Anyone for Tennis (Elbow)

[Major-Minor]

Some years ago I had Tennis Elbow in my left arm. As a pro player this was a real pain (sorry!). I had to have a month off playing and loads of physio and exercises. Even after this time off, I still had problems and just played through the pain. I developed back shoulder and neck pains as well, all on my left side. After about 6 months of massage sessions (no sniggering please) the pain in my arm subsided ( I still get the other pains when playing for long periods).

In March this year, I started getting Tennis Elbow in my right arm. I've been playing through the pain ever since. If I do some warm up exercises this definitely helps and very often by the end of a concert or gig, I hardly notice the pain. But I am woken up the next day by the pain in my right arm.

Does anybody have similar experiences ? Do you think playing through the pain is a bad idea ? Should I retire now ?!! (I'm 58 now and have been playing professionally for over 40 years). I feel I'm at the top of my game at the moment - I still really love playing and manage to ignore these pains for most of the time. It hasn't affected my desire to do the job to the best of my ability. I try to watch my posture and do all the right things - stretches before work, shortish practice sessions, lots of walking etc etc

Any feedback would be most welcome.

The Major

[pal1972]

A couple of years ago i started gettong pain in my left elbow and more worryingly numbness in my fingers, I still gigged and found towrds the end of a gig i cstruggled to use my left hand fingers. Turned out i had 'Ulna nerve compression'. I had to have an op whereby they opened up my elbow and chiselled a bit away from the bone that the ulna nerve travelled through to free it up a bit. Anyhow fine after that but now its coming back!!!! which will mean another op but this time to reposition the nerve altogether!!!! needless to say i'm putting it off for as long as poss as last time i had to take 8weeks off work, and no bass playing/gigs for that same length of time

[Deep Thought]

I've had to have two steroid injections for mine-they improve the symptoms but they don't cure it. The second time I had physio, they gave me some stretch exercises which made a big difference to me. I've been a bit lax with them lately and it's started to come back, but nowhere near as bad as before. I think I need a concentrated programme of loosening up my forearm tendons again. Go see a physio, because they can work out what your specific problem is and give you the right exercises-your tennis elbow may be different to mine. Mine is apparently not 'classic' tennis elbow. I find if I remember to do my exercises before doing something (mine doesn't like playing bass using fingers, especially sitting down), and if it does hurt, a bit of stretching can help too.

[Major-Minor]

A quick update:

At last the symptoms seem to be subsiding ! I can now pick up a mug without whincing and I no longer wake in the morning with pains in the elbow and lower arm. And I've had no physio or massage, and I've played right through it, so maybe this is the answer:
Just keep going, plenty of stretches and warm-ups before playing and having faith that time will heal the problem.

Thanks for the replies guys.

The Major

[chrisba]

At first, I thought this thread was a request for tabs/music for a song called Anyone for Tennis, by Elbow , but then I read it.

I don't think Elbow have ever done a song called Anyone for Tennis, but I think they should, and I'll email Guy Garvey to suggest it.

Anyway, back to the topic. I had mild TE in both my elbows, at different times, and they both got better on their own, in about 4-6 months. I tried to avoid anything that hurt them, carrying heavy things like amps seemed to be the worst. Never had any problems playing or cycling, or in my pretty sedentary job.