Skiers Elbow?

[Gary]

gesh...of all the darn things....had an outstanding ski season, tons of bump fields, soft snow pow and bumps and the most actiive year of my ski life with pole plants...!.

AND...I end up 2 weeks before my season finishes with tennis elbow....or skiers elbow cause I don't play tennis.

Has anyone else experienced this before and are there better grips or poles that would help this from happening....? I currently have a very good pair of light weight Leik carbon poles.

Fortunatley the injury is getting better and does not affect the golf swing...phew.

THanks,,,....g

[Ron]

Gary, its not the grips, not the poles.......

It's simple over usage, stretching is helpful but overuse is the cause and it's just part of skiing a lot or golfing a lot. Hard pole plants will also aggravate the issue. As we get older our ligaments and tendons are not as limber and pliable. they get micro-tears essentially. RICE (the acyronym) is the best cure.? Accupunture is also very helpful.? Theres a great article in one of last weeks NY Times about sports injuries, essentially it says the vast majority of DR.s don't know how to treat them but if you are not going to stop doing what hurts you, don't bother going to a dr. Normal aches, pains, pulls and mild tendenosys are normal.? Advil, ice, rest.....



http://www.itendonitis.com/elbow-tendonitis.html

[Gary]

Thanks Ron...I checked out the article and it affirms things I've read as well.

I think I'm on the hunt for shock absorbing grips and ski poles...now that's the ticket!


Healing takes time.....and Patience.....that's another thing!    g

[jim-ratliff]

Not based on any medical information, but I would guess that the carbon poles are actually a good choice. ?In general, carbon is a more damp (vibration absorbing) material than aluminum (or titanium).

I will ?say that after I strained my knee at Steamboat 2 years back (trying to dodge falling on either you or Lynn) I wore a knee brace that provided some compression as well as rigidity for skiing and for racquetball for the rest of the year and it made all much less painful (especially true of the racquetball and twisting motions). ?I may have even worn it for biking in the early part of the summer.

[Gary]

yup Jim....I read something somewhere that said carbon poles absorb more energy or flex more than do aluminum....

I think I just banged it pretty hard skiing this year and time will heal the soreness. Glad to hear your knee responded well to the brace and rest ...and you're 100%....hmmmm whatever 100% means.

So far I've got some golf and biking in and no major issues so..I'm Smiln' 

Best, g

[LivingProof]

G,
Hey, at least it happened at the end of the year! Overuse from skiing = good thing. JC always tells you to do a "touch" so maybe he's to blame.

I've been bothered for years by tendonitis, mostly in the wrist, from pole planting. Light carbon poles are much better than old Aluminum.  Mostly, pain occurs when I plant out in front and the pole sort of rebounds off a hard surface and comes back at me. I cut my poles down this season by two inches and I think this reduces the rebound. Perhaps swinging the arm a little forward contributes.

Golf is so much easier this year. . Temps are 20 degrees above average, while it ruined spring skiing, warm weather has been fun for biking and golf.

Mike

[jim-ratliff]

G,
Hey, at least it happened at the end of the year! Overuse from skiing = good thing. JC always tells you to do a "touch" so maybe he's to blame.

I've been bothered for years by tendonitis, mostly in the wrist, from pole planting. Light carbon poles are much better than old Aluminum.? Mostly, pain occurs when I plant out in front and the pole sort of rebounds off a hard surface and comes back at me. I cut my poles down this season by two inches and I think this reduces the rebound. Perhaps swinging the arm a little forward contributes.

Golf is so much easier this year. . Temps are 20 degrees above average, while it ruined spring skiing, warm weather has been fun for biking and golf.

Mike

And for the crowds down at the Tidal Basin oggling the Cherry Trees.? Lynn and I rode down through Georgetown and the Capital Crescent trail Saturday before heading on down to the Tidal Basin to mingle with the throngs.? Hughe crowds and traffic jams, the volume of subway traffic was second and third to Obama's inauguration.? I wasn't all that impressed with the blossoms this year, but the crowds were staggering.

[Ron]

the damage is to really not due to the vibration, its mostly due to gripping too hard, if you were jamming the poles doing a lot of aggressive skiing, that would also contribute but it's from the repetitve movement of the wrist (the flick as you call it) and squeezing too hard in part. I just went through all of this in rehab.? Hard impacts can aggravate the wrist bones and ligaments (my issue in part) also carry your skis with the arm that doesn't hurt, squeezing the skis when carrying puts a huge amount of stress on the ligaments

[jbotti]

In high speed carving on groomed snow it is very easy to hammer the pole plant and get massive rebound from it. This can hurt and I am not surprised that someones elbow has been affected by it. I have been working on Harald Harbs "swingless pole plant" and done properly this will eliminate all the rebound and elbow issues from pole planting. It is also great for your skiing. The whole concept is to get your arms in the right position for planting by using counteracting movements. With the arms in the right position from the appropriate upper and lower boady separation, you just gently tap the ground with the pole, and you will get no rebound.

The best way to think about it is to gently tap the snow down the falline from your boot. You get your pole their not by moving your arms but by counteracting away from the turn and voila the poles are now right over your boot. This will not only save your elbows but it will help your skiing immensely. It has made a huge difference in my skiing. I highly recommend it.

[Ron]

Sounds good and makes sense for groomed runs. gary skied a lot of bumps this season and it will take it's toll on you for sure. If you can still use it, a little rest, strecthing, a few specific excercises for that area and possibly a brace (like you see so many tennis and golfers wearing) and it should be fine. If you can't really use it, cant lift things, it disrupts sleep, it's weakening, causing numbness in fingers, then see a doctor.

[jim-ratliff]

  ? Ron/John -You young kids just have no real idea of what's going on here.? This is clearly not an MD issue, it's a neurologic issue.? You have both obviously forgotten the episode where Gary was unable to hold his urine and wound up staining Ron's skis -- this is merely a follow on.? Gary is just advancing in years, and arthritis sets in early if you live (or vacation) in an area where it's cold.? The fact that he is in a little bit of denial and wants to pretend that it's skiing related is just further sign of the level of denial that his psyche is embedded in.? Therefore, I think the place where he probably needs an ace bandage is actually wrapped around his head? ?

You know, there is a reason why the elderly retire to the warm climates.  Next Gary will be wanting to find a ski resort in Florida?   

[Ron]

Nahh, we;re going to do the eskimo thing with Gary........  (you know what I am talking about?)

[jim-ratliff]

Nahh, we;re going to do the eskimo thing with Gary........? (you know what I am talking about?)

NO, can it be posted on the forum??

[Ron]

coe on Jim, its just a little cultural training.... the put the old and feeble outside the igloo one night and let nature take it's course.  A nice painfree, hypothermic enduced death.......   

[jim-ratliff]

coe on Jim, its just a little cultural training.... the put the old and feeble outside the igloo one night and let nature take it's course.? A nice painfree, hypothermic enduced death.......? ?

  ? Sooo THAT's what the "Alaska Option" is in the new Health Care bill? However, I would like to go on record as never having siad the Gary was feeble.? He appears to be in quite good shape (considering).

BTW, for any newer members, I am older than Gary (whose age does start with a 6) and he is in excellent condition and is an excellet skier and this is all just end of ski season BS.