tennis elbow

This has never happened to me before, but the tendons in my elbow have really been getting sore every time I take a set. My job is pretty heavy labor and am sure has been a cause, but I just don't have time to rest and wait for it to heal up. Any of you guys ever had this problem...what did you do to get rid of it? Right now I just pop a few ibuprofen every time I hit the water, but I don't want to have to keep doing that.

Yep, this has been happening to me for a few years...and it blows. After a long set, I have to just sit in the boat and cant use my left (front) arm for about a half hour.

When I ride, I try and use my right arm more, ride switch more and keep alot of the jerking motion on hard landings to a minimum. I still haven't found a permanent solution though.

This is a very common problem and the only solution is to get off the water for a while. I try to combat it by riding switch A LOT and letting my other hand drag which helps.

Travis - Does it hurt doing tantrums? Mine arm used to kill me when I did them so I had to stop. I haven't had any pain since.

I used to have this problem ALL the time. I also would ride 15+min sets. Now I ride only about 10 mins twice when out for an hour. So much of a difference. I don't have a problem with my elbow.

Here are a couple of solutions

- Change handles often
- Use a tennis elbow band or pre-wrap wrapped around your arm just under the elbow
- use these exercises http://www.tennis-elbow-treatments.com/pages/tennis_elbow_exercise.php

i know it sounds lame but this stuff actually makes a world of difference

I learned this trick from some trickskiers I used to live with. They ride very short spectra lines and advance on the rope a lot: ski-lines, 1 wake 900s.

It has worked for everyone I know, including me. Put a 3-5' section of poly-rope (regular ski rope) directly in-front of you handle.It streches so little that you can't feel it and is instant relief.

Lately I have been riding a helium handle and have been able to lose the ski rope. The Plastic frame gives a little and absorbs the shock just like the section of rope.

mine hurts when I land with my elbow straight and there's nowhere left for the shock/tug to go but the joint/tendons. Try to keep your arms bent on landing, I still have it happen occasionally but when you land straight armed with a non-stretch rope, something has to give!

I had it for about 1 1/2 years. I went to a new chiropractor and he wanted to do this odd deep tissue massage thing to "align the muscle" so it would heal. I figured it would be worth a try. Four treaments/weeks later good as new. I kept riding MX during the whole time.............

Justin Harrelson has got it down. I learned that trick from Brandon Poser and Chuck Hester. You just add a very small section of poly-E and it solves the problem instantly. You can put it anywhere in the rope and you will not notice any stretch except in your elbow afterwards.

I just had it a couple weeks ago - but I had golfer's elbow which affects the inside of the elbow/forearm instead of the outside. I got it from playing racquetball, but it would kill me on the water. I got one of those bands to wear on the forearm and stayed off the arm for about a week and a half. I also iced it multiple times daily and stretched it multiple times daily. Now I'm feeling good as new.

This has been more or less a chronic problem for me too. Thanks for posts on the small poly line section. It is going on my handle next time I ride.

What I did in the past, was to convert to switch landings (lot of 180s) and reduced the frequency of hits/grabs where I couldn't land with both hands on the handle.

this happens to me anytime I ride more than a couple days in a row...i might have to try the poly line idea

I agree with Eubanks...def gets really sore after doing tantrums

dude.... I have been complaining about this for weeks and I think everyone just thinks im kiddin but I can hardly move my arm after wakeboarding. I know its from the tantrums because when I dont do them my arm doesnt hurt. ok might be a dumb question but what is polyline???

I get the same pain ocassionally from wakeboarding as well as lifting weights. I ended up buying a magnetic bracelet and it has helped so much. Some people think its just a placebo, but I swear it helps. I got my bracelet at www.sabona.com It was about $60. I never take it off now.

I just got back from riding 50 straight minutes with about 20 tantrums in the set and my elbow is on fire. I'm definitely going to have to give that stretch rope a try.

Damn 20 tantrums??? I don't even do 20 in a week!

Poly E is short for polyethylene. Essentially plastic rope that gives a bit of stretch. Slalom skiers use it as they need some stretch to get across the course and around the buoys. Use a full length slalom rope wakeboarding and you will feel it stretch every time you jump BOING. Put in 3-5 feet and it takes the edge off.

trevor, ya my friend and I were riding double and had a contest to see who could land more in a row. I fell on 20 lol.

Plus we were riding around for 50 or so minutes throwing them right after each other and putting a show on so that alone got pretty tiresome. especially when i closed lined my buddy right in front of a crowded beach after we threw the tantrums lol. it was great

(Message edited by wakeboardertj on July 09, 2008)

taylor, I used to do that a couple years ago, but with backrolls. I landed 13 in a row then fell... go figure haha.

where can I get a 3-5 ft section of poly line?

^^^^ Go to Walmart or any big box sports store and buy their cheapest ski line with sections. If it comes with a handle, use it as a surf handle/line. IDK where you can buy just a small section though.

I dealt with the tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) pain for a long time using ice/heat, meds, and steroid shots. Between yard work, riding motorcycles and WBing it seemed like it would never heal up completely. I ended up having it fixed surgically. Relatively simple procedure and rehab. time wasn't too bad. Now good as new and never any pain. Would definately go that route again and only wish I did it sooner.

You can get it at any hardware store. Buy it off a bulk spool and put some proper loops in it.
Hopefully it will help--elbow pain stinks.

This has been irritating me for the first time this season. For the past couple weeks, I can hardly move my left arm when I get back in the boat after a set. The other day tried about 5 ts fronts, got jerked every time, and I couldn't ride any more my arm hurt so bad.

Glad to see this is pretty common amongst wakeboarders...

I've been dealing with this since High School. I'm now 26. 19 broken bones and this is the worst nagging pain I've ever had to deal with. The only thing that has help is my chiropractor doing deep tissue work on the tendons..Very painful but worth it!

Just like bmartin said,"Go to Walmart or any big box sports store and buy their cheapest ski line with sections" put the 5 ft section first on the tower then hook your line to it and the jerk arm will go away. It is the best trick we learned for stopping the jerk arm while learning tricks.

yea i have tendinitious in 3 spots in my arm i am using the m brace which is working pretty good

tennis elbow is small tears in the tendon. braces releive the pain but do not fix it. doctors will recommended stretching excercises. worst case scenario is surgery to reattach the tendon. a new technique that is in the process of being approved by the fda is to inject a patients platelets into the tendon to help the tendon heal. results thus far have been outstanding

it hurts like hell doesn't it? I had the same issue last year. Things that have kept the issue from occuring this year:

- Keeping the handle in closer when I jump. MUCH less of a sudden jerk when I landed from the rope.
- When you do tantrums, lock your elbow at your waist. It will keep you from over extending that arm, causing a lot of pain.

This isn't medical advice, but for someone who won't accept "sit it out," this is what I did. Probably one of those lifelong decisions I will regret when I am 40 and my arms look like inflamed rubber bands.

Going to my orthopedic surgeon tomorrow for this problem. It is amazing how darn painful it is right after you ride. If I over roll a back roll or land one with only one hand - ouch! I may have to try the short section of ski rope.

holy crap, after casing the wake on a tantrum yesterday and being jerked really bad by the boat my elbow was hurting for 2 hours, the pain was worse than a bone break. But today is fine. I have gotta give that stretch rope a try. I'll let you all know if it works for me.

i had this problem super bad last summer. i first noticed it right when i start doing Hoochie Glides. good lord it hurts! i tried using the tennis elbow band, but nothing seemed to work. basically just sit in pain for like an hour and then take another set, just to feel more pain. it's a vicious cycle. wish i'da known about the small section of ski rope idea at the time.

I bit on the 5 foot poly section shortly after this thread came up and so far no tendonitis. Thanks for the tip!

Clincher gloves (yeah, I know) work like magic. Seriously. So does 4 weeks of physical therapy.....and a AirSling. Poly rope is the poor man's AirSling.

Garret's advice is what I would try first. That works for me as well. My elbow hurts like hell when I let my arm extend out, but if I keep the handle in close and low there's no pain.

What type of knot is best for the poly-rope? I tried a couple of different knots but they all eventually slipped loose.

Wow, lots of options to look at. I've had this problem for 7 years or so, and will have to start trying a few of these.

I used to get it all the time last summer after throwing a few tantrums. It hasn't acted up this summer at all though. I had a cortizone shot last year but it still hurt after that. Just with the winter off of riding it seemed to do the trick.

thicker handle...

The thicker handle doesn't really work for me since it's an over-extension problem not a grip problem. Holding the handle in definitely helps, I tried the stretch rope for a cpl of sets and it also helps but I think correct form is ultimately the best fix. along with a little aleve..

Wow i though i was the only one with a dead arm after sets, agony sometimes. I ride a lot more switch and get up switch, and keep me sets in the 15mins range. Seems to keep the pain at bay. Marathon sets though and im done, cant even drive the boat after that.