Last fall I developed pain and swelling in my right elbow, which my HMO decided was bursitis. The problem went away over the winter, but the pain has returned now that I am paddling regularly again. I would hate to think that this condition will make stop paddling. Anyone out there dealt with paddling induced bursitis in a way that did require you to give up paddling for lengthy time? --Karl Coplan *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
The job I do to support my paddling habit is that of a physician assistant in Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery. This should not stop you for any lengthly time. Some ideas to help: 1. Ibuprophen, 600-800 me about a half hour before and after paddling. and then at least 400 mg 4Xday for two weeks. Or similiar doses of Alieve or other NSAID 2. Ice to the affected area before and after. then do it at least three times a day for 20 minutes each time. 3. Hold your arm(s) out straight infront of you and bend your hand down. feel the pull? now bend it up. 30 seconds each way several times a day will help. 4. Go to a medical supply house and get a "Tennis Elbow" brace. Essentially a band around the upper forarm to relieve pressure on the attachment for the wrist and hand extensor muscles and tendons. 5. If this fails (and you should give paddling a rest for about 2 weeks, and try the regimin for 6 weeks before deciding it failed) then a trip to a Sports Medicine Specialist might be worth considering. I had the same thing in both elbows, and had to have cortisone injected into the bursae before it would calm down. Now I do the above stuff before and after each paddle. Good luck. Steve F. PA-C Coplan, Karl wrote: > Last fall I developed pain and swelling in my right elbow, which my HMO > decided was bursitis. The problem went away over the winter, but the pain > has returned now that I am paddling regularly again. I would hate to think > that this condition will make stop paddling. Anyone out there dealt with > paddling induced bursitis in a way that did require you to give up paddling > for lengthy time? > > --Karl Coplan > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not > to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ > *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
"Coplan, Karl" wrote: > Last fall I developed pain and swelling in my right elbow, which my HMO > decided was bursitis. The problem went away over the winter, but the pain > has returned now that I am paddling regularly again. I would hate to think > that this condition will make stop paddling. Anyone out there dealt with > paddling induced bursitis in a way that did require you to give up paddling > for lengthy time? I haven't had bursitis, but ligament problems in both elbows. I've changed my technique, both in xc skiing (skating techniques) and paddling to reduce the problem to near non-existance. WRT paddling: I started changing my paddling style last year and "cemented" the change this spring. I began working on not bending the elbow, using a low sweeping paddle technique. To do this, I hold the paddle at a low angle and dip the blade in and rotate the torso alone. I don't do the "punch with the top hand" stuff at all, nor do I pull the lower hand by bending the elbow. In May at the Georgian Bay SK Symposium, Mark Scriver* taught basically the same technique, but using a high-shaft-angle paddle position. He states that you use a relaxed, elbow down position (with somewhat bent elbows) for a casual stroke and a high elbow, straighter-arm position for more aggressive paddling. The arm motion is initiated at the shoulder and the paddling action comes from rotation of the torso only. You don't so much lock the elbows as just not bend them. There is a point where you do have to bend the elbow, and that is at the end of the stroke, when you lift the blade out of the water. This doesn't induce a problem for me, as there is no real force acting through the elbow at this point in the stroke. This technique really works at reducing my elbow problems. For example, on Saturday, I did a 5 1/2 hour paddle in relatively high winds and chop and came out exhausted and suffering from the heat, but with no elbow strain at all. My pectorals were a tad tender, since they tend to take the bulk of the load in paddling, tightening with each stroke. I find it natural to switch back and forth between the high- and low-angle paddle position just for a change of pace. My tempo in either position is much the same - relaxed. Mike *Mark is a SK instructor better known for being a past world champion in WW OC1 rodeo. He's also a rep for two paddle companies. PS - towards the end of the day Saturday, I was paddling past a yacht club working at getting really clean paddling technique. I heard some guy bellow "Now there's a good stroke!" As I turned to acknowledge the compliment, I realized he was referring to the young woman in a racing canoe who was catching up to me rather energetically! *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
"Bursitis" in the elbow joint is almost always a spongy painfull swelling on the outside of the joint, over the "elbow bone" (the olecranon). It is usually caused by leaning on the elbow, very seldom caused by repetitive motion or stress. However, there several kinds of "tennis elbow" things which cause pain in and around the elbow joint and are repetitive stress injuries. Subluxation (slippage) of the elbow and arthritic changes can also so this. The "straight elbow" paddling technique can help here, but it's hard to use over time unless one also uses a very wide-apart hand position, which can easily cause undue stress on shoulder joints. The torso rotation part of the stroke, of course, is very helpful no matter what problems we're having with a forward stroke. "Vitamin I" (ibuprofen, for **those who've had no acid-peptic problems**) helps a lot, taken prophylactically and regularly - not "just" for pain. A ten day course of regular high-dose ibuprofen can often be amazingly helpful. Ask a good orthopedist or sports medicine specialist what "high dose" means in your individual case. It varies. Or, the newer "cox-2" anti-inflammatories like Celebrex or Vioxx, if you have some past tummy troubles and a thicker wallet. Don't take any of this stuff over a longer period of time unless you do so under specific instructions of a doc who knows what she/he is doing!! Various kinds of elastic or tape support can help. These are not alwyas easy problems to sort out. Treatments are usually pretty simple, but most docs don't have the depth of interest or training to know what they're seeing and/or how to treat an individual with a sports-related stress syndrome like this. A physiatrist or sports medicine specialist can help a great deal, both in diagnosing the problem and in sorting out what treatment measures will help an individual. The cost of a visit or two to such a specialist is usually very worthwhile for chronic problems. IMO, this is a situation where a chiropractor would be very unlikely to help. Bill Hansen Ithaca NY *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Bill Hansen wrote: > The "straight elbow" paddling technique can help here, but it's hard to use > over time unless one also uses a very wide-apart hand position, which can > easily cause undue stress on shoulder joints. The torso rotation part of the > stroke, of course, is very helpful no matter what problems we're having with > a forward stroke. Just for clarification, the technique I described (or tried to describe, and obviously didn't do a very good job - sorry) isn't "straight elbow". The elbow can be bent at any angle you feel comfortable with. You just maintain the angle throughout the stroke. Your hand position can be anywhere from narrow to wide apart as you prefer. The only difference between it and the conventional stroke is that you do not flex the elbow during the stroke. Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
<snip> I also had a problem with bursitis a couple of years ago. I crashed while mountain biking on the Slickrock Trail in Moab and tore the bursa sac in my elbow. It was literally shredded and the fluid drained down my arm as I finished the ride-looked pretty bad but wasn't real painful. I was very concerned about the impact on paddling and xc skiing when the elbow got very sore the next day. For several months I couldn't even lean on it at all. Luckily it turns out that the bursa sac can repair itself and my elbow is back to normal- other than a little extra "material" around the bone. Sometimes time can heal. Good luck. Walt Chudleigh *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Walt said: >I also had a problem with bursitis a couple of years ago. I crashed while >mountain biking on the Slickrock Trail in Moab and tore the bursa sac in my >elbow. It was literally shredded and the fluid drained down my arm as I >finished the ride-looked pretty bad but wasn't real painful. Warning off topic (more like pedalwise): Ooo slickrock. I had a real bad crash there several years ago. Lost the skin on my right forearm from the wrist to the elbow. First day out of course. I had a waist pack holding two water bottles and one burst open. When I opened my eyes (with my sunglasses on) I saw a huge wet spot on the rock and thought I was bleeding to death. Yeah I finished the ride but was a little shaky. Showering afterwards was the worst. Anybody going out to Slickrock - pump up your tires! I'm from N.E. and normally ride with low tire pressures (35-40). My front tire was peeled right off the rim in a high speed corner on the high-friction slickrock surface. As my friend put it so eloquently "he went down like he owed the earth money". Joe *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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