persistant painfull tennis elbow - Open to All Other Health Topics Message Board

2manypills · 08-25-2003, 06:43 AM

hey,im looking for info ofrom anyone who has delt with tennis elbow and cubital tunnel syndrone.i am wondering how long before it will be better,my dr says theres no way to tell how long it will take.my arm and wrist are so week thier completly useless and in constant pain.i have been off work for 3 weeks and have had a cortisone shot,i wear a brace and sling and am desperate for some relief,so if anyone has any experience please enlighten me...thanks....chelsea

Monday1954 · 08-25-2003, 06:51 AM

I have tennis elbow since the middle of June - it is
better but still hurts somewhat. Stopped taking
the anti-imflamatory, decided it really wasn't doing
that much good. Some days I can nearly use my arm
as normal and the next day it goes back to hurting.

I think I need to wear the arm brace more, even on
the days it seems better - I think we are on a
vicious cycle here - arm gets better and I am able
to use it sort of like I used to - then the next
day, unable to open the car door again, turn off the
alarm clock.

I think I may have gotten so used to not extending
my arm from the elbow that now it hurts every time
I do - I even sleep with it on a pillow, slightly
bent. Give me your thoughts and what you have
tried - maybe they will help me.

2manypills · 08-25-2003, 06:27 PM

i also sleep with my arm on a pillow, one night my husband tried slipping the pillow out from under my arm when i was asleep and my elbow straightened and i screamed and woke up.i cant extend or straighten my arm at all,and my arm and wrist are so week.i was seeing a physical therapist but alot of what she did hurt more,like the deep tissue massage was so painfull that i cringed the whole time. she said all the muscles and tendonds in my forearm and wrists are thickened and stressed from being overworked and damaged.i stopped pt for now because its too painfull but may need to go later.i dont know what to do for now, it seems so slow to heal.did u have any cortisone shots?at pt they used electro and ultrasound.it didnt seem to help because the massage hurt so much.how long did yuor arm hurt before seeing the dr?i waited about 6-7 months because i tought it would go away by itself.but then it got worse all of a sudden,so bad that i cuoldnt turn the key in the ignition to start my car.so then i knew i had to go to the dr.that was the end of july.....theres been only minor improvement since then.i am sick of it..let me know if u have had any luck with home remedy. chelsea

08-25-2003, 07:20 PM

I'm not sure what the medical term is for "tennis elbow" but I was diagnosed with "slight ulnar nerve entrapment" of the left elbow a few years back and it still has'nt gone away. Part of my palm and my pinky finger are numb and it's from constantly leaning on my computer desk and damaging my "funny bone" (actually the ulnar nerve).

Monday1954 · 08-25-2003, 09:12 PM

Mine got really bad around the first of June 2003 -
lived with it and thought it would get better by
itself, but after not sleeping for more than an
hour at a time because my arm started hurting I went
on June 25. I didn't have the cortisone shot because
I had just had one in March for something else and
my doctor was reluctant to give me another. I love
cortisone shots - in fact when I had my first one
I asked him how often I could get them. I've only
had three but they seemed to instantly cure what
ailed me. The first one was for shoulder pain, I
have arthritis in my shoulder, that was in the fall
of 2001. While I was there I told the dr. I needed
refills on all of my allergy medication because it
was fall and my sinuses were acting up. He told me
the shot would help shrink my sinuses and behold
it did. The last one I had was in April 2003 for
allergies/asthma.

I was given a rx for naproxen (hate Vioxx, supposed
to give the least problems and the only one that
gives me problems) told to get a elbow brace - I
got the one with the air cushion and to rest my arm
as much as possible. Well..........since it is my
right arm it is hard to rest it completely and live.
I eat with my right hand, blow dry my hair, brush
my teeth etc.etc. just daily living things.

Some of the things I still can't do without pain
are unload the dishwasher and put the dishes up.
Take a load of laudry out of the washer and put
in the dryer, open my car door, drive my husbands
stick shift, vacummn the floors (unless I do it
with my left hand (that's awkard for me), sleep
with my arm straight, roll my hair - just any
thing that requires my elbow to straighten out.

I am thinking of going back to the dr. this week -
am really tired of this. I don't even play tennis,
I was told it was from over use.