[TheForge] blacksmith's elbow and cortizone

[peter fels & phoebe palmer]

On 10/27/2010 12:55 PM, Mike Spencer wrote:
> Never had tennis elbow but I had "frozen shoulder", once in each
> shoulder a couple of years apart. Couldn't raise my arm more than
> about 10deg below shoulder level without excruciating pain.
>
> I declined cortisone, based on Peggy's career-long observations as an
> RN that it's a two-edged sword.  Twice-weekly physio plus home
> exercises with a cord and pulley on the ceiling cleared it up in 4-6
> weeks.  Another smith I know opted for cortisone, was all better in
> two days.  Regrettably, I haven't kept up close enough contact with
> him to know if all remained well a few years down the road.
>
> FWIW,
> - Mike
Here's what i've learned ( involuntarily) about tennis elbow.
Tennis elbow is caused by a tear in the tendons that lift your hands at 
the wrist  and opens fingers away from the palm.
Tendons aren't well supplied with blood and heal slowly.
Stuff that makes it feel better can lead to widening the tendon tear and 
make recovery much slower.
If you have it, be careful to lift palm up, not palm down.
Rotate your grip on the hammer handle so your palm is underneath the handle.

Muscle and tendon rebuild  most quickly when  the tendon is extending 
under load, not contracting.
So, it's not raising the weight that makes the most difference, but how 
slowly you put it back down.
Exercises include  lowering an incrementally heavier weight hung from a 
cord wrapped around a piece of pipe or dowel with
your forearms level..and palm down. Stay just short of the pain.
A rubberband wrapped around bunched finger tips can also be used..spread 
and slowly contract the fingers.
A band just down from the elbow ( i like the kind with a plastic 
pressure focused area) helps in the short run.