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Thread: Elbow injuries

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    Registered User Jhutch's Avatar
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    Elbow injuries

    Hello all

    Have managed to pick up a bit of an elbow injury and i wondered if anyone had any advice?

    The background is that a few weeks i had a bit of a dull pain in my elbow when i woke up. I just thought that i had slept on it funny (i have woken up several times to find my arms in all kinds of strange positions). Did a class a couple of days later and while trying to straighten my right arm out to the right the girl i was with suddenly yanked it back to the left so it was almost behind my shoulder. This caused a bit of pain at the time but i didn't think much of it. However, by the next morning my elbow was hurting quite a bit. Ceroc didn't really seem to hurt it at all though so i carried on dancing although i haven't been able to go much anyway and i was fairly wary.

    Then, on Friday, i did pretty much the same motion and a girl yanked back my arm so my wrist was almost behind my shoulder again. This time it hurt quite a bit more. I did try to carry on the evening but found that i was cutting out quite a lot of my limited moves. Therefore, i left shortly afterwards

    It does now hurt more than it did before and so i have decided to extend my xmas break from dancing in order to give it more of a chance to recover. I am trying to apply ice, put some neurofen gel on it and avoid lifting too much with the arm. I was just wondering if anyone could provide any advice at all on what may be better to do? It does not really hurt in most positions, just when my wrist goes up to my shoulder, so i would have thought that it is a specific tendon rather than being a problem with the joint? I suppose that i could dance on and just cut out some moves until it feels better but i think that trying to avoid as much strain as possible is the best way forward?

    Feel a bit embarrassed by it all really but i think that i had some problems with my elbow when i did rock climbing a few years back. I hope that this isn't going to be some sort of niggly injury that reappears every so often

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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Quote Originally Posted by Jhutch View Post
    Have managed to pick up a bit of an elbow injury and i wondered if anyone had any advice?
    I don't want to run down the collective medical training of the people on the forum, but if you really have a problem, how about your doctor? They've had a little bit of training in providing advice with injuries.....

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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Im no doctor (thank God) but I have always found that injurys are best rested for a short period only. The last thing you want to do is rest up then become stiff from under use (no comments please (Esp the Troubles)).

    Is it like tennis elbow? I had tennis Balls once. Very painfull.

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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Quote Originally Posted by TheTramp View Post
    I don't want to run down the collective medical training of the people on the forum, but if you really have a problem, how about your doctor? They've had a little bit of training in providing advice with injuries.....
    Not mine. When I went with an injury to my thumb through Martial Arts, I got told if I didn't want sports injuries dont do sports (the doctor was a fat G1t though).

    Agree with Trampy (shock to me too) but like me you are probley doing the manly thing of not wanting to go, but complaining about it like hell.

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    Registered User Jhutch's Avatar
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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Quote Originally Posted by TheTramp View Post
    I don't want to run down the collective medical training of the people on the forum, but if you really have a problem, how about your doctor? They've had a little bit of training in providing advice with injuries.....
    Yeah, i may well pop along but normally they just tell you to stop doing it (which is what i am doing), put ice on (which i am doing).

    As they are unlikely to be that acquainted with ceroc then i just wondered if anyone here had any experience in these matters at all?

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    Registered User David Franklin's Avatar
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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Quote Originally Posted by Jhutch View Post
    Yeah, i may well pop along but normally they just tell you to stop doing it (which is what i am doing), put ice on (which i am doing).

    As they are unlikely to be that acquainted with ceroc then i just wondered if anyone here had any experience in these matters at all?
    I'm more acquainted with pain associated with straightening the elbow, which is classically caused by inflammation at or near the point where the biceps tendon attaches near the elbow. I've found it usually sorts itself out with rest, but I've never had it severely.

    My gut feeling is that it's best getting tendon injuries properly looked at, at least the first time you do them. That way you can at least get some guidance over whether to rest it or use it. Anyone with RSI will know that "pushing through the pain" can end up giving you more pain, more of the time.

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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Quote Originally Posted by TheTramp View Post
    I don't want to run down the collective medical training of the people on the forum, but if you really have a problem, how about your doctor? They've had a little bit of training in providing advice with injuries.....
    To be honest, every time I've gone to my GP with any injury of this type, they've been pretty much 100% useless. They either say "rest it", or they give you painkillers. Great. Thanks.

    Physiotherapists, however, have usually been great. So I'd advise going to someone who's a sports-injury specialist (pay if you have to), and take their advice.

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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Quote Originally Posted by Jhutch View Post
    Yeah, i may well pop along but normally they just tell you to stop doing it (which is what i am doing), put ice on (which i am doing).

    As they are unlikely to be that acquainted with ceroc then i just wondered if anyone here had any experience in these matters at all?
    With the NHS, if you're unlucky enough to have a doctor that always says, "rest for a week or two", you have to kick up a fuss.

    I had tennis elbow (still have really, it never completely goes without an operation, but that causes almost as much trouble as the injury!) and I was told to rest it for a few weeks. A friend had had the same symptoms and told me that rest wouldn't do it. After much shouting and demanding, I got a course of physiotherapy, including ultrasound treatment and a specially fitted support strap to ease the pressure.
    It also turned out that I got it because my computer set up at work was putting stress on the elbow and no amount of rest or treatment would have fixed it, without setting the desk up correctly.
    Throwing small balls, stones and javelins is still very painful for me and always will be (bit of a problem for an athletics coach! ) but dancing is fine now.

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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Be very careful - Saxylady (my wife & dance partner) has been off work for 5 weeks (and obviously unable to dance) with ULD / RSI / Tennis Elbow / Trapped nerves - the problem is that it's difficult to diagnose exactly what the problem is. See your doctor, who will probably tell you to take pain killers and rest. BUT lay it on that dancing is really important for your physical & mental wellbeing and ask to be referred to the Physio. You might consider paying for a consultation with a sports injury physio - they understand that you want to get going again asap (one remarked that dancers are the worst patients as they won't stop for anything)

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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Quote Originally Posted by clevedonboy View Post
    Be very careful - Saxylady (my wife & dance partner) has been off work for 5 weeks (and obviously unable to dance) with ULD / RSI / Tennis Elbow / Trapped nerves - the problem is that it's difficult to diagnose exactly what the problem is. See your doctor, who will probably tell you to take pain killers and rest. BUT lay it on that dancing is really important for your physical & mental wellbeing and ask to be referred to the Physio. You might consider paying for a consultation with a sports injury physio - they understand that you want to get going again asap (one remarked that dancers are the worst patients as they won't stop for anything)
    Might work best if you lay it on thick about work though. I don't know what you do, but I'm a writer and I couldn't work with tennis elbow in my right arm.

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    Registered User Twirly's Avatar
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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Quote Originally Posted by TheTramp View Post
    I don't want to run down the collective medical training of the people on the forum, but if you really have a problem, how about your doctor? They've had a little bit of training in providing advice with injuries.....
    Good point Trampy... but at least he's got plenty of advice on how to deal with unsympathetic doctors now!

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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Totally agree that a sport physo is prob best for any injury like that, but see the gp, lay it on as others have said and you might get a result.

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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Quote Originally Posted by woodface View Post
    Totally agree that a sport physo is prob best for any injury like that, but see the gp, lay it on as others have said and you might get a result.
    And a three month waiting list probably.

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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Quote Originally Posted by Twirly View Post
    And a three month waiting list probably.

    Julia had to wait two weeks after making a fuss (she didn't initially). I saw a Physio within a week when I had a knee injury. We are lucky around here to have a well funded phsio department though (lots of old folks in Clevedon)

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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Quote Originally Posted by clevedonboy View Post
    Julia had to wait two weeks after making a fuss (she didn't initially). I saw a Physio within a week when I had a knee injury. We are lucky around here to have a well funded phsio department though (lots of old folks in Clevedon)
    Postcode lottery... I think I had to wait about 2 months on one occasion, 3 months another time. (Am always injuring myself). Luckily we have one at work now, and BUPA pays.

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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Not had an injured elbow but had lots of injuries caused by elbows does that count?

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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Quote Originally Posted by woodface View Post
    Im no doctor (thank God) but I have always found that injurys are best rested for a short period only. The last thing you want to do is rest up then become stiff from under use (no comments please (Esp the Troubles)).

    Is it like tennis elbow? I had tennis Balls once. Very painfull.
    stiffness is never a good thing in the dance world....well almost never

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    Re: Elbow injuries

    As others have said previously go to your GP and asked to be refered to a physio! it could be any number of things muscle strain, ligamentous or RSI (Golfers or tennis elbow) A physio will take the time to asess everything.

    It would help if you can have a clear idea of when it hurts the most, where the pain is (Can you put your finger on a specific point?) what sort of pain it is (sharp, ache etc) What actions make it hurt. Also try and think of what it's limiting you from doing and make sure that the Dr and Physio know that this is what it's affecting it.

    Most physio department will have a way of trying to cut down on their waiting list so don't put it off thinking it'll be months.

    in the mean time, ice and rest are probably the best medicine! don't over do it. try and pinpoint the elments of your life that are affecting you and when your sleeping try to protect it so you don't end up with the arm twisted!

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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Hard to say for sure without seeing the injury, but IMO the following certainly wouldn't do you any harm:

    strengthen forearm flexor - like the guy in this picture is doing, but with one dumbell. Use a very light weight and only work to the fatigue of the injured part (if it hurts too much, stop, or reduce resistance!)

    http://www.myfit.ca/exercisedatabase...xercises&ID=61

    And also:

    stretch brachioradialis muscle - like this:

    http://exercise.wsu.edu/default.asp?page=display&id=72

    note that in the photo, the woman has the BACKS of her hands on the floor, not the palms. The stretch can also be performed simply by pulling the back of the right hand downwards with the left, but keeping the right elbow straight. hold the stretch for a count of 15.

    Its possible (although again tricky to say without seeing you) that you may have been pre-disposed to this kind of injury due to poor flexiblity across the chest and the rotator cuff muscles.
    When your arm got pulled back, if the chest and shoulder rotator muscles were tight, then its possible that the elbow would take more pressure than it is happy with, therefore inceasing the risk of injury to that area. I'm saying this mainly because lack of flexibility in these areas is VERY common.

    For chest and rotator cuff, try these stretches:

    http://www.naturalphysiques.com/cms/...php?itemid=159

    (scroll down to 'chest complex')

    http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com...uff-injury.htm

    (scroll down to 2nd photo - man holding stick)


    Also, as other people have said, rest is good, as is hot/cold treatments and anti-inflammatories. If you must go dancing, ice it ASAP afterwards. Tend to go along with the opinion that GP's lack imagination when it comes to exercise related injuries (although they are tons better than they used to be), however your GP may be able to stick you on the waiting list for some free physio. If you went to a good private physio, or an osteopath, I reckon you could probably have it sorted in a couple of visits, so it'd be fairly cheap.

    Get well soon.

    And don't get into any arm wrestling comps any time soon.

    paul

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    Registered User Jhutch's Avatar
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    Re: Elbow injuries

    Thanks for your help everyone

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