Disc Golfer's Elbow

[BrotherDave]

I got either tendinitis, golfer's elbow, or tennis elbow in my right forearm from playing so much a while back, had to stop playing for damn near 4-5 months. I am now pain free but I think my elbow is a little arthritic now, seems to catch and pop occasionally, years of basketball doesn't help either. I've been wearing an Under Armor "forearm shiver" for compression, it feels nice but I feel like a tool wearing it. Stretch all the time too, that's helped.

Wondering if anyone had similar stories or remedies.

[Blake_T]

assuming you didn't sprain it or strain a tendon...

you likely have trigger points up the wazoo in your forearm and wrist which are probably helping the bones lock up.

i would recommend massage therapy, stretching, and hitting appropriate vitamins and omega 3's. if the popping persists you may need the assistance of a chiropractor to get the arm bones moving correctly again.

there's a fine line between stretching and over-stretching. if you have trigger points, over stretching will actually make those worse. stretching appropriately both before and after playing as well as using ice and possibly some mild anti-inflammatories will help.

[JR]

The trouble with those is that in normal usage the arm may be pain free and you may even survive low weight low rep training. Then you go out for half an hour throwing and you're in agony for weeks ad able to try again after two or three months.Tendon damage healing to usable takes a minimum of three months even if doesn't hurt without trigger point releasing. Never had that. For pain relief TENS machine is killer. Ice a couple of times a day helps too. Don't overdo single treatment length and repetitions without doctor's advice.

Tendon damage can occur in multiple ways and what helps for one type may be the worst thing to do for another. Rehab onset and guidelines for how to rehab and how quickly to add power is something that is needed. You gotta squeeze that info out usually as it isn't usually offered.

[BrotherDave]

I think I've got it licked for the most part, my arm usually feels better when I start playing and I haven't noticed any real pain for a while now. The most of anything I feel is occasional tightness in the forearm that is pretty easily remedied with some stretching. But sometimes my elbow will pop (like if I do a push up) similar to popping your knuckles and that kind of bugs me. I think I will look into a massage, I'm sure I deserve one somehow

[Blake_T]

I think I will look into a massage, I'm sure I deserve one somehow

heh... trigger point therapy hurts like a mofakka, especially in areas that you have injured and may have lingering scar tissue and nerve damage. you're probably looking at 3-4 30 min sections keying in on the arm and then once a month 30 minute sessions to maintain it. doing as much as you can on your own for it will help as well once you get an idea of the type of work that needs to be done will save a lot of money in the long run. average rate = ~$1 per minute.

[JR]

Blood flow tends to get limited and that leads to further inflammation then to anaerobic conditions which is breeding ground for bacteria which creates an infection which gets hit by virii creating one bad and long curing inflammation. A vicious circle where inflammations squeeze the nerves and whatnot even worse each time. And naturally working out or even moving the arm is sometimes too much. That's why expert advice is needed for when and how and how hard moving should start. After the bad part is over very mild moving and later mild exercise with minimal resistance is good for health and pain control. Overdoing motions and exercise can you set back weeks.

[Jago65]

Hello,
I had a similar damage (at job) to my elbow mostly, but to my shoulder and wrist, too.
The only thing is that my damage comes from "repeated" movement... my right arms was used to be forced to "close" (wrist to the shoulder) all day long, five days a week and after some years of use the pain was starting to began serious.
Now, after a couple of years of a different move my arm seems feeling better... wearing an arm band it allows me to play volleyball and ride my bike down a hill.
Oh yes, at job I got a back disc "bulging" , too, but - of course - this isn't a problem in disc golf...

Now the question is: do you think that the throwing movement will start back the pain in my elbow, generated from the opposite movement??

P.S. Sorry if some of the terms will be incorrect, but this is the first time I try to speak about medical/physical problems in your language.

Bye for now

[JR]

You're an ankle better than me. My doc said that from a health point of view especially the back injury disc golf should not exist. The risk is paralysis of the lower body for us with busted backs. First you need to bypass the acute situation. So that you get the back painless enough to fix with self stretching. Because troubles are different you really need to consult a doctor and ask for a guided physiotherapy program to find out where you are weak in the torso muscles and how to train for them and how many repetitions you can do how and when to add more reps and how many.

For my back injury stretching can often relieve pain instantly. The moves I do may injure you so ask a doc before trying them out. Ask if yoga moves cobra, crocodile twist and palm tree are allowed. Additionally strengthening deep abdomenal muscles help a lot. For both posture and relieving pain and preventing future damage.

Before you get a consultation tone down on the power and don't turn your back to the target and throw at 80 % max. Concentrate on accuracy and repeatability. That's how Juliana Korver won 5 world championships.

Have you tried throwing with an elbow brace does it help the arm? Repeated motions are bad you need to invigorating motions during the work day.

[josser]

Before heading out to get chiropractic treatment, I suggest you look into the theory and efficacy of chiropractic. Quackcast episodes 10 and 11 are a good place to start. Let's just say that I will not be visiting a chiropractor in the future.

[Jago65]

I actually feel good with my back, my fears now are about my elbow...

[JR]

Have you tried cold treatments for the arm? 5 cm under the elbow on top of the forearm could use 10 minutes of cold pack from a freezer wrapped in a towel. Once or twice per day for a couple of weeks and before the arm is cold mild stretching of the forearm muscles. I suggest reducing play time and amount of playing per week until the arm isn't bad. Now is the time to take it easy so that you're fine when the spring arrives and you have a busy season ahead of you.

[Jago65]

Oh, yes... cold treatments are usual here @home...

Many thanks, see you on a course

[JR]

There are cold sprays but the one I've been treated with didn't feel cold. However; it may have been so cold as to instantly make nerves non transmitting. That happens at 4C. Feeling the sprayed spot it immediately after the spraying the skin felt too warm for that. Maybe there are colder ones. The technology has existed for a long while because in electronics cooling sprays are dozens of degrees below freezing. Sprayed in the air during summer they will leave a cone of frozen humidity turned to snow. Somehow unsurprisingly those warn against using them on humans BUT there are -100C cold rooms used for therapy and FUN FUN FUN in Finland. A colleague told me that wrestlers go in those after training in swimming pants and shoes so as to not freeze into the floors for two minutes at a time.

I swim in the winter outdoors. Ice swimmers say that -50 and -60 C rooms are like a hardcore version of ice swimming. -100C is whole other deal. I was told by a woman who has been in each of those rooms out of professional curiosity and is not a cold freak that -50C is tolerable for like the first half a second and -60C is horror and she does not want to think of -100C

Hope to meet you some time.

[Jago65]

...-100C??!!
Couldn't believe...

BTW, I'm not used to use spray ice, I prefer that sort of "gel" into a plastic envelope that I can put in the freezer for some time then apply on my injured part... feel better than spray ice and lasts cold for some more time

Ciao, CUsoon

[JR]

...-100C??!!
Couldn't believe...

BTW, I'm not used to use spray ice, I prefer that sort of "gel" into a plastic envelope that I can put in the freezer for some time then apply on my injured part... feel better than spray ice and lasts cold for some more time

Ciao, CUsoon

Yeah -100C. Still a little way from space but plenty cold I'd like to try -50C first then -60C and then decide that I'm probably a wuss and let the 100C pass. Hmm maybe I'd do -100C if -60C ain't bad and I consume Limoncino or something else that acts as antifreeze

I have two of those cold/hot gel packs in freezer and they are superior to sprays but sprays can be taken to course and you don't usually carry enough thermal isolation for the cold gel packs to stay frozen for entire session. Freezing the packs after you've carried them ain't ecological if you can do without cold. Considering that now you're hurting you must use cold but once the acute phase has passed you could just carry a spray just in case you need it. In the long term only strengthening the muscles and tendons works. Tendons get damaged super easy in weight training which is why one should start with like one kilo weight for wrist motions. Ans add weight and repetitions from initial five in to sets to five sets then add only a little weight with fewer repetitions. Until you can again do five reps with five sets.

In rehab I was told to sit and set my elbows onto chair arm rests palm down with a dumbbell in hand so that the wrist is supported by the arm rest all the way to the elbow. Then lowering the wrist down and raising back to straight fives times in two sets initially then turning the palms up and curling the wrists up then back to level same amount of reps and sets then wrist level turning the hands clockwise as far as they go then immediately as far counterclockwise. This routine only once per day or even less times per week. You should consult a professional if this is good for you and how fast you can increase weights, repetitions and sets and how far in each you can go. If you get better advice tell me please