Tennis Elbow

[XRe]

Mike, is ART anything like some of the focused, deep tissue massage? It sounds similar - but having never done either...

I'm not afraid to share my experiences with things, generally - but I've been confronted by various zealots along the way who try to convince me I'm an idiot for trying different things So, I'm cautious....

I need to get one of those balls that Round_Gun_Shooter posted about - finger extensions are what I need, at this point....

[kimel]

I have been using the grip trainers and elastic bands from IronMind.com now for several months and my tennis elbow is essentially gone. Good stuff.

[Round_Gun_Shooter]

roundgun shooter could you post a link or a trade name for that pic, that looks ideal for a strength/stretching device.  www.ironmind.com has a whole litany of somewhat off the wall grip and strength devices, the heavy duty elasctic bands work very well for me.

XRE, you have more b*lls than I do, I thought about posting my success with acupuncture, but concern over skepticism prevented me.  It did wonders for me.  I believe it enabled the healing process to actually begin, with the ART and physical therapy enabling the slow re-building process to work.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

HAND MASTER PLUS EXCERCISER

Not bad for $10

regards,

Gary

[zhunter]

PM me and I will give you the secret! It is simple, but difficlut to explain via a post.

Please have a thick/strong rubber band about 3 inches end to end!

[Round_Gun_Shooter]

Several years ago the author of the article quoted below gave me permission to share it as long as it was done as a courtesy and for no profit.

I have never met Kurt but have had my own DCM use the this article to aid him in my treatment.

If Kurt is on this list, I hope he adds to it and Thanks to DRBONES (not to be confused with BONES) for sharing the info with fellow shooters.

This article was written in about 1992.  Since then I have made some minor modifications to the treatment program but the basic idea is the same.  There is an exercise with a rubber band, but I don't know if I can accurately describe it.

ELBOW PAIN - A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW

Kurt G. von Rice, D.C.

As a club level shooter and chiropractic physician, I would like to discuss a problem that I see in my office that is fairly common to shooters. Elbow tendonitis is what I am talking about here and the different ways of dealing with it.

Let's start with the idea of taking aspirin. In fact aspirin may dull the pain and soreness, however the side effects are not good for you. Aspirin greatly increases the amount of time it takes for your blood to clot if you get a cut or scrape and every aspirin you take causes bleeding from the stomach lining. This can lead to ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems. A much safer alternative is bioflavinoids, Omega 3 fatty acids, or alpha chymotrypsin. The bioflavinoids are a plant derivative and 6000-8000 mg. Per day have shown good anti-inflammatory action as have the Omega 3 fatty acids (a product of fish or flax oil) at 1 capsule 3 times a day. The alpha chymotrypsin is a little trickier and needs to be monitored by a professional but is the most effective of those on the market. Any of these are much safer than aspirin and are easily available.

Rest is one of the best treatments for this problem, but how much rest can you get 3 weeks before the Nationals. That is exactly what one of my patient's asked me when he developed tendonitis in the elbow.

Okay, enough talk about what won't work and let's get on with what will. The problem requires a certain amount of attention for several reasons. (1) If the tendon has pulled completely away from the bone, it needs to be surgically reattached. Fortunately shooting rarely causes an injury of that severity. (2) Because shooting relies on a gripping action (as does tennis and golf), most shooters develop a muscle imbalance in the forearm which contributes to the problem and (3) there's usually more going on than a simple tendon sprain.

Typically with elbow tendonitis the head of the radius (the main bone of the forearm) at the elbow joint slips anatomically posterior or rearward and thereby compromises the bio mechanics of the joint.

A few causes of this problem are things that cannot be avoided if we are to continue to shoot; repeated recoil absorbed by the forearms, practicing reloads and draws, etc.. However with the proper treatment, exercises, and sometimes-minor technique modifications it is a problem that can in most cases are solved without surgical intervention. Perhaps the easiest way to do this is with a case study.

A fellow shooter approached me before the Nationals several years ago with severe elbow pain in his dominant arm. It had started several months earlier and had gotten progressively worse. The examination indicated tendonitis in the area of the right elbow. The treatment protocol consisted of specific chiropractic manipulation of the neck (which is where the nerves of the shoulder-arm-hand complex exit the spine) and the involved elbow (to restore the head of the radius to it's proper position), ice on the area 4-5 times per day to reduce inflammation, and frictional massage of the tendon with a liniment that I have found to be helpful in relieving the pain and enhancing healing. He was also given a series of stretches and exercises to balance the strength and flexibility of the forearm musculature to perform at home. Probably the most important of these is the reverse wrist curl which helps develop the muscle group on the top of the forearm. These are the muscles that open the fingers and bend the wrist backward. This muscle group needs to be strengthened to balance the overdeveloped muscle groups that we use every day to close the fingers into a fist. The finger flexors are continually in use just by gripping the gun. Also we increased the weight of his recoil spring just slightly to allow the gun itself to absorb more of the recoil. One last thing was a change in the presentation of the gun. Locking the arms out too hard causes hyper extension of the elbow joint which can definitely contribute to this problem. He went on to place 63rd at the Nationals and with periodic check-ups, has not had a problem since. (Author's note: Since that time I have found that acupuncture can definitely accelerate the healing process and has been added to the protocol.)

The most important part of this treatment, in my opinion, is the chiropractic manipulation. By removing the interference on the involved nerves, the body has the opportunity to heal faster. After all, the only thing that can heal the body is the body itself.

So if you are having problems with your elbows, seek a professional opinion and rule out serious pathology, look at your technique, do the exercises, ice the area, and find a chiropractic physician that manipulates extremities as well as the spine.

The exercise to strengthen the muscles referred to at the beginning is done with a rubber band. Holding the four fingers of the hand against the thumb make what looks like a Duck's bill. With the elastic band around all fingers and the thumb, open the ducks bill against the resistance of the elastic band. This will strengthen the muscles needed to counteract the tendonitis. I do it while driving and it makes a difference.

I find the ball I showed earlier to give the same results.

Regards,

[zhunter]

Round Gun Shooter

Awesome explaination!!!! I was just gonna have them call me, as I was not sure how to explain it. Right on the money!!!!!!

[Mike H]

ART is focused, deep tissue massage. You'll know by the pain it creates whether or not the right spots are being hit.

The elastic bands, titan telegraph from ironmind have made my forearms/hand/grip strength outstanding. I still get an occassional twinge when I try to throw a baseball alot for my kids, but overall the tendonitis is gone.

Ice, an occassional ART treatment when I feel like I need some painful remedy, and balanced working out have made the difference.

Just wish I hadn't succumbed to 2 shots and 2 years of setback before understanding the real cause, effect and treatment.

XRE, the elastic bands at ironmind.com are probably very similar to the elastic ball, the great thing about the bands is that they come in a 5 pack of increasing tension, truly a fantastic work out for the fingers, wrist and most importantly that elbow area.