I am a union carpenter who is trying to eliminate elbow pain. I am right-handed and have bounced through hammers, landing with a titanium framing hammer. This has solved my right elbow but not the left one. Any suggestions?
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I was told by my physician that if the wrist hurts its because of the elbow is inflamed. If the elbow hurts, its the inflamed nerve at the shoulder. What did your doc in a box say?
How old are you
how many years in this
what kind of carpentry? Forms? Rough? use nail guns?
Have you seen an occupational therapist? They know a lot about body mechanics and pain or repetitive inju5ry.
Seems like the union boasts of having wonderful benefits. This oughta be one where brothers take care of brothers
personally, I know about pain. The word "eliminate" does not play but the words "treat" and "manage" work
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>> The word "eliminate" does not play ...Have you tried Demerol?Oh, you mean you can't eliminate pain and still keep working. I guess I have to agree with that.
Have you seen an occupational therapist?
My girlfriend is an occupational therapist, and she told me it's not the swinging of the hammer it's the sudden stop when it hits the nail. ;-)
Honestly, she said there isn't much to do about swinging a hammer, she said that the arm tolerates it to a point, but eventually the nerves just can't tolerate it anymore. Then, the swelling, and constant pain start.
That is the why of it, but the how to treat should be anoptjher conversation
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A friend of mine told me eating pineapple helps his.
This is why I stopped using hammers as much as I can. Move over to nail guns My elbow is now fine.
Try some of the braces and supports.
The neoprene ones that encase the elbow joint and limit motion are great for strong support and speeding healing in the first days after injury. Get a couple. In the heat they start to stink in day or so. I got two and would wash the one I wore during the day while I showered after work. This one I would lay out to dry. Putting on the one from yesterday, now dry, so I had one on for the evening and sleeping.
Once you no longer need the full support, or the neoprene drives you nuts in the heat, you can change up, perhaps only after work at first, to the lighter and less confining strap types. These are generally much more comfortable, especially when sleeping, and much cooler. Go ahead and get two. They are cheap so one to wear and one to wash.
The one I found that worked the best for me, once the initial injury had resolved a bit, was a simple Velcro band about 3" wide with a little plastic pillow of air, about 2" by 3" square and only about 1/2" thick, that places light pressure on the pressure point at the outside of the forearm. These are fitted with only light tension on the forearm just below the elbow.
I had my doubts, sure a band of Velcro and a tiny pillow on my forearm will make my elbow feel better ... right, but they worked for me. Let your body heal. Keep the brace handy long after you think you don't need it. The simple band types take up little room. Working with pliers and screwdrivers if I didn't wear the brace my elbow would often be screaming in an hour or so. Wearing the brace I could last the day without too much pain. Depended on what type of work we were doing.
Once I had healed, after months, I stored the braces. I have just about a complete set of braces. Knee, ankle, wrist, elbow. I don't have a neck brace. Perhaps, working construction, I'm so used to pains in the neck that I don't feel the pain any longer.
Hi Gentlemen:I can give you some suggestons as an orthopaedic surgeon. Firstly I agree with everything said by 4Lorn1.Most elbow pain in carpenters less than 50 is either tennis or golfers elbow and is a degenerative condition where the muscles attach to the little bump on the inside or outside of the elbow. It is not an inflammatory condition so things like anti-inflammatories and injections tend not to help. Current knowledge supports the use of the forearm straps, regular stretching of the affected muscle groups and tincture of time. At a year, over 80 percent will have resolved. Surgery is very rarely indicated and when done, releases the remaining tendon attachment and cleans out the degenerative tissue.So, wear a wrist strap, stretch regularly, and be patient if you can.If you are losing motion, particularly the ability to straighten your elbow, this is likely arthritis especially if you are over 50. This is much more common than originally thought and may ultimately progress to the point of requiring some form of surgery.Hope this helps.Mark MacLeod
Re: "It is not an inflammatory condition so things like anti-inflammatories and injections tend not to help."I was wondering why the ibuprofen only decreased the pain for as long as the dose lasted, masking the pain without doing much to heal the joint. As opposed to when I take it for a sore knee where the dose seemed to have a follow-on effect of freeing up the joint and making it less tender long-term. I also noted that the ice pack was less effective on the elbow than it was on the knee. Made it less sore but as soon as the cold wore off it hadn't seemed to have advance the healing much. I don't think it did any harm just not as much good.Wish it was easier to get sound and practical medical advice. Some docs seem to get insulted that I don't want to spend four hours and $80 for a two minute consult. More than half of which is a rundown on RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). Used to be I could call my doctor and half the time the doctor answered the phone. Not any more. Not that the changes are all the doctor's fault. Insurance, medicine as path to riches and drug companies all have played a part.I have to keep repeating the party line that we have the best health care on the planet. Despite the statistics, and my own gut feeling, telling me otherwise. Most expensive and profitable? Undeniable that is. Best? This is far less clear.Your comment clarifies the situation quite a bit. Learn something new every day. Thanks.
I am having a long lasting ( going on 5 months now) nerve impingment in my L elbow, causing a numbness in my ring and pinky fingers. A LPN checked it out and it feels like a funny bone type of feeling when she applied pressure to my elbow.
Anything I can do? She recommended 8 yes EIGHT Naproxin ( Aleve) a day! I like my liver TOO much try that.
Any help would REALLY be appreciated. Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
You think that's funny? Watch THIS!...I can only do it once tho'
Hiya Sphere:Well, you describe a condition where the ulnar nerve is compressed. After 5 months, with persistent numbness, I would talk to someone about a nerve decompression. The nerve essentially gets unroofed from the tissue tunnel that it runs in and is either left there with the roof open (my preference) or released over a longer lenght and transposed or moved in front of the little bump on the inner part of the elbow - this essentially straightens the nerve course out and buries it in some muscle - sounds better but the results are the same and the recovery time seems to be greater.So, there you go. Just for my own interest, is it the elbow that rests on the arm rest of your truck?mark
Mark, Many thanks for nailing it right on. Yes, it is a arm rest elbow, but being a smoker , it also gets some excercise, flicking ashes out the window.
When you say "someone" to look at decomp., I have to ask who?
I had tendosynovitis in both wrists back in '88 or so, bilateral casting was the fix, are talking something similar or the dreaded knife?
Thanks for being around here, we all need some help or info every once and awhile. Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
You think that's funny? Watch THIS!...I can only do it once tho'
Hi again:You'll need to talk to an orthopaedic surgeon or a plastic surgeon to have it done. The recovery time would be about 2 weeks to 4 weeks depending on whether or not you have the lesser or larger procedure done. It's a day surgery thing.Hope that helpsmark
I went to a lighter weight hammer (go ahead and laugh, but I'd love a 16 oz framming one) and use a framing gun. It took me at least six months to get rid of the pain. I also got a forearm brace for about $35 bucks.
Not to discount what the Doc said, but a coritzone injection from my sports doctor (along with not swinging the hammer) really helped me.
For what it's worth.
Your experience with the injection is not surprising . . . in a randomized trial, those who had the injection had a 65 percent chance of being better at one year and the short term results were better than no injeciton . . . .however, without an injection , the improvement was 80 percent at one year. Cheersmark
I had a similar pain in the shoulder. Triple strength Glucosamine, with Chondrotin cleared the pain completely in three weeks. Started taking two (2) tablets a day; one in AM, second at dinnertime. After about two weeks reduced to one a day. Still use one a day with no pain.
Osteo Bi-Flex* is the brand I use now. Buy if over the counter at drugstore, super market, Wal-Mart, Sam's club, etc.
* One of many available
Not sure if this will help in your case, but it might be worth a try.
tomone