For the last couple of months it has been pretty common for my elbow to hurt me after practice.  In particular I think it got a fair amount worse during a submission grappling tournament about 6 weeks ago where I had to face some really, really big opponents.

I’ve iced it.  I’ve done ibuprofen.  It will get feeling good, and then it will start hurting again.  Sometimes it even hurts in the wrist and up toward the shoulder as well… Definitely a tendon.

Well, I just kept hoping it would get better, but finally hurt it pretty good last week (actually, I hurt it gripping the chair in the dentist’s office believe it or not), and decided it was time to go see the doctor.

Doc says it’s Tennis Elbow.  Unfortunately he then proceeded to give me a whole lot of no-quick-fixes.  Apparently it’s an issue with the tendon, but isn’t inflammation.  That means that Ibuprofen may help with pain, but if you think taking it to keep the inflammation down is a good plan, you’re doing yourself no good.

He’s also not a big fan of Cortisone shots.

So, the plan is: several weird “drop-catch” exercises (put your arm on a desk, hold a light weight in your hand with the hand hanging off the edge of the desk.  Lift the weight up with your wrist, then let it “drop” by going limp in the wrist, but tense up again to “catch” it before it goes down all of the way.)  He says this will help to strengthen the tendon, and that doing these is really about all that can be done.

He also felt that Judo and Jiu Jitsu shouldn’t be a problem to continue (although I really don’t think he understood what in the heck they are.)  But that if practice makes it really, really hurt (he says 6 out of 10 on the pain scale… is that like a crotch kick?) that I may want to back off.

I’ll keep you posted on how this progresses.  Kind of a bummer really… was hoping for a magic shot or pill I guess.  Anyone else been through this?  Have any suggestions?

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