I've had tennis elbow for a month, (stop laughing TM) and being a 24 carat wimp, I couldn't stand it any more. At it's peak, I could hardly hold a landing net, so I made an appointment to see the doctor. "Oh yes.." said he " I had it.......for 18 months." Long story short, an injection of cortisone was not suitable, morphine - he wouldn't give me.

Basically there was very little he could do, however. He showed me an exercise where you, by way of a sort of reverse Masonic handshake, interlock ones fingers and stretch ones arms straight. It took a bit of practise but I have to say, it was flipping magic. The other thing he advised was to run some surgical tape around my forearm, to shorten the receptor muscles' range, that too was fantastic relief.

I'm amazed at how quickly it worked. So happy am I, I've got a boat booked tomorrow. Taped up, of course.

__________________
I won a £1,000,000 and spent most of it on prostitutes, drink,trout fishing, cars, cocaine, cigars and the rest I wasted...

Just be careful - for the condition to really get better you have to stop doing whatever it is that is aggravating the joint in the first place. I've suffered with Tennis Elbow several times. I didn't realise it at the time, but I first had a mild form of it 30 years ago when I was a student. I didn't drink much but I did play a lot of darts in the bar!
I had a more severe "dose" when I was Trout farming - caused by hand-sorting large fish on a sloping table. Pushing the fish one said or the other was a bit like playing table-tennis but the arm movements were even faster. I suffered for more than three years and had a cortisone injection which stopped the pain for three months but when it came back it was even worse! This was one of the reasons I gave up the fish farming.
I got it in my other arm a few years ago after taking up swimming. Having been unable to swim more than one 25 metre length at first, I worked my way up to 20, then 25 lengths. The first time I managed 30 lengths (non-stop) I got severe tennis elbow in my left arm. Although it still hurt, I managed 40 lengths several times in the weeks after, but the pain got too much and I gave up swimming - the pain was gone after three weeks!
I really hope that it's not casting that is causing your pain. If it is - try altering the cast so it's slightly more gentle. It is the 'flick' at the end of the movement that causes the inflammation in the joint and subsequently causes the pain.

Stickman

Hi Stickman. I woke up with it one morning after working in the garden. I ignored it and went fishing. It nearly killed me! I've never been in so much pain. I couldn't lift the line off the water. Casting didn't cause it, but it certainly aggravated it. I've got it in a tendon in my forearm. I can put my finger on the exact spot. A cortisone injection wasn't suitable.I've had relief from the exercises and using the tape. Don't worry, the first sign of trouble and I'm coming home.

__________________
I won a £1,000,000 and spent most of it on prostitutes, drink,trout fishing, cars, cocaine, cigars and the rest I wasted...

Hi Macsas
I have not been able to fish for 10 weeks from just after the opening day until ~2 weeks ago having ruptured an achilles tendon.....desperate to miss the whole of April and May on the Usk and Wye.....so you have my sympathy.

We have a boys trip sorted in 2 weeks time (4 whole days on the Usk) to make up for it!

Fabulous post on the Wye thread by the way. Hope the elbow is on the mend and enjoy your fishing.

All the best
Lewis

__________________
'Afon Wysg it is then boys'

You can get neoprene straps from chemists that do the same job as the surgical tape, except less painfull to pull off....
unless you shave your arms

I had tennis elbow about 15 years ago saw the Doctor had a course of 2 jabs of cortisone and its never bothered me since. I do hope that I am not tempting fate.

Alan and more

Isn't tennis elbow just a posh name for w*nkers cramp?

That's my excuse anyway.

Try acupuncture, it worked for my Dad.

Have a casting lesson, it could be you're putting in waaaay too much power into your cast, or you're casting in an awkward style that could be causing the problems. An hour with a casting instructor could re-educate your cast so you're not aggrevating the tennis elbow in the first place. Of course it could be that your cast is good already, so maybe a lesson with a small two handed rod might solve your problems.

www.aapgai.co.uk

__________________
http://www.flyfishinglessons.co.uk
http://www.aapgai.co.uk

I had this for a year about 7 years ago. I tried accupuncture, straps, physio and injections, none of which worked.

The first two people who suggested a copper bracelet with magnets in it, I laughed out of the pub. After 10 months of pain and a third person suggested the same cure I went to the chemists and bought one. Within a week it was easing and after about a month it was cured so i took the bracelet off.
Within 2 weeks it came back so I put the bracelet on again and it was cured again after another week.

I've worn it ever since and apart from a green arm, I've had no further trouble.

Why it worked I've no idea but it did!

__________________