Arkansas Canoe Club Forums

My left elbow is really hurting on the outside edge. It would be really painful for me to lift a glass to my mouth with the left hand.
Am I overdoing the paddling or doing it wrong?

You're probably gripping your paddle too tightly. Check out the very bottom section of this page.
http://www.roguepaddler.com/diagnose.htm

JeffT wrote:My left elbow is really hurting on the outside edge. It would be really painful for me to lift a glass to my mouth with the left hand.
Am I overdoing the paddling or doing it wrong?

I can definitely say I've "felt your pain."

It's quite possibly what is commonly called "tennis elbow." ALso "paddler's elbow", google "paddler's elbow" and you'll get many hits. If so it seems to arise from a frequent combination of gripping/twisting. Mine comes and goes (related to other activities, not paddling initiated) and it's been a year since my bothered me last, and I found SPECTACULAR RELIEF AND THE ABILITY TO PADDLE NEARLY PAIN FREE with the following inexpensive elbow brace. It is nearly a miracle product for me and while it may not cure the underlying tendonitis is sure let me enjoy paddling:

http://www.amazon.com/Aircast-Tennis-El ... B000I3WLTC" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good luck. Once mine was bothering me horrendously on a fly-fishing trip to Roaring River, Mo, and I caught so many fish I had to quit. I can honestly say "I caught so many fish and they pulled so hard I hurt my arm!!!"

Sounds like "tennis elbow" for sure. I had it about a year ago, and I am not sure how it started since I wasn't actually paddling much during that time. The pain can be excruciating. When my husband suggested a velcroed arm band, I thought he obviously didn't understand how badly it really hurt. After a few weeks, I became desperate and tried one. Oddly enough, it really did help. Mine was similar to the brace mentioned above, but I had purchased a Nike brand at Academy Sports. It actually helped quite a bit. Sadly though, there is no quick fix. Mine took several months to finally go away. It still acts up occasionally when it gets overused. However, it never seems to hurt as bad as the original onset. Having gone through this myself, trust me...get the arm brace. Best of luck to you.
Sandy

Agree with all of the above. What paddle are you using?, I had a Titanium shaft canoe paddle several years ago, that didn't have much "flex" in it and would cause lateral epicondylitis(tennis elbow) after 2 days, and would have to put it down for a couple of months before using it again. dale

I'll say that if you are waiting to go see the doctor Monday and are in pain now, I'd go to a Walmart or pharmacy that is open tonight and go get one of those air pillow elbow braces, some reusable gel ice packs, and an ace bandage or two to hold the ice packs in place. I remember using a sling for a week or three after the doctor said to rest it, and to keep from using it by using a sling. I'd still go see the doctor, but I can testify that the air pillow braces do help more than one might think. Re-usable gel packs also helped me as far as icing when I had elbow problems 6 years ago, and I alternated icing with a heating pad for some relief.

Wish you a speedy recovery.

Eric Esche

After just two days without paddling the pain is almost gone. I went from Remmel to Rockport today, but that was a float, not a paddle.
I might need to ease up on the hard paddles on the lakes for a while.

I suffered through top-of-the-elbow pain until I rotated the T grip on my canoe paddle about 30 degrees, far enough to pretty much straighten my wrist on a forward stroke. I'm referring to the top (control) arm. The pain disappeared and never came back. If you are a kayaker, maybe one of the bent shaft paddles would help.

Captain Aleve, alias Mike Coogan