Tennis Elbow
 

How can we fix this?

Playing at 50-52 lbs with various Polyesters... Not playing even more than 3 days per week. What can I do besides ice?

What racquet do you use?
Have you tried any of these ar-friendly racquets or any other racquet that is flexibile, head light balanced and on the heavy side?

Babolat New Pure Storm LTD GT
Dunlop Biomimetic 200 Tour
Dunlop Biomimetic 200
HEAD-Youtek-IG-Prestige-MP
Prince EXO3 Rebel
Prince EXO3 Tour
Volkl Power Bridge 10 Mid
Volkl Organix 10 325G
Wilson Prostaff Six.One BLX
Yonex Vcore 95D

Ditch the poly, perhaps..

stretch that arm all the time. stop sign up with hand for 10 sec then down for 10 sec. 10x. search for te stretches on google. do this any free time you have. ice after play like you state. forgiving racquet as per tmc. if none of that works ditch the poly. done.

all the above assumes you are playing with poly for a reason.

Stop kidding yourself - get rid of the poly.

I've seen the difference it's made among both older and younger players with rather strong games and "arm-friendly" racquets. If you've had any previous elbow issues, then it's probably wise to assume that you're simply more susceptible to arm problems than some of our pals who do fine with that string.

If the cost of re-stringing more often gives you pause, I'd say that your #1 priority should be keeping healthy so that you can keep playing the game (dump the poly). Consider getting a simple stringing machine and you'll never have to worry about the either expense or inconvenience of using more fragile string again.

There are many TE threads with lots of information. Search especially the CharlieFedererer replies that include healing times and tendon illustrations.

On the down side of this serious injury is the risk of developing chronic tendinosis by stressing the injured tendon when it is healing. The first few weeks immediately after an acute injury may be the most critical for the quality of healing. Unfortunately, almost everybody plays tennis with TE longer than a few weeks before realizing that they have a persisting TE injury. Research the difference between tendinitis (with inflammation) and tendinosis (with defective healed tendon).

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=442912

Thanks all.

I'm a former Professional/now Coach. Still play at a rather high level with top juniors and like Poly. I'll just keep dropping tension. Also I use the Dunlop Biomimetic 300, as I'm in contract with them.

Icy Hot, Ice, and stretching..I'll see what happens.

Look up trigger point therapy as well. You may have knots in the shoulder you can massage out that will provide relief in a few days.

You can drop the tension all you want, you can't expect something with no give to be comfortable on your elbow.

What is more important to you -- your elbow or poly strings? Lose the poly. If you are going to be stubborn about it, drop it down to the 40 lb range. If you are are using full poly, consider a hybrid setup with poly on on the mains (or crosses).

Are you certain that your TE is not GE or some other elbow issue?

Lose the poly.

Many come back hitting too hard to soon.

Many have posted here that using the Thereband Flexbar to help build up their forearm muscles helps prevents an early recurrence.
Tennis Elbow: Step-By-Step Instructions For Treating Elbow Pain Using Thereband Flexbar.
Thera-Band Flexbar Hand Exerciser - Tennis Elbow Relief Bar http://www.amazon.com/TheraBand-Y0A2.../dp/B00067E4YU

After the pain is gone, make your first hitting sessions short and gradually lengthen them.

Players who continue to play with pain can see their tendons suffer permanent changes into just strands of scar tissue - a process known as tendonosis:

Thanks! Which do you recommend? The red? And where are the instructions on how to use?

Start with the red bar if you're currently in pain, and then work your way up to the green, then blue. Instructions come with your orders and videos are available online.

Also, definitely lose the poly strings! Even at low tensions, polys will cause problems once they go dead.

I'm not the OP.

Poly strings work fine for me. I tried synth gut and hate its mute and misaligning and nondurability. I don't have TE but if I intend to hit really hard and sloppy for hours I'll feel some ache and discomfort.

Anyone got the same experience?

ps. I just bought 25 sets of poly. You guys kinda make me doubt poly now. :shock:

Stop playing.
Cut out the poly.
Forget ice and NSAIDS.
NO cortisone shots.
There is NO inflammation process.
Red then green flexbar therapy religiously.
After a few months...if better
String with gut.
No shortcuts!

I was using Poly for about 4-5 years before suddenly getting Tennis Elbow. It really sucked! It hurt to lift a gallon of milk and to even shake someone's hand! I had to wait almost 4 months before I could play again. So when I started playing again I decided to try a hybrid set-up and a tennis elbow brace for preventive maintenance and so far so good for the last 7 months. I also do that stretching people talked about here.

For those not convinced that poly strings cause TE... the problem occurs when the strings go dead, which is usually after about 2 weeks. When the strings are fresh they feel great and are probably still safe (at low tensions), but since they don't move around or show wear, people usually don't change them for months.

The reason the pros can use them without problems is because their racquets are strung fresh after every match and every practice. They never play with dead strings!

So unless you plan to string your racquets OFTEN, forget poly or you're asking for trouble.

GrandSlam45 gave you the answer on the red being the best to start.

There are various videos on how to do the exercise, but this is definitely a good one:
Tennis Elbow: Step-By-Step Instructions For Treating Elbow Pain Using A Flexbar (Tyler Twist) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2QQaVfeI4U

The twisting action of the Flexbars are meant to take advantage of the fact that all the muscles of the forearm, that run from the elbow and across the wrist and into the hand, run in a diagonal.



It makes sense then, that twisting the flexbar, and twisting these muscles, leads to a "better" strengthening exercise.




While there are other ways of getting supination and pronation of the forearm by using a dumbbell (or even a hammer), the best study seemed to indicate good results from using the Flexbars.





The idea in rehab is to start with a fairly gentle motion to keep the muscles moving while new protein is being made to repair the microscopic tendon/muscle tears involved in "tennis elbow".



So the red Flexbar is designed to "gently" exercise the muscles, but not disrupt the healing that has already taken place.


If you can do the "Tyler Twist" with the red for a few weeks, it is time to move up to the green Flexbar.
By then, the areas healing should be strong enough to tolerate the added stress of the stiffer green bar.


Any return of pain means the healing tissues are being pulled apart, and time must be given for more healing to occur.




It sounds like you are a very good player.

As such, you are a victim of your own success.

Even though you are undoubtedly fairly strong from all your ball bashing, that also means your forearms are taking a lot of abuse from being the last muscles along the kinetic chain to absorb the impact from striking the ball.
Stronger muscles, which are more elastic than non-elastic tendons and ligaments, should help prevent a recurrence of tennis elbow.


Returning to tennis is less likely to result in an early recurrence by returning with soft (multifilament or gut) strings, and a fairly flexible frame.


Some find that they eventually can try a hybrid - this is probably a better bet than trying to get back to a full poly set up.


Good luck!

charliefedererer - great post. You summed it up perfectly. I have to say that I've definitely noticed improvements from using the flex bars.

44LBS if you're going to play with poly. Trust me, you may think that's low, but it's not and it won't impact your game a lot. What it will do is solve your arm issues if you're sore now after playing with the higher tensions. You've tried everything else, what's the worse that could happen if the lower tensions? Just do you healing exercises and lower that tension to 44LBS.