Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

Former Member — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:19:47 GMT

I had medial epicondylitis when I was in college. My doctor said that my daily swimming training triggered it. I couldn't give up tennis. As a matter of fact, it was the only reason why I went to college (lol) so, i tried to look for effective treatment. My coach advised me to undergo stem cell therapy, which I did, and it went really well. I had it with my orthopedic surgeon, Dr Purita. I had slight fever for 2 days my elbow was swollen, but he said its normal. After that, my elbow went back to normal and I was able to compete inter-school. :)

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

ganache — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 09:21:45 GMT

I am so glad it is helping!

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

Former Member — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:53:51 GMT

Here is the video link: http://youtu.be/mMxZXVYHUm8 Please let me know if there are any questions. This really works. Thanks for the help.

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

Former Member — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 07:28:57 GMT

I struggled with golfer's elbow for 3 years and tried all sorts of treatments and PT along with tons and tons of rest. Ultimately it was diagnosed as tendonosis and I had surgery to remove the dead part of the tendon in 2007. This was brought on by rock climbing, and due to imbalances and a lack of stability in my shoulder which created undue stress in my elbow. Since the surgery shoulder stabalizing exercises, stretching the elbow well and working on eccentric strength are all part of my weekly routine in order to stay healthy. Ive had no further major issues with the elbow either rock climbing, nor when I started swimming again 2 years ago. But I have to be diligent about ongoing preventative "rehab" - no slacking allowed or I start to feel minor symptoms especially when Im doing hard dry-lands or climbing. Of note, I had 2 cortisone injections and while they may work (the first was a miracle) I do NOT reccomend them at all, especially for medial epicondylitis. If rest, rehab and fixing the root cause doesnt work (like others have said, be patient here and give it more than ample rest and then come back SLOW) try some of the other treatment options like dry needling or nitro patches, etc. I had a hole all the way through my tendon down to the bone from the injections which long-term negatively outweighed the only temporary relief they provided. Im a huge fan of dry needling - it has helped with alot of other injuries Ive had. Sounds like this is your first time with an issue and you are taking it seriously so hopefully it will resolve and never come back to bother you again. Best of luck!!

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

Former Member — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 10:32:06 GMT

Here is the video link: http://youtu.be/mMxZXVYHUm8 Please let me know if there are any questions. Thanks. You described it well in your post. I altered my hand position slightly at the catch with a bit less pronation (and less activation of pronator teres). Seemed to make a difference when I swam this morning.

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

ganache — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 08:25:39 GMT

I will make a video of me doing the motion and post it on YouTube later today.

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

phm41 — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 04:07:45 GMT

I had prp on both elbows and have been very pleased with the results. Right elbow in 2009 and the left elbow 10 months ago. The first 4 months after the injection, I did no swimming (just kicked) or lifting. I am still icing the left elbow periodically depending on what I have done that day. The right elbow has been pain free and strong after about a year. Before the injections I had tried cortisone, rest, aleve, therabar (made it worse), active release (helped to some extent), massage (helped some too), and accupuncture. I think backstroke was the primary swimming irritant, but curls in the weight room and walking big dogs at the dog shelter hurt it too. My ortho suggested a simple stretch - hold the injured arm out straight from the body with the palm up. Grasp the fingers of that arm with the other hand and pull gently down. To get a deeper stretch, stand facing a wall. Place your palm on the wall, fingers down. Now turn slowly away from the wall. You probably won't get too far in your turn before you feel it.

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

Celestial — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 04:00:37 GMT

I had bilateral medial epicondylitis that caused me grief for over 2 years. I got it from sculling (incorrectly, I presume) - made such a lovely impression on me, I remember the day - Nov 4, 2009. I tried all the things mentioned above - cortisone shots, PRP, accupuncture, PT, ice, prednisone, you name it, I tried it. Turns out I somehow managed to move the nerve in my elbows & had to have them moved back into the correct position surgically. Did that in April 2012. Surgery actually did the trick - I still have some residual pain in the left elbow - but it was always worse than the right, but it is getting better day by day. They say nerve injuries can take a year to mend. If you can't remember exactly what you did to have the pain, I'm betting it is probably some sort of inflammation caused from over use & the cortisone will help immensely. Best wishes. They do say the average time it takes to heal from golfers elbow is 18 months.

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

ganache — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 03:49:30 GMT

Here is the video link: http://youtu.be/mMxZXVYHUm8 Please let me know if there are any questions.

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

Former Member — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 16:12:20 GMT

Here is a rehab movement that I use to try to avoid or address this condition. It is a technique that was developed many years ago by someone who used to swim on the Masters Swim team I coach. I think it is called "Active Release" or something like that. He is now independently wealthy (he has his own private jet and a Viper race car) from teaching and using this technique on lots of professional athletes. I will try to describe the motion - please let me know if this does not make sense and I will try to describe it better. This will be if your right elbow hurts. I start with my right elbow bent at 90 degrees with my right hand pointing to the left, my right arm is in front of my belly button (palm facing either down or towards me). My left hand is grasping the top of my right forearm with my left thumb pressing about 2-3 inches from the medial epicondyle along the tendon. I straighten my right arm, rotating my right hand so that it is now palm up, thumb pointing to the right. While I an straightening my arm and rotating my hand I slowly press firmly with my left thumb along the tendon moving towards the medial epicondyle. I repeat this several times. This has worked for me many times. I have also shown several swimmers how to do this and it works for them. The theory behind Active Release is that there are supposedly micro scars in the tendon that prevent things from sliding the way they are supposed to. The motion and pressing "breaks up" these micro scars. Whether this is true or not I have no idea. I got this condition from carrying our kids when they were very little on my arm (elbow touching my body), arm extended like a seat). I also got it once from doing too much breaststroke pulling with paddles. Both times this seemed to clear it up. I now do this motion to prevent any new injury. Let me know if it works. Good luck! That makes sense, and it does feel better after doing that. Thanks for the tip.

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

jim thornton — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 06:57:11 GMT

Here is a rehab movement that I use to try to avoid or address this condition. It is a technique that was developed many years ago by someone who used to swim on the Masters Swim team I coach. I think it is called "Active Release" or something like that. He is now independently wealthy (he has his own private jet and a Viper race car) from teaching and using this technique on lots of professional athletes. I will try to describe the motion - please let me know if this does not make sense and I will try to describe it better. This will be if your right elbow hurts. I start with my right elbow bent at 90 degrees with my right hand pointing to the left, my right arm is in front of my belly button (palm facing either down or towards me). My left hand is grasping the top of my right forearm with my left thumb pressing about 2-3 inches from the medial epicondyle along the tendon. I straighten my right arm, rotating my right hand so that it is now palm up, thumb pointing to the right. While I an straightening my arm and rotating my hand I slowly press firmly with my left thumb along the tendon moving towards the medial epicondyle. I repeat this several times. This has worked for me many times. I have also shown several swimmers how to do this and it works for them. The theory behind Active Release is that there are supposedly micro scars in the tendon that prevent things from sliding the way they are supposed to. The motion and pressing "breaks up" these micro scars. Whether this is true or not I have no idea. I got this condition from carrying our kids when they were very little on my arm (elbow touching my body), arm extended like a seat). I also got it once from doing too much breaststroke pulling with paddles. Both times this seemed to clear it up. I now do this motion to prevent any new injury. Let me know if it works. Good luck! Jamie, would you video this and post it on YouTube?

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

jim thornton — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 06:46:30 GMT

Here is a rehab movement that I use to try to avoid or address this condition. It is a technique that was developed many years ago by someone who used to swim on the Masters Swim team I coach. I think it is called "Active Release" or something like that. He is now independently wealthy (he has his own private jet and a Viper race car) from teaching and using this technique on lots of professional athletes. I will try to describe the motion - please let me know if this does not make sense and I will try to describe it better. This will be if your right elbow hurts. I start with my right elbow bent at 90 degrees with my right hand pointing to the left, my right arm is in front of my belly button (palm facing either down or towards me). My left hand is grasping the top of my right forearm with my left thumb pressing about 2-3 inches from the medial epicondyle along the tendon. I straighten my right arm, rotating my right hand so that it is now palm up, thumb pointing to the right. While I an straightening my arm and rotating my hand I slowly press firmly with my left thumb along the tendon moving towards the medial epicondyle. I repeat this several times. This has worked for me many times. I have also shown several swimmers how to do this and it works for them. The theory behind Active Release is that there are supposedly micro scars in the tendon that prevent things from sliding the way they are supposed to. The motion and pressing "breaks up" these micro scars. Whether this is true or not I have no idea. I got this condition from carrying our kids when they were very little on my arm (elbow touching my body), arm extended like a seat). I also got it once from doing too much breaststroke pulling with paddles. Both times this seemed to clear it up. I now do this motion to prevent any new injury. Let me know if it works. Good luck! Jamie, would you video this and post it on YouTube?

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

__steve__ — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 03:54:30 GMT

The active release is sticky worthy

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

Glenn — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:15:07 GMT

I did accupuncture, 5 sessions, maybe 6. It is much better now. I also don't do much breastroke and stopped doing press outs at the pool. The forearm strap also seems to work fairly well, at least it reminds me to be careful with that left forearm.

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

MSwan — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 11:55:48 GMT

This exercise worked very well for me: info.thera-bandacademy.com/flexbarelbowmedial

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

The Fortress — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 10:27:52 GMT

Fort and I both have problems with this caused by mostly overdoing the dryland stuff. The only thing That works for me is rest and unfortunately it is a very slow recovery of up to 6 months. I am lucky that it doesn't affect my swimming too much. Fort has been more aggressive in her treatment approach and has used glycerine patches among other things. Sorry Gull, injuries suck. Rich is right. I'm on my second bout of tennis elbow. Both injuries were caused by deadlifting at the gym. My double jointed elbows don't seem to like the locked out position involved. As Rich indicates, the recovery for elbow issues is very very slow (6-12 months) since not much blood gets to the injured tendon. I first injured my elbow last Nov. and laid off upper body weights until mid-July, then promptly re-injured it. From what I have read, and you've probably read the same: 1. PT -- I gather not much help with elbows from the literature. 2. Ice, rest and compression -- will help somewhat, compression likely having a more long term healing effect than ice. Rest is the key. 3. Rehab exercises -- yes, especially working the eccentric part, which is connected to fibroblastic activity. 4. Cortisone shot -- definitely helped me with short time pain the first time around, but I don't want to have another after reading some negative things about cortisone and elbows. 5. Nitro patches -- I am trying the nitro patches for the second time. Still very experimental, but promising from what I've read. You've got to use them for a good 3-4 months though. I got headaches the first week that then subsided. 6. Acupuncture -- I'm trying this along with the nitro patches. Just 2 sessions in, nothing to report yet. But, again, I've read some promising things. At the very least, it should help with the pain. 7. PRP -- Not sure about golfer's elbow, but I've read promising things about PRP and tennis elbow. Probably don't want to rush to this, but down the road it may be a valid option. I'm considering it myself, as I'm not the patient sort and have had good luck with PRP and my shoulder. 8. More kicking and less breaststroke.

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

Former Member — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 09:55:32 GMT

Not sure if this will help or not, but both lateral and medial epicondylitis are examples of tendonosis, not tendinitis--i.e., there is no evidence of inflammation in the elbow. Quite the opposite, actually. The current thinking seems to be that these and other poorly vascularized tendons (like the Achilles heel, the Rotator Cuffs, various knee tendons, etc.) would actually benefit from a bit of inflammation, which tends to increase blood supply and bring healing factors to the micro tears of the affected tissues. Leslie's nitroglycerine patches are an attempt to do this. Other investigational modalities include shock waves and injections of irritants, like talc or saline, into the joint, poking around a bit with needle while the doctor's in there, all in an attempt to provoke a little more damage that causes the body to wake up and take notice. Interestingly, too, there is a theory that the pain may be caused by abnormal blood vessels and nerves that form post-injury. Some doctors are reporting success by injecting sclerosing agents into the area, which choke down these aberrant vessels. The nerves, in turn, no longer get blood supply and die off, and the pain goes away. Alleve and cortisone shots are both antiinflammatory drugs (albeit a very mild one and a much more potent one)--but since there is no inflammation there to "anti", the benefits of either approach are most likely analgesia (for the Alleve) and the poking around with the needle, causing "healing trauma" for the cortisone injections. Eccentric muscle loading (i.e., the part of the biceps curl where you lower the weight back down) may help by triggering tenocyte production... I suspect weight lifting is the cause of your problem--not all weight lifting, but certain moves you might not realize are hurting at the time of the lifts. Thanks for the input, Jim. I am familiar with the tendinosis vs. tendinitis debate. In my case, the symptoms arose acutely, which to me (hey, I'm no doctor) implies an inflammatory process that should respond to anti-inflammatory medications and ice. I believe it is probably an overuse injury which occurred when I returned to the pool after a one week lay off and resumed daily training. I actually have not lifted weights in a couple of weeks (and before my vacation I was only lifting once a week anyway). The eccentric rehab exercises are a great idea. I ordered my Thera-band flexbars today. Not sure that I want anyone to inject anything yet. I try to avoid doctors as much as I can.

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

ourswimmer — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 08:51:54 GMT

I have posted about mine a few times and a search about "elbow pain" should pull up some threads. It is sometimes called "Little League Elbow," but I think "backstroker's elbow" also might be a good name. Interventions that have helped me include, in no particular order, switching hands with the computer mouse (my job involves a lot of writing, which I do at a keyboard); regular ice (I often would strap an ice pack to my arm while eating breakfast after workout); a cuff that applies pressure right at the tendon attachment (wear it at night); exercising with the Theraband Flexbar; stretching the forearm with the palm against the wall, fingers down, arm externally rotated from the shoulder; and deep tissue massage. The last time I had a flare-up I muddled along for a while complaining and doing a lot of fist swimming. Then I went for a massage and the therapist worked on my forearm. I thought I would faint from the pain when she started working on the wrist flexor muscles and the tendon that attaches them to the medial epicondyle; they were like little rods in there, so tight and hard. Two or three massages later my forearm was way better, and I quickly ramped my training back up to 20,000+ mostly pain-free yards per week.

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

ganache — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 08:39:52 GMT

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

Former Member — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 08:35:37 GMT

I'm willing to pay a few more dollars on my USMS dues to get him a chair at work. And maybe a garage door? :) That is actually a glass wall behind Jim. Our building has glass walls. His office is in the back corner, so his office has two glass walls. And we all have stand-up desks, believe it or not! Mine is my dad's old drafting table. 3594

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

Bobinator — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 08:05:40 GMT

I had golfer's elbow last winter. It started out fairly vague but quickly picked up steam and became a painful problem. I tried exercises I found on-line but they gave me no relief. I tried wearing a tight neoprene band slightly below my elbow while swimming, it didn't work. I finally visited my favorite PT and got 3 very aggressive treatments of Grasston Therapy, it almost killed me but the elbow improved significantly and I was back and easing into the pool soon after. Good luck Gull!

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

The Fortress — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 06:12:56 GMT

Leslie's nitroglycerine patches are an attempt to do this. Other investigational modalities include shock waves and injections of irritants, like talc or saline, into the joint, poking around a bit with needle while the doctor's in there, all in an attempt to provoke a little more damage that causes the body to wake up and take notice. Perhaps the poking is why acupuncture works too. Agree with Gull that there could simultaneously be some inflammation with an acute onset and a response to ice or cortisone. I wouldn't do anything either at this juncture, Gull. Give it a couple months first.

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

Former Member — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 06:04:34 GMT

So in the end, the surgery was a good thing. Yes, just look at him today (photo taken 5 minutes ago)... See attached. 3593

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

Former Member — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 06:01:45 GMT

Thanks for the replies. At this point the elbow is only bothering me when I swim. I have been using ice and Aleve and am going to try the Thera-band flexbar. I will probably back off on weights until it is better. And I may look into massage therapy.

RE: Medial epicondylitis (a k a golfer's elbow)

__steve__ — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 05:48:58 GMT

Yes, I had it on both arms, one was much worse. Got a cortisone shot in the bad one and haven't had problem since then I also changed my stroke by keeping my hands in line with forearm, stretched, and did wrist curls with weights. A good drill is using fists Good luck, I recall how annoying the problem was, made it difficult to open doors or even drive