Painful tennis (fishing) elbow.

[Slyster]

After fishing last summer, I managed to get tennis elbow. Right elbow.. terrible deep pain.. comes when I set the hook or squeeze my hand (I use a left handed spinning reel). It gets to the point after a long day I just can't fish anymore.

Now it's been 5 months since I last fished and it still aches daily.

Anyone get this? Know any ways to help? I use a tight velcro band just below the elbow (for 'tennis elbow') but doesn't help a lot.

[Angler Don]

Yup. Was diagnosed with it in my left arm a couple years ago. Caused by so many hours of muskie fishing. Especially aggravated by the way I hold onto or "palm" the reel. Time spent at any computer keyboard tends to aggravate it as well, which I do at work and at home. The family clinic guy sent me to a sports medicine guy who treated it with some exercise & stretching techniques. Ice packs can be helpful. Iontophoresis treatments provided the most relief. If needed, cortisone injections may be an option. The arm band did nothing for me either. So there are a variety of treatments available, it's a matter of trying different things until you find the one which provides the most relief. I doubt that it will ever completely go away, but it is much less severe and frequent now than before treating it. I also hold the fishing rod differently when I need to, holdding the handle below the reel helps, this is the baitcaster. Anyway, I suggest starting with your primary care physician, who can recommend treatment options or a specialist. I do know for sure that it does not get better by itself. Start now, maybe this summers fishing will be more enjoyable.

Good Luck,

Don

[Ralph Wiggum]

One thing I like to do is switch off between a baitcaster and a spinning reel (I hold them in opposite hands). This helps a bit.

[FISHER ED]

I feel for you. I had what they call golf elbow a few summers ago. Don't know why since I don't play golf but whatever I guess. GE affects the opposite tendons that TE does. I also got the velcro arm strap. From what I could tell, it didn't do anything but ease the pain for a very short time and then the hurt came back. I stopped using it after a couple weeks. From there I just babied my arm, thankfully it was my left and I'm right handed, but it took a good 3 months and all of a sudden the pain was gone. Almost like someone flipped a switch. Are you right handed? If so, I would guess you haven't been able to baby it as much as I did mine and the recovery time would be longer.

Can't give you any pointers to help get rid of it. Like I said, when I finally got rid of it I had some pain one day and then never felt it again. Hope it stays away.

[Hogzilla]

This is a timely topic. I also have tennis elbow and I don't play tennis

My doctor gave me the arm band thing, some anti-inflamatory drugs and told me to ice it 2 -3 times a day. It's getting alot better and the pain is there but considerably less than before.

[river rat316]

I hate to say it cause I know you fish Ugly Sticks but a good way to help this out is to get very light very good balanced equipment which is unfortunately pretty expensive, otherwise lots of ice and lots of Ibuprofen will help

[Slyster]

Oh no! Ugly Sticks rearing up once again! Good point.. they are not well balanced and probably a bit heavier and of course stiffer...

Yeah.. the doctor route will be next.. surprise to see the quick repsonses showing that this is not uncommon for anglers!

[Bushwacker]

I had tennis elbow BAD last summer. I hurt it on one throw in softball in May and it hurt all the way through November. One of my best friend's wife is a physical theropist and she gave me some stretchs and told me to take Advil and ice it daily. It really seemed to help, and now after some months off, it feels as good as new.

[JohnMickish]

I am going thru therapy right now for the same thing, added to it is golf elbow or mechanics elbow. The best thing you can do is have your doctor send you to a physical therapist. It is a many month healing process so be prepared for the long haul. I've been working on mine since November and it's a little better but I think come spring I'm just going to bite the bullet and get a cortozone shot. Good luck to you.

[83walleye]

Cortisone. Quit messing around - see your doctor and get an injection. What's hurting is the inflammation around a tendon, and the cortisone is a major league anti-inflammatory which will make your elbow feel better really fast - like in a day or two. Needle hurts a bit on the way in, but the first part of the injection is novacaine, which numbs things up well before he injects the actual cortisone. It's easy and it works like nothing else.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I had problems with this 2 winters ago.. Mine was becuase of target archery.. but its the same pain... I ended up going to the Dr. and Physical Theropy.. where I got a cortizone salv that they put on the elbow and then attached an eletrical device to the arm and it pulled the cortizone through the skin... Between the PT and the treatments.. all better in about 2 months... havn't had any problems since. However I now always wear one of those arm band dealys while shooting archery.. or if I know I will be fishing jerk baits a lot in the boat.

[delmuts]

as stated ! get to the dr. and get some help! it gets the best of us! but after it starts feeling better, don't give up on the exercises ! this will help prevent it from coming back, and after you have it taken care of; the fore arm brace does help with extra support!

[outdoor ran]

I think you have ugly stick elbow I just got that shot in my shoulder a couple weeks ago. I have calcium deposits around the cuff. I think its from casting and bow hunting. Anyway, the shot works wonders. Doc just put a cold liquid on the spot and injected the needle.

[Lindy Lee]

I Had the samething a few years back. Know I always wear a arm band when I do any kind of fishing, it has helped me out. They say once you have had TE it will come back easier the next time.

[porterhouse]

Is there a way to prevent tennis elbow? I do fish alot. I mostly cast(don't troll much). I only fish for muskies when June gets here. I do strech(sp) before a long day on the water. Also I switch hands after a while of casting. Should this be good enough?

Thanks!!!!

Brian

[bigdog]

Seems like once you get this you are prone to reoccurance - at least I am. I can get it from holding a leaf blower, think it is the vibration. Anyhow, for me it takes a month or more of constantly wearing that silly forearm brace to heal things up. Now I wear the forearm brace when I do things that tend to cause a flare-up and I have not had any troubles.

[delmuts]

again. talk to a physical therapist! they can show/give you exercises that not only will help get rid of it, but prevent it too!

[Slyster]

Thanks all.. yeah.. mine acted up big time yesterday just doing a little painting on a bedroom wall! I'll start wearing that brace and get an appt for to doctor.. perhaps excersize and hopefully a cortozone shot right when the water opens up.

[Bobby Bass]

I to suffered through a Fall with a nagging fishing elbow. Had to go to a spinning rod to ease up on it and just when I thought I had it licked it came back when I started bowling. So decision time bowling or fishing....Bowling balls make good anchors but they tend to roll in a soft bottom

[fishin789]

I had it and what a pain. Mine was so bad that I could not hold my new born daughter with my right arm. I went through all the stuff pills arm band and the cortisone shot. let me tell you that shot is one painfull mother to get. Dr told me I could scream as loud as I wanted to as long as I didn't move my arm. It helped a litle but didn't go away. I wore the arm band almost 24/7 for a year and favored that arm so it would heal up. what the Dr told me was it was your muscle was tearing away from it's anchor point. If you do anything and feel pain you are not helping it. It took two years for it to stop hurting completely,and it still comes back from time to time but when I feel it acting up again I put on the arm band for awhile till it heals back up.