Inner forearm/elbow pain?

[teej]

Hi, I'm a P.T. and a kiter....and I see elbow pain issues all the time.
It's true, the best resolve is to rest it completely from anything that aggravates it...this includes work and recreation, etc. And if you let it get too bad (ie wait too long to treat it), it's going to take a lot longer to heal...

It starts off as a tendinitis but usually by the time anyone does anything about it, it has turned into a tendinopathy where the tendon is actually degrading and pretty unhealthy.

Way to make it healthy again, is by eccentric exercise. For inner (medial) elbow pain, wrist curls with the palm up, flexing the wrist and slowly lowering down. For outer (lateral) elbow pain, wrist curls with the palm down, extending the wrist and slowly lowering down. This has to be done without ANY pain. 3x10-15 2x/day without any symptoms.

Also, ice can be your friend (as Yuri can attest, I always say, "Ice it!") 10minutes/2x/day. Even better would be a ice massage, using a frozen dixie cup with the bottom torn off, massage the area 2x/day for 5minutes each.

And really, just getting stronger in all of your upper body/rotator cuff/scapular stabilizers is ideal so that you take the emphasis off your small forearm muscles and distribute it to your larger upper body muscles.

Let me know if you have any other questions about this injury, or others....(BTW I work in Alameda).
Cheers,
Tianna

[OliverG]

I've got one for you. I'm on the verge of seeing an acupuncturist, PT, or doctor soon! Usually exacerbated by work and kiting, tendon or nerve pain going down top right of forearm from elbow to wrist, over top of hand to base knuckle of pinkie and ring finger. Most tight and painful when arm fully extended and hand flexed upright with fingers straight, although this stretching does provide some relief. There's a small pressure point around the elbow area that causes pain and another one at left base of palm.

Oww...

[berrisbob]

Try Ramsey's banana :twisted:

[teej]

Sounds like some ulnar nerve entrapment/compression ( http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00069 ) somewhere along the nerve path.....could be coming from the neck or further down the path (inner elbow, inner forearm, and at the base of the palm/inner wrist or any combination of those.

If you are doing any type of work where you rest your elbow on the table or wrist on the keyboard, these can cause enough compression over time. Or doing repetitive motions (twisting, flexing of wrist/forearm).

You may just need some good soft tissue work along those areas of entrapment....forearm and up into the neck. Any postural factors need to be addressed. And of course any cervical contribution needs to be ruled in/out.

Be happy to check it out sometime...or I'm sure you have some good MD's/PT's close to you.
T

[stone]

Teej, thanks for the detailed info. I didn't know there are therapies for this beyond the usual.

[OliverG]

Thanks for the info and link, teej, I think I'll take you up on the offer soon. Thank you for the link also, it pretty much sums up what I've been experiencing. Lots of good info there!

[consumer]

I've got one for you. I'm on the verge of seeing an acupuncturist, PT, or doctor soon! Usually exacerbated by work and kiting, tendon or nerve pain going down top right of forearm from elbow to wrist, over top of hand to base knuckle of pinkie and ring finger. Most tight and painful when arm fully extended and hand flexed upright with fingers straight, although this stretching does provide some relief. There's a small pressure point around the elbow area that causes pain and another one at left base of palm.

Oww...

the nerve pattern you just described is pretty much Ulnar nerve. the ulnar nerve wraps around the ulna bone. If you pinch it in this area you get the "funny bone" sensation which is felt in the pinkie and ring fingers and some of the palm.

check the light blue regions in this pic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gray812and814.PNG

The MEDIAN nerve passes through the carpal tunnel and innerves the flexor compartment as well as intrinsic muscles of the hand (everything basically that is in the palm that isn't pinkie or ring)

key points: Ulnar nerve passes (and can be squeezed near the elbow), median nerve near the carpal tunnel (wrist). It sounds like maybe you are messing with the ulnar nerve.

maybe you have "cubital tunnel syndrome"?

Tiaana is the expert here! Listen to her!

[maxsteamer]

When I used to race..(Windsurfing) I would get that pain and after a few weeks it got so bad I had to stop racing. then I asked a fellow racer.. who told me to reverse my grip on the boom for kiting this would be the bar..The pain went away and never returned?? I think there is a muscle on the other side of your elbow that works together to helps protect the pull at that location like two bungee cords instead of one, by gripping the bar from the other side it puts the outer side in play.. If you hold your arm straight out erect and bend your wrist up and down you will see the inside muscle. If you open and close your hand you will see the outside muscle.

I squeeze different size balls ( don't even think about it cdog) to keep these muscles in check and at my age atrophy is a factor fo sho.. Oh!! and the potassium in just one banana with a glass of water will keep you hydrated for that long session.

[flyingpaddy]

I'm curious? what kind of kites do you fly?
Maybe change kites could be one option? :( Just simple ole rest could be the other option =D>

I had this a lot last (year) season. I fly 2008 f-one bandits which have heavy bar pressure I almost go rid of them because of this.
I cut my foot "bad" last year which forced me to rest for a few weeks after this no problems with elbow pain and it's been fine since + I have been kiting harder than ever.

I know it sucks but rest could be the best, most simple, cheapest cure

[maxsteamer]

Hello flyingpaddy,

Ya!! you are SOOO right!!! as it is a known fact that the lack of sleep can kill you.. I should have put that in my post as rest is so important to kiters to keep your session safe as when you are tired you not only put yourself at risk, but all of us out there with you. thank you flyingpaddy for pointing this out.