Elbow Pain and Slalom? / Pro Ski Coach Water Ski Forum

tzorn · #1 Thu, Jul 29, 2010 1:18 PM

I'm experiencing an occassional searing hot pain on the inside of my left elbow (ski LFF), and am wondering if this is at all common to slalom, as it's my primary/favorite summer exercise, aside from occassional running and lifting. Do any of you get this, and how'd you treat it (I've take some Advil but that doesn't seem to matter) during the season? It doesn't hurt all the time, just occassionally, almost randomly, and there's no swelling. It's not keeping me from skiing (I stopped lifting a month ago) but when the pain hits, it really gets your attention. I ski about 3 times a week, about 1/2 course, and 1/2 free ski. I figure it may have started from taking a tough hit, or placing too much load on it from time to time, as no falls stand out as having an elbow impact. It would be nice to get it to improve during the season, as I don't plan to stop skiing, or do any significant treatment that would keep me off the water right now, as the season is short enough in Michigan already. I'm interested in any feedback/ideas. Thanks.

WadeWilliams · #2 Thu, Jul 29, 2010 9:34 PM

"slack elbow"

Anyway not much you can do except try to keep the rope tighter through your turns so there isn't the sudden stress that usually is the cause of this. It could just be from over use though.

make sure to get it warmed up before skiing with some exercizes and stretching, you can do a lot with an exercize band sold at any sports authority, etc., Pull ups always feel great.

snow1122 · #3 Thu, Jul 29, 2010 9:54 PM

TZORN,

My husband is having the same issue but from over use and of course skiing, wakeboarding, etc.
So, he's applying Arnica Gel and taking the pills as well.But, since is a herb it takes few days to see if is going to work or not.
He had great results on his knee when snow skiing last season:o)
Make sure to buy the Arnica Montana (for bruises, inflamation).

I hope it helps you as well.

Snow

Killer · #4 Thu, Jul 29, 2010 10:13 PM

massage it. nice thing about the elbow is you can really get in there with the other hand or get a RMT to work on it. start with the forearm, read some of the self-massaging techniques.

otherwise I'll trade you 2 bouts of your elbow pain for 1 bout of my shoulder pain...

h20dawg79 · #5 Thu, Jul 29, 2010 10:58 PM

Is the pain coming from the area of the Brachloradialis? (the forearm muscle that is engaged when doing reverse grip curls) That or the wrist flexors (on the bottom side) are what I usually get irritated. For me, I screw mine up when I turn too aggressively and erratically w/o skiing smoothly back to the handle and I end up muscling the rope with my reach arm trying to ovrcome the slack... If this is anything like what you have, the only things that I have found to work is to warm up the grip muscles and elbows (even with Icy/Hot) and wearing a neo band or even a Patella band. Oh, and trying not to ski like a "Mad Man on fire" is what seems to work the Best for me!

Last edited by h20dawg79 (Thu, Jul 29, 2010 11:01 PM)

tzorn · #6 Fri, Jul 30, 2010 12:25 PM

Thanks for the good suggestions, as they make sense, and are easy to try! I've never tried to warm up my arms, forearms, grip, and sure makes sense that I do, especially since I try to warm up my back and legs prior to skiing. I'll pick up some of those bands, and see if I can find that gel. Figuring out how to best massage it, especially after skiing should help too, as I've never give the elbow/arms any real attention. I appreciate the advice, and am glad there's a site like this to check in with other skiers running into the same challenges. TZ

tsixam · #7 Fri, Jul 30, 2010 2:38 PM

I agree on all said above. Another thing that has helped me is to change between different handles. Straight/bent and thinner/ thicker. But the most important thing is to stay away from slack. Easier said than done!
Tsixam

Thomas Wayne · #8 Fri, Jul 30, 2010 4:18 PM

I suspect what TZ is talking about is a sort of burning sensation that seems very surface oriented - NOT internal within the muscles. In fact, it feels exactly like something very hot has been placed on the skin across the inner fold of his elbow, searing the skin - but because no object is actually there it's not possible to yank his arm away in response.

If I'm right about this, it doesn't feel like muscle strain or anything else within the arm, it feels exactly like a very brief and intense burning to the skin itself.

Is that correct, TZ?

TW

tzorn · #9 Fri, Jul 30, 2010 8:59 PM

Thomas - that is exactly correct. It does feel more surface oriented than internal, and flares up pretty randomly, sometimes when skiing, sometimes when just sitting around, etc. Sounds like you might be pretty familiar with this? Do you know what it is? I was also wondering if anyone has experience with those Masterline ProLock gloves, and if they could help with this problem? Trying to think of the fix to the cause of the pain, being LFF, my theory is if I start and complete my offside 2,4,6 turns earlier, I may not feel the need to slam in the onside 1,3, 5 turns to make up time where I'm holding on with my left hand, leaving more time to ski back to the handle like your supposed to, and have the pull more balanced on both arms. Does that make sense? Easier said than done of course. Thanks again for the input!

tzorn · #10 Sat, Jul 31, 2010 12:35 PM

One clarification to Thomas's note, the pain I have is actually on the outer portion of the elbow, as opposed to the inner fold of the elbow. When you're being pulled, with your arms extended, left palm facing down, and have the handle near your hip, it's the part of the elbow that is closest to your side. Otherwise the rest of Thomas' description is spot on. Thanks.

h20dawg79 · #11 Sat, Jul 31, 2010 1:29 PM

Google the correct location. It sounds like the wrist flexor attachment point on the elbow...

Straighten your arm out, palm up. Put your right thumb on the pain site and then turn (bend) your wrist UP and Down a couple times. (like doing a wrist curl)
Now, keeping your arm and hand straight. Bend your little finger and ring finger (like gripping a ski handle) Can you feel the tendon flexing when you do either of these? Does it hurt? Or is this the same place that it hurts when it does hurt?
If so, it's likely the tendon or the Ulnar collatoral ligament and it has been strained (over exerted, slightly torn...) and Ibuprofen (Advil) will do very little for this type of pain. This is one of the two things that happens to me when i ski with too much Tabasco...

tzorn · #12 Sat, Jul 31, 2010 6:31 PM

I just came of the lake an hour ago and tried what you note. I can feel it flex when I grip, but it doesn't seem to hurt just from flexing itself. That spot on the elbow is definitely sensitive. But the searing sensation seems to come on randomly, and it didn't happen today while skiing. From what I can tell, it doesn't seem to be getting much worse or better from skiing, and maybe it will go away during the offseason, but thankfully that's a couple months off. I'm thinking of grabbing two ice cold beers, strap one to the elbow, and drink the other. Maybe numbing the elbow and brain could be the solution!

Oh, I did try a pair of those ProLock gloves ($60) this morning, and they developed a small tear after the first set. Probably got a bad pair, but I'll be returning em', and sticking with what I had. I may pick up some bands to stretch with today, and leave them on the boat as that could help immediately before and after skiing.

Thanks everyone. TZ