This is now a quality of life issue - beyond training hassles. Elbow pain disgnosed as bursitis some 15 years ago (I never got a second op. as it sounded reasonable and responds rapidly and definitively to prednisone).
I’ve worked and played hard my entire life; won pushup contests, farmed and stupidly competetively arm wrestled. Since 1989 I’ve had varying degrees of pain located in the pocket below the medial epicondyle associated with numbness in the hands at night. For the past 5 years it has become limiting. When it flairs up (talking severe pain here) I have to be way too careful picking things up; biking is miserable (although I do it), sleep impossible without Lortabs (I only get two weeks worth three times a year at most from my doc - we limit the prednisone to twice a year; 20mg taper does wonders). Oddly, I can swim.
I get relief by dangling my hands downwards (or hanging them off the side of the bed at nights).
Both elbows are shot.
I need to do something - proper diagnosis and therapy or perhaps surgery to move the ulnar nerve if this is the case…
Suggestions? Interwebby search tells me it may not be “golfer’s elbow” as that pain seems to be located directly over the epicondyle; common bursitis seems to be located directly at the point of the elbow. I’m in Oklahoma, but at this point would travel to Sudan for treatment if relief were promised.
If you can tolerate NSAID’s, talk with your doc about a Rx for for Celebrex or OTC ibuprofen. If your stomach is okay, you can take it for more than 2 weeks, 3X/yr. The Lortab is going to relieve pain, but not give you any anti-inflammatory effects as it is a pain reliever only (codeine and acetaminaphen/tylenol.) I would also suggest purchasing an ice gel pack that contains an outer wrapper with velcro. Ice your elbow 2-3X/day for about 15-20 minutes at a time. Also, find a good physical therapist in your area who is experienced with cross-friction massage. Try and work around your injury, find positions on the bike you can tolerate, you may not be as aero, but hey, it’s time in the saddle and you’re still getting a workout. Over the years I’ve learned ways to train around all my aches and pains. Just FYI, I was a physical therapist for 10 years, left the profession 10 years ago to become a cop. Good luck.
This is now a quality of life issue - beyond training hassles. Elbow pain disgnosed as bursitis some 15 years ago (I never got a second op. as it sounded reasonable and responds rapidly and definitively to prednisone).
I’ve worked and played hard my entire life; won pushup contests, farmed and stupidly competetively arm wrestled. Since 1989 I’ve had varying degrees of pain located in the pocket below the medial epicondyle associated with numbness in the hands at night. For the past 5 years it has become limiting. When it flairs up (talking severe pain here) I have to be way too careful picking things up; biking is miserable (although I do it), sleep impossible without Lortabs (I only get two weeks worth three times a year at most from my doc - we limit the prednisone to twice a year; 20mg taper does wonders). Oddly, I can swim.
I get relief by dangling my hands downwards (or hanging them off the side of the bed at nights).
Both elbows are shot.
I need to do something - proper diagnosis and therapy or perhaps surgery to move the ulnar nerve if this is the case…
Suggestions? Interwebby search tells me it may not be “golfer’s elbow” as that pain seems to be located directly over the epicondyle; common bursitis seems to be located directly at the point of the elbow. I’m in Oklahoma, but at this point would travel to Sudan for treatment if relief were promised.
This is impossible to guess at without a physical exam and probably some lab tests (EMG testing). I would start with an internist or neurologist but an orthopod might be ok also. If none of those can come up with an adequate solution I would search out a pain specialist as this could be an unusual manifestation of what used to be called an RSD.
Frank Day is headed down the right track. One would imagine that bursitis is an incorrect diagnosis given your current symptoms. Over the inside (medial) elbow can be found the ulnar nerve which supplies a number of muscles in the forearm and hand as well as sensory (feeling) to the 4th and 5th fingers. There are a number of reasons people have issues with this nerve, possibly including what’s known as Tardy Ulnar Nerve Palsy, where pressure on the nerve leads to problems in the forearm and hand.
In my mind, you need to have this evaluated. Orthopedist, Physiatrist, etc., you pick, but let someone who sees this every day have a look and you’ll get the answer. It might not be the answer you want, but it will change an unknown to a known and you can plan from there. Good luck.
After a hard evening doing chores and more research, I find that origin of the pain actually is very difficult to locate (no wonder I’m difficult to diagnose!).
Off to my Family Doc for a referral onwards; this must end somehow. I can’t work as I need to, often can’t brake when I’m on the hoods and damn sure can’t sleep.