# tendonitis



## Id725 (Nov 22, 2003)

I'll throw out the obvious --- You are using a bent-shaft paddle, right?
If not, that's your answer.
I used to get tendonitis paddling. Switched to bent-shaft four years ago, and haven't had an issue since.


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## xavierengle (Aug 4, 2009)

good article in climbing about tendonitis:

Tech Tip - Training - TO SUPPLEMENT OR NOT TO SUPPLEMENT?

when my elbow's bothering me, i wear a wrist splint around the house/when i sleep, just a simple thing made with a sam splint and a couple bandanas, helps a fair bit to speed the recovery.


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## Hey Zeus (Mar 19, 2007)

Id725 said:


> I'll throw out the obvious --- You are using a bent-shaft paddle, right?
> If not, that's your answer.
> I used to get tendonitis paddling. Switched to bent-shaft four years ago, and haven't had an issue since.


Can you reply again because I've read your answer 10x and I still don't get it. Bent does cause tendonitous, or does not? Because you switched to a bent shaft you do not have issues?


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## Id725 (Nov 22, 2003)

Hey Zeus said:


> Can you reply again because I've read your answer 10x and I still don't get it. Bent does cause tendonitous, or does not? Because you switched to a bent shaft you do not have issues?


En el pasado, use un remo recto. Ahora, uso un remo doblado. Doblado es mejor. Ahora, no me duele el brazo.

Switching to a bent-shaft paddle cured my tendonitis.
Straight = bad. Bent = good.


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## scooby450 (Dec 4, 2008)

I've had tendonitus. Done the cortisone, physical therapy, and finally surgery. Go see your doctor. Dr. will probably give you a list of exercises to strengthen the muscles in the area and probably the surrounding muscles that support them. Very helpful! I used to use DMSO quite a while ago and it works great. Don't know if you can get it anymore, or if it is actually safe. The side affects (mouth odor) is a bummer. Surgery is the last resort but it worked for me. I also broke my wrist prior to problems.


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## Riparian (Feb 7, 2009)

scooby450 said:


> I've had tendonitus. Done the cortisone, physical therapy, and finally surgery. Go see your doctor. Dr. will probably give you a list of exercises to strengthen the muscles in the area and probably the surrounding muscles that support them. Very helpful! I used to use DMSO quite a while ago and it works great. Don't know if you can get it anymore, or if it is actually safe. The side affects (mouth odor) is a bummer. Surgery is the last resort but it worked for me. I also broke my wrist prior to problems.


My wife used DMSO for quite awhile. Dangerous stuff. It's a solvent. You can buy it, but I wouldn't recommend it... even for horses, its intended use.


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

I've had some bouts of tendinitis in my hands and elbows. The first time, in the hands, I couldn't even hold onto my bike handlbars, let alone bike (it was my only mode of transport at the time, and primary summer recreation). Dr had me do HUGE doses of vitamin I (ibuprofen) and I think ice to see if it would calm down. I think it was like 1000 mg a couple of times a day, for a week, maybe even a week and a half. It calmed down, and never came back. If you haven't tried such an intense therapy to try to get inflammation to calm down, you might talk to your Dr about it. 

Also, a good PT is a gem, if you don't have one you might keep looking until you find one that helps. Kind of like a chiro, if you have to keep going back, they're a QUACK!


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## raymo (Aug 10, 2008)

Canada said:


> I have had tendonitis in my non dominant wrist two times now. It kills boating and makes riding hard, pole plants hard, etc. Had a cortizone shot yesterday that seems to have really helped. Anyone had problems with this and is there a miracle cure I'm missing. Have broken the wrist a few times, but the Dr. says the xrays show no arthritic changes yet. Any thoughts on herbal remedies? Anything work for any of you? Seems to onset with long paddle days, and once it is there is brutal to get rid of.
> 
> Thanks in advance!


Good luck. My next step is to try acupuncture. Anyone know if it will work.


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## yak1 (Jan 28, 2006)

Dude It'd suck to be you good luck


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## dograft83 (Jun 16, 2008)

Sounds like a good way to get your green card and smoke anytime you want


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## asleep.at.the.oars (May 6, 2006)

Canada said:


> I have had tendonitis in my non dominant wrist two times now. It kills boating and makes riding hard, pole plants hard, etc. Had a cortizone shot yesterday that seems to have really helped. Anyone had problems with this and is there a miracle cure I'm missing. Have broken the wrist a few times, but the Dr. says the xrays show no arthritic changes yet. Any thoughts on herbal remedies? Anything work for any of you? Seems to onset with long paddle days, and once it is there is brutal to get rid of.
> 
> Thanks in advance!


Tendonitis or tenosynovitis? If it's tendonitis, it's pretty much just an overuse issue (i.e. wrist rotation with a straight paddle) and needs lots of rest and anti-inflammatories (i.e. ibuprofen / steroids) unless you're doing something dramatically wrong biomechanically. If it's tenosynovitis you might be able to make a small biomechanical change and have a big impact. I've seen De Quervain's tenosynovitis caused by rowing with too much extension angling the hand out with each stroke and moving the oar towers further away from the seat prevented another attack after a steroid injection calmed down the first one. 
Good luck,


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## ActionJackson (Apr 6, 2005)

lhowemt said:


> Also, a good PT is a gem, if you don't have one you might keep looking until you find one that helps. Kind of like a chiro, if you have to keep going back, they're a QUACK!


I'll second that. Found one that worked magic on my achilles tendons. Had not been able to run with any consistency for over 2.5 years. After a few weeks of PT, started jogging again a little over a month ago, and have been able to build up quickly, running pain free. Got in a full hour this evening. Great place to be after almost resigning myself to no more running.

Best,
AJ


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## ednaout (Jun 3, 2005)

Hey, I'm a huge advocate for this stuff called TRAUMEEL. Its an arnica based cream/gel. You can also take it orally. I think I got mine at whole foods or pharmica. Arnica is the best herbal remedy ever, IMO. Its an anti-inflammatory and an analgesic. You can relieve your pain with damaging your liver (or at least damage your liver with beers and booze instead of ibuprofen)!
I was dealing with some pretty bad tendonitis a few weeks ago and did two things: got some really good deep tissue massage on my forearm and used my traumeel.
I have been relieved of my tendonitis!
If you want a reference for a good massage therapist let me know. 
Hope that helps!


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

ActionJackson said:


> I'll second that. Found one that worked magic on my achilles tendons. Had not been able to run with any consistency for over 2.5 years. After a few weeks of PT, started jogging again a little over a month ago, and have been able to build up quickly, running pain free. Got in a full hour this evening. Great place to be after almost resigning myself to no more running.
> 
> Best,
> AJ


Excellent, congrats! I had to quit running after my 3rd knee surgery, I still really miss it. Especially running with the dogs, I loved that.


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## asleep.at.the.oars (May 6, 2006)

ednaout said:


> Hey, I'm a huge advocate for this stuff called TRAUMEEL. Its an arnica based cream/gel. You can also take it orally. I think I got mine at whole foods or pharmica. Arnica is the best herbal remedy ever, IMO. Its an anti-inflammatory and an analgesic. You can relieve your pain with damaging your liver (or at least damage your liver with beers and booze instead of ibuprofen)!
> I was dealing with some pretty bad tendonitis a few weeks ago and did two things: got some really good deep tissue massage on my forearm and used my traumeel.
> I have been relieved of my tendonitis!
> If you want a reference for a good massage therapist let me know.
> Hope that helps!


FWIW, arnica taken orally in anything greater than homeopathic (i.e. non-detectable) quantities has been noted to cause cardiac arrest. It's really best topically. Also, acetaminophen is what kills your liver, ibuprofen takes out your kidneys.


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## mafro (Sep 17, 2009)

Drugs for inflamation, rest, and exercises. You get a good excuse to play with Silly Putty at work. As far as the biomechanics of your stroke goes, remember to be loose with your pinky and ring fingers on the top hand of your stroke (i.e.: left hand for right stroke, right hand for left stroke). That also applies to bent-shaft paddles. The energy saved by being loose actually helps keep a solid hold of the paddle and makes feathering extra finesse-y.


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

asleep.at.the.oars said:


> Also, acetaminophen is what kills your liver, ibuprofen takes out your kidneys.


And breathing is the #1 cause of death. Everyone was doing it immediately prior to dying.


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## mkashzg (Aug 9, 2006)

ednaout said:


> Hey, I'm a huge advocate for this stuff called TRAUMEEL. Its an arnica based cream/gel. You can also take it orally. I think I got mine at whole foods or pharmica. Arnica is the best herbal remedy ever, IMO. Its an anti-inflammatory and an analgesic. You can relieve your pain with damaging your liver (or at least damage your liver with beers and booze instead of ibuprofen)!
> I was dealing with some pretty bad tendonitis a few weeks ago and did two things: got some really good deep tissue massage on my forearm and used my traumeel.
> I have been relieved of my tendonitis!
> If you want a reference for a good massage therapist let me know.
> Hope that helps!


There is also a product called 'Topricin' that has everything and more that Trameel has with twice the dosages of all the ingredients. It is recomended for sports injuries and those caused by over use of the effected area. I am now a big fan of this product and highly suggest trying it. Also, buy it on their web site as it is much cheaper there.


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## DanOrion (Jun 8, 2004)

have you tried switching hands?


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## ednaout (Jun 3, 2005)

In reference to Asleep at the oars -
good info on the arnica - i didn't know about the danger of heart attack -
do you know what a dangerous dosage is? I might assume that it is a rather large quantity, but "when you assume..."
I am still an advocate of arnica topically and orally. Of course, don't take more than the amount that indicated...don't get all crazy and down a bottle of arnica. if you stick to the dosage it should help with pain and inflammation.


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## Toni (Sep 18, 2006)

Lots of water, exercise (blood flow), and check your vitamin C intake...it's important in collagen production.

Turmeric, ginger, and boswellia are great anti-inflammatory herbs. There are a few different reputable companies that make products with that combo.


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## asleep.at.the.oars (May 6, 2006)

I hadn't heard about arnica before and was curious about the product, so, like all good web searches, I started with Wikipedia:
Arnica - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
and
Helenalin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

MicroMedex (online pharmacy resource - subscription required) says for dosing:
--DEGENERATION OF THE JOINTS, RHEUMATIC JOINT AND MUSCLE INFLAMMATION, SACROILIAC PAIN, LUMBAGO, MYOGELOSIS, AND MUSCULAR INDURATION: topical administration of a 2 to 4 centimeters long ointment layer containing an oily extract of Arnica flowers (5%) in the morning and in the evening onto the affected areas
--oral use of Arnica is considered to be potentially unsafe; however, oral preparations _(no info on what dose, so likely 10^-30 concentrations - a.a.t.o)_ have been used in clinical studies with some success
--recommended for external use only 

and for side effects:
--allergic reactions of the skin such as painful itching and inflammation
--cardiac arrest and death with oral use
--eczema
--edematous dermatitis with the formation of pustules
--high doses: toxic skin reactions with the formation of vesicles and necrosis
--stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and dyspnea 

_e_Medicine claimed a homeopathic preperation was ineffective, but didn't give the citation. 
DynaMed agreed: "homeopathic arnica cream NOT effective for bruise or minor trauma in review of 4 placebo-controlled trials" BMJ 2001 Sep 29;323(7315):760 (subscription required)
But neither of those sites gave info on oral use beyond that it was used in homeopathic preperations and tinctures. 

There is toxicology info on topical presentations (to sum up: they don't know) but not oral
Final report on the safety assessment of Arnica mo...[Int J Toxicol. 2001] - PubMed Result

Based on what I've read, I would use it topically but not ingest the stuff. Of course, your mileage may vary... 
Studies of reglar pharmaceuticals have problems with bias / motivations / hidden data / etc. and they're peer reviewed. Studies of herbal remedies have more push from the people who stand to make a buck and less peer review - so the data is even worse. Just be sure to tell your doctor about all the herbs / supplements you use - a lot of them react with prescribed meds.


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## Toni (Sep 18, 2006)

Arnica prepared as a homeopathic remedy is very different from it's herbal preparation...make sure you're comparing apples to apples when researching.

Either one used on open wounds can cause irritation. And, if you have allergies to daisies, it could cause issues.

I've been using all variations for years on my family, pets included, and have seen some impressive healing effects.

Not every remedy works for everyone, and herbs need just as much respect and attention to safe use as pharmaceuticals. Lots of people think homeopathy is bs. I myself think it's a powerful tool.


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## ajpz (Mar 8, 2009)

raymo said:


> Good luck. My next step is to try acupuncture. Anyone know if it will work.


Acupuncture does work for many people, but it does depend on the whole picture. In general, athletic males respond well [often quickly] to treatments. Acupuncture works well when you get it often, usually the recommendation is a course of treatments. You cannot expect to walk out cured 100% after one treatment. 

If $$ are of concern, check out community acupuncture. It's a business model that charges $15-35 sliding scale/treatment; your choice, no verification required. community acupuncture network can help you find a treatment center: Community Acupuncture Network (CAN)


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## AndrewC (Jul 6, 2008)

I'd really recommend seeing a good physical therapist. Ice and ibuprofen help control the inflammation, exercises to help stengthen the tendons to prevent recurrence.

Don't waste your time and money on acupuncture or homeopathy. There is no viable biological mechanism for acupuncture to assist with inflammation (although the placebo effect can help with perception of pain). Homeopathic remedies are literally water and sugar pills. Any active ingredient is, by definition, diluted to far below therapeutic doses in a homeopathic remedy.


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Andrew your disdain for alternative medicine makes me assume you are either a traditional physician or you've had a bad experience with one or both of these methods.

Both methods have a track record much stronger than that of a placebo effect.

Too bad you're mind is closed to these possibilities. I've had positive results form both.


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

Or a scientist, or engineer, who are both taught to disbelieve anything that they haven't been taught is "proven" through traditional methods. Traditional methods being corporate-funded research. We're getting off track. I've had great luck with acupuncture also, not just symptomatic treatment either. It can be powerful. It's been used for what, 5000 years? Modern medicine is 100 years old, at the most?


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## ednaout (Jun 3, 2005)

Yeah, acupuncture has probably been around for about thousands of years because it doesn't work. Yup. that makes sense.


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

AndrewC- Gee, you seem to have mistakenly sent me a PM, instead of posting your comments on the thread. I'll help you out, and post them for you. 



AndrewC said:


> Bloodletting was popular for quite a while also. Just because the idea is old, doesn't mean the idea is correct.


Edna, I was saying that I think it works, just to be clear.


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## AndrewC (Jul 6, 2008)

I sent you a PM to avoid cluttering this thread. I've started a new thread over in the eddy, if anyone would like to join me.


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## Canada (Oct 24, 2006)

*Thanks*

You guys are Awesome. Better, but not healed at this point. stretching really seems to help, which is something I have never done before for my wrist. 

Doing Vitamin C, Fish oil, Advil. I'll report back.

Funny that something like asking for advice here can result in disagreement. WE are an opinionated class we kayakers!


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