recover. Do not put the strap on at the elbow but just a, inch or two down from the elbow and just snug, not too tight. Tennis elbow can mimic
conditions like arm pump and can be associated with it as well.
So, if you have not been riding for
H ello Off Roaders!
Elbow and forearm pain will be this month’s subject. Anyone who sustains trauma to the elbow in a fall or direct hit to the elbow or forearm area should get a basic x-ray to rule out a fracture. This is a good idea even if the pain is mild to moderate. To see is to know, not to see is to guess. If you sustained trauma to the forearm or elbow and it is not improving within a day or 2 and or is getting worse, get a basic x-ray of the area of pain. I’ve written about elbow and forearm pain before but I felt I could cover even more in this column. Most elbow pain, when there is no blunt trauma to the area, is due to overuse. Overuse can come from something as simple as trimming the hedge when you usually don’t ever cut the hedge or pick up a hammer. It can also come from going off roading or dirt bike riding when you have not done those sorts of activities for a while. The hands holding onto the steering wheel or handle bars, gripping tight to hold on and all the fun you’re having overrides the pain, so you don’t notice it or the tightness that starts up in the forearms and elbows.
The next day, you can hardly hold your keys or a cup of coffee and you wonder what happened! Well, as we extend or straighten our fingers or flex and tighten our grip, those muscles that we use for those actions attach on either side of our elbows. The muscles that allow us to extend our fingers and/or move our wrist backwards attach to the lateral part of the elbow. The muscles that allow us to close our hand or grip something or move our wrists downward attach to the middle part of our elbow. These muscle attachments or anchor points on the elbow are called epicondyles. There are strong bony anchor points for those muscles and their tendons. Hence, the lay term for pain on the lateral elbow is Tennis Elbow and the name for medial pain at the epicondyle is Golfer’s Elbow. Both are from over straining the tendons or muscles in the areas indicated.
Once it has been established there is no fracture in the area, in the case of trauma, like a fall, one can proceed with conservative forms of treatment including
www.SS-OffRoadMagazine.com - AUGUST 2011 - S&S OFF ROAD MAGAZINE 25
ice, rest, over the counter medicines (aspirin), ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation, chiropractic manipulations, acupuncture and deep tissue or cross fiber massage.
months, don’t go out and ride like crazy and expect to feel just fine afterward. It is best to work back into your sport or activity in a gradual way. Same goes for something as simple as using a shovel or gardening. I have even seen folks come in from playing video games for hours on end and they cannot even hold a set of keys the next day with those hands because the attachments of those muscles are so inflamed and painful the next day.
Conditions not responding to conservative treatments as indicated may need an
One of the best ways to treat this injury is to avoid the injury in the first place. Regular workouts with weights or doing what you are going to do on a regular basis ahead of the activity will go a long way with prevention. These types of injuries can be very painful if not flat out disabling. A Tennis Elbow Support, which you can buy at any drug store for under $12 will go a long way in helping
Orthopedist, M.D. consultation and/ or cortisone shots. Never get more than 2 of those in a year.
Extreme,
severe conditions may even require surgery. With conservative treatments, you should notice good improvement
with in 5 to 10 treatments or you are barking up the wrong tree! Same goes for medicines as well.
Dr. Gary De Forest is a San Diego chiropractor with sports injury training who has been in practice for over 28 years at his office in Old Town. He is always happy to speak with you about any health concern. He can be reached at deforest192@
yahoo.com or at his office at 619- 291-2462.
Diamond Don's 2010, Gary, age 52
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