting the ball late on the backhand and surmised that that had something to do with the lateral elbow/forearm pain.

[LeafUF]

Originally Posted by toon66

sorry for getting off topic but I currently have tennis elbow. I've had it about 3 months now and have not gone to a doctor though I had one session of accupuncture and a therapist friend told me to rest and ice it. How did you eventually alleviate the issue? I can't not workout for months on end.

I have tendinitis in both forearms now that I actually think was caused when I moved earlier this year. At least that's when I noticed it. And unfortunately I think you do need to rest it or limit how much you aggravate it as much as possible. Icing and stretching helps and I think dream is right that eventually forearm strengthening should be done. I have read that some PTs will recommend a strengthening program right away but I would rest a little before diving into that.

[Dreamliner]

Yes, generally rest and perhaps light stretching prior to strengthening is the going advice. And I would throw in assessing your mechanics.

Interestingly, I transitioned, shortly thereafter into raquetball (remember when everybody played it ?). Raquetball was a natural fit for me. I was probably better at it than any other competitive sport I ever played.

But whereas that solved the tennis elbow problem, it eventually brought on shoulder problems. But that was likely because I played so much (simple overuse).

Nowadays they tell you to do rotator cuff exercises. But I'm not convinced that they are of much use. You can work on those tiny muscles all you want and the larger muscles will still overwhelm them. I'm more inclined to blame scapular instability and, again, sheer overuse. Back then I never did anything akin to rows. In those days all I did was pulldowns. And those, along with bench pressing, likely just fed into the problem.

[el_lagarto]

medial and lateral epicondylitis

i will grab a tennis ball or a couple of pairs of socks rolled up together and squeeze. squeeze your balls 1, 2, 3, 4 ,5 relax. rinse repeat.

i do it submax at 1st with no wrist or elbow or forearm rotation motion. i do it in elbow flexed position and elbow extended position.

as that gets less painful, i add intensity(squeeze harder) and add active elbow and wrist and forearm rotation motions.

i get it from golf and when i start to feel it , i do that throughout the day,, i drive for work so it gives me something to do..

it is quite painful to do these exercises at first.

i stretch too.

of course rest from the irritating activity is key, ice or better yet ice massage works good, and anti inflammatories for inflammatory conditions is a no brainer.

but thats just me. i dont recommend this for anyone else. it is known to cause heart attacks, cancer and lupus and will most likely make your arm fall off.

follow the advice of your doctor.

edit...i have always poo pooed braces and splints and so forth, but i got so desperate with my elbow on fire i bought the tendon compression strap at target and i am a believer. it allowed me to return to golf earlier, IMO.

[Dreamliner]

If I had followed the advice of my doctor(s) I would never have:

*played tennis again

*lifted more than ten pounds over my head

*deadlifted or squatted

*eaten saturated fats again

*virtually doubled my HDL cholesterol

Proper answer: listen to your doctor. Do your own research as well.

[96Gatorcise]

listen to what your Dr. is saying NOT what he is telling you. They are taught in medical school to diagnose the symptom and make you feel better. Very few will actually look for the root cause of the problem in the first place.

[toon66]

Thanks folks. The strap does work suprisingly well. I do stretch it but I wondered if this actually aggravated it. I actually got it from boxing so I have done that since the injury occured.

[Dreamliner]

We competitive types never like to hear this: but sometimes rest is the ONLY foolproof treatment. And how long do we have to rest ? As long as it takes. Often aches and pains do not resolve unless and until we begin to treat them as the injuries they are.

Not that I typically adhere to this sort of brilliant advice. But I'm a trainer. It's my job to hurt myself. And better myself than others. I'll take the lumps.

[Dreamliner]

Although I am coming off a ten-day layoff. It's about as hard for me to refrain from working out as it is for lots of people to muster the enthusiasm for working out.