Jklotz

So I've been off the bike for almost a week now. Got bad tennis elbow. Doc said I need to give it time to heal. Apparently, pulling the brake lever is the exact angle that really enflames it. Anybody else have to deal with this? Any tips to get it to heal and get back on the bike?

BkSaGo

RICE - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.

I’ve also had it, although not from riding and did have any issues riding through it.

Using one of those compression bands below the elbow allowed me to still do the activities that usually aggravated it and otherwise would have been painful.

Jicafold

Tennis elbow, or rather lateral epicondylitis, is an inflamation of the extensor tendons of the wrist and hand, the extensor carpi radialis brevis . If you have inflammed these tisses during use, you must rest them for recovery. Some lateral epicondyle bands can help and take tension off these tissues. You can also take the anti-inflammatories of your choice consistently to reduce symptoms. Of course, reduce the activity that caused this issue is also key. This can take a while to resolve.Elevation has nothing to do with this. It's not a swollen ankle.

SurferRosa

Yes, in college. It can be very painful, especially if you have to play through it. Rest is key.

TiHabanero

Yep, dealing with it for years, yet I still ride, turn wrenches, etc. Just one of the aches of life.

joesch

Dont brake
Seriously most of us can learn to ride and turn at higher speeds.

wheelreason

This ^.

Played over 20 years of tennnis, including competively and college and never had an elbow injury (or any other) from it. Fast forward a couple of decades and I got it shaking a thermometer to get a wet bulb temp, GO FIGURE! I aggravated it by banging it into a couple of things, short story, it took almost 8 months of avoiding the motion(s) that aggravate it, and rest (and not opening jars) sucks getting old!...

pdlamb

My "tennis elbow" times come when I unconsciously lock my elbows while riding. My fix is to change my body angle (lean over more), vary grip and torso position every 5-10 minutes, and (not surprisingly) don't lock my elbows.

BTW, it's possible to bend your elbows and lean forward even on straight bars -- it just takes a little bit more thought.

indyfabz

Thanks for the morning laugh.

But now for the tough question: How does a bike steer? Maybe someone should start a thread asking that.

joesch

Not a trick question as a bike can steer without a rider and ofcourse requires counter turning Also a bike has no need for brakes or pedals as it slows down or speeds up on depending on the terrain.

big john

Brake mechanic I worked with got it in both arms. He had to take 6 months off work and the PT put him on a weight lifting regimen of moderate weight and reps.
I think tendonitis can be addressed with warming up slowly and allowing the muscles to get "loose" before doing whatever is aggravating the tendons.

Jklotz

Doc wants 2 weeks of rest and anti-inflammatories. Crap, was just getting to the point where I was back in the fast group. Injuries suck.

David_Harris

I got it playing tennis (odd, right?)

Rest, ice, heat, stretches, strengthening exercises. Yes, heat: flush the tissues. They are low-blood content and flow tissues, so they need a little help. Don’t cook them, but take a hot bath and soak the elbow. Follow up with ice.

big john

Do you have a trainer? You could sit up and spin the trainer without using your arms.

SoCaled 

Every one/case is different so YMMV but, I had a really bad case from repetitive motions at work. I did rest, bands, heat, physical therapy not much luck (for months). Switched physical therapists, in the first five minutes he said,"The problem is your shoulder is weak, so your elbow is doing all the work" Now instead of focusing on treating the elbow, we focused on strengthening the shoulder, elbow problem went away quickly. Like many things, better results treating the cause, than the symptom. Tough part is always finding the right person to identify the cause?

tomato coupe

Having had elbow tendonitis many times, I'd say a two week recovery with OTC anti-inflammatories is pretty optimistic. If you want faster results, try Voltaren, iontophoresis, PRP, or a cortisone injection.

Jklotz

Yea, it's 2 weeks with OTC anti-inflammatories, then we go to a steroid injection. They prefer to use the injection sparingly if possible.

tomato coupe

You don't want to do cortisone injections in the same joint on a regular basis, but if you haven't had one recently, I'd jump straight to it.

Jicafold

The injection doesn't go into the joint. It goes outside the joint where the muscle anchors at the lateral epicondyle. Still, there are always side effects such as atrophy and depigmentation.

tomato coupe

"In the same joint" means left elbow, right elbow, left knee, etc.

Jklotz

As an update, I got turned onto Voltaren by a buddy. It seems to be working really well so far. It's making living with this much easier. I actually was able to ride Sat and Sun using the arm band.

Jicafold

In orthopedic surgery, where I work, in the joint means, exactly that. Directly into the joint itself. The condition of the OP, lateral epicondylitis, is not in the joint. It is extra-articular. Saying "into the joint" in a lay forum is misleading. What you are referring to is laterality.

Jicafold

Excellent. Good for you. Voltaren is a bit more potent than ibuprofen or naproxen. It may have more side effects though....headaches, diarrhea, dizzyness...

tomato coupe

I think the other readers of this thread understood what was meant by "in the same joint."

tomato coupe

You're using the gel, presumably?