Sum Posted March 8, 2021 Report Share Posted March 8, 2021 Hi all, Since I bought a GasGas last September, I have been practicing almost everyday in my backyard. In the beginning, I developed pains in both wrists and elbows. Although most of them went away as I got used to it, the pain in my left elbow remains (Golfer's elbow). I thought it would go away sometime but it seems heading south gradually. I wonder if I can get some suggestions to cope with it by changing riding style or the bike settings (higher handle?). My doctor said that stopping the activity would be the best cure but he can do injection of anti-inflammation drugs in the elbow, if I want. I'd appreciate your advises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teamferret Posted March 8, 2021 Report Share Posted March 8, 2021 The physio at my doctors gave me some exercises to do which helped a lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timdog Posted March 8, 2021 Report Share Posted March 8, 2021 I’ve had similar for two years, tennis elbow, pain down top of forearm when gripping. Rest from riding during lockdown hasn’t cured it. I might of had a dodgy physio but the exercises he suggested did nothing so I’m waiting for a different one.. I’ve recently tried using kinesiology tape (rock tape) and if applied as per the videos it does help symptoms. Injections may just mask the symptoms but not help to heal it, worth speaking to sports physio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timdog Posted March 8, 2021 Report Share Posted March 8, 2021 Also been reading up on a device called tenease, maybe worth looking at Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt185 Posted March 8, 2021 Report Share Posted March 8, 2021 I have suffered from this and would advise trying a Powerball - it's a gyroscopic exercise device and whilst taking a bit of getting used to is amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stpauls Posted March 8, 2021 Report Share Posted March 8, 2021 Get yourself a girlfriend. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl ekblom Posted March 8, 2021 Report Share Posted March 8, 2021 Tennis elbows can be difficult. It is inflammation from being overstressed. Your elbow must have sufficient time to recover between the passes. Try to run only 2 times a week and only one hour/pass. Or only once a week max one hour. It is better to run little then nothing at all. Keep your elbow warm to enhance blood circulation. If it gets cold it may get worse. Use a propriate jersy with long arms and perhaps a riding jacket. Drugs like Naproxen may help litte. Cortison injection probably more but it is in no way a permanent cure. Adjusting riding position, handebar and levers may help little. Try to find a relaxing position. Some exercises to practice in front of TV are also good. The physiotherapist will help you with good TV exercises but remember your elbow needs time to recover between the "in front of TV" passes. Time to recover is perhaps the single most important thing. Elbow must not be static when recovering. You must move it by doing normal activity. It enhances blood circulation and helps the recovering process Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creepytheclutchmaster Posted March 8, 2021 Report Share Posted March 8, 2021 Try wareing an epicondilitis band alot, ibuprofen rest and massage. Iv had it years comes and goes it's always worse in the winter for me.the only time it went was when I broke my scapula and didn't move my right arm much for weeks on end, it's came back a bit now but not as bad as it was. You can get an injection directly in to the area but it's very hard to get it on the NHS unless it's so bad your off work for ages and apparently it doesn't work for everyone anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sum Posted March 9, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2021 Thank you for sharing your experiences. Now I found it is not uncommon and it makes me feel better. There seem no magic methods. I took weeks of physical therapies and thought they were useless but I guess I need to patiently follow their recommendations like taping, massage, etc. One funny thing is whenever I got problems with joints, doctors say, "you need rest but also need to build the muscle". This is indeed a balancing act and at age 59, I feel I'm gradually loosing the battle. One final question, do you think a handle bar with the higher rise would help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guy53 Posted March 9, 2021 Report Share Posted March 9, 2021 There are different shape of bar, also some time moving the bar foward or closer to you make a big difference. The most important thing is relax on the bike, that make a world of difference. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goudrons2 Posted March 9, 2021 Report Share Posted March 9, 2021 I had "Tennis Elbow" due to a knock when riding and it took over 9 months to fully recover, I was also a bit younger back then so god knows how long it would take these days. You might convince a doctor that you need cortisone injections, but recent studies have shown it's not really the best treatment as it's not good for the tendons around the joint and you're likely to benefit more from phyiso to settle the joint down, so don't pin your hopes on them. Luckily I had access to phyisos at work, but it did take some work to get it right, I wasn't impressed they gave me homework! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisse Posted March 9, 2021 Report Share Posted March 9, 2021 Tennis elbow is a real nuisence.. I suffer, and really have to watch what I do and manage it appropriatly.. When I ride I with out fail.. wear elasticated elbow supports and use when needed strong anti inflammotories.. I have had two cortisone injections and they have been a revelation although there is a limit to these. Cold bags of frozen peas on the elbows when needed and really try and not over use with repetative actions.. Its hateful, and takes time to recover ... hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waynetod Posted March 9, 2021 Report Share Posted March 9, 2021 My chiropractor explained to me what tennis elbow is, and how to avoid exacerbating it. Put simply.... If you try and grasp something of a small diameter, it'll give you a lot of trouble in the elbow. If you grasp something of a larger diameter, it's easier. So, I fitted grip puppies to the handlebars of my road motorcycle and viola! It made road riding a lot more comfortable. But on a trials bike? Give up grasping small diameter things tightly for a few weeks and see how you get on. For example... Try grasping a mug of coffee by the handle, and then try grasping it around the full width of the mug. You'll see what I mean. As others have said though, it takes a long time for it to heal, so everytime you grasp small things tightly, it lengthens the healing period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cee-B Posted March 9, 2021 Report Share Posted March 9, 2021 (edited) It is (in my experience) more usual to suffer from tennis elbow (lateral) rather than golfers elbow (medial) from riding, but it is not uncommon. As it is your left elbow, I would presume that there is a good chance that the issue is clutch related. If you can feel the discomfort/pain increasing in a particular set of circumstances, such as operating the clutch, then it should give you a reasonable indication of what is causing/exacerbating the problem. How heavy is your clutch? How tight are you gripping the bars when riding? Are there any 'fettles' that will lighten the clutch on your particular model of bike? Altering the angle of the clutch lever (rotating it up or down on the bars) will alter the way your muscles and tendons act in order to pull the lever; experiment to see what is most comfortable. In the same way, altering the reach of the lever will also affect how your hand & arm have to work. Regarding the offer of anti-inflammatory injections: I have had quite astounding results from Cortisone injections in an elbow, a shoulders and an SC joint in the past. Unfortunately, I have also had the same injection in the other elbow and it did nothing. On balance though, I would certainly recommend giving it a go. The main thing though, is to try and get a handle on what is actually causing it and it may be easier to do that while you still have the pain of the existing condition to act as a guide. If you take the injections without identifying the cause, the condition will almost certainly recur. Good luck. Edited March 10, 2021 by Cee-B 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sum Posted March 10, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2021 Thank you all for the comments. They are very helpful. I'm still a newbie but have been so fascinated by the skills for vertical motions, which certainly hurt my joints. I think I will spend coming few months to horn my skill for horizontal motions, which is still horrible (didn't know how difficult to have a tight turn in a slope). For the therapy, there seem no easily solutions, but I may give the cortisone shot a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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