Skiing with Tennis Elbow

Written by: Kathleen Papi-Baker, OTR, CHT and Jessica M. Karge, OTR, CHT

"I have tennis elbow, can I still ski?"
As the outside temperature starts to drop, and the snow begins to blow, you're probably turning your thoughts to winter activities. With reports of new snow in the forecast, as you're waxing your skis, you may wonder if you should ski when you've been diagnosed with tennis elbow.

There's not a simple answer to the question, as it depends on the severity of your condition. It's helpful to talk in terms of pain levels when figuring out the acuteness of your symptoms. From zero to ten, 0 is no pain, and 10 is a pain level so high you need to go to the emergency room.

If your pain at rest is 3 or 4 but goes even higher with activity, it's best for you to rest and rehab your arm. Skiing would most likely aggravate your condition. You should consider hand therapy to get you on the road to recovery. If therapy isn't an option, check out Treat Yourself Therapy for Tennis Elbow. It's an 80 minute education and exercise video that we've developed that allows you to treat yourself. You can find it on our website, www.TreatYourselfTherapy.com/tennis-elbow.

If you have 0 pain at rest, and most of the day, but your pain goes up to a 2 with arm use, you can consider skiing if you take some of the following advice.

First, let's talk about your ski poles. Use both of them! It may seem like a good idea to ski with only one pole on your uninjured side, but this is generally not recommended. It can throw your balance off and cause injury from overuse to your uninjured side. So use both poles and keep the following suggestions in mind.

Ski poles need to be the right length for your height. You should be able to grip your poles with your elbows bent to 90 degrees. If your poles are too short, or too long, it puts more strain on your elbow. Make sure you use your ski pole strap, it allows you to generate power from your arms with less force through your grip, which decreases strain on your elbow. Also, the lighter the pole the better.
When you're skiing, keep your grip light on your poles.

Although you can't control ski conditions, it's definitely more jarring on your arms to be skiing in hard packed, icy conditions than soft snow. Ski smart and try to minimize poling as much as you can. Try to ski as close to the chair lift as possible. When you need to pole, try making shorter arm strokes, keeping your elbows close to your body, as opposed to long arm strokes with the arms fully extended in front of you. Skate with your legs when you can, it's great for core strength, and minimizes arm use.

Before and after skiing, do some forearm stretches. Try the Wrist Extensor Stretch from Treat Yourself Therapy for Tennis Elbow. It's one of several stretches in the video. If you're using a forearm strap, wear it when skiing. If your pain level increases at the end of your ski day, use a cold pack for about 8 minutes several times throughout the evening.

In early season, plan on taking several breaks during the day. Consider skiing for a half day, and see how your arm feels. Remember to dress for the conditions, and keep warm, especially your hands and arms when you have tennis elbow.
Listen to your body, and have fun!

Treat Yourself Therapy, LLC provides innovative and inexpensive do-it-yourself videos for people unable to attend hand therapy. These videos were developed by Jessica Karge, OTR, CHT and Kathleen Papi-Baker, OTR,CHT, both certified hand therapists who have over 40 years of combined clinical experience. To learn more, visit www.TreatYourselfTherapy.com.

A Resolution to "Treat Yourself"

Written By: Kathleen Papi-Baker, OTR, CHT and Jessica Karge, OTR, CHT

Ring in 2012 with a resolution to take care of yourself! Perhaps you have nagging aches and pains that you ignored during the busy holiday season or hoped they would go away on their own. Well, it's a new year, and time to make taking care of yourself your top priority!
Many aches and pains can be caused by tendonitis, nerve compression syndromes, or osteoarthritis. These conditions are progressive and become more difficult to treat if they are neglected for long periods of time. Take action today!

See your physician to get a diagnosis. Your doctor will discuss your options for treatment. One suggestion may be hand, occupational, or physical therapy. Typically, therapy involves attending sessions with a therapist one to three times per week. Remember, for your therapy to be beneficial, you must follow through with the program your therapist sets up for you.

Treat Yourself Therapy's resolution for 2012 is to "treat yourself...and get better!" We have do-it-yourself videos for Tennis Elbow, Golfer's Elbow, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and Thumb Arthritis. Our videos are a great solution if traditional therapy isn't an option for you. They include information on diagnosis, anatomy, and what can cause the condition. Each video is loaded with helpful hints and recommendations to help decrease symptoms, as well as a comprehensive exercise program. People with hectic schedules particularly find our videos helpful, they enable you to do your exercises anywhere, anytime. No excuses....get started on your resolution today!

No problems, you say? Feeling healthy and strong? Good for you, we hope you stay that way! Overuse injuries and syndromes can sneak up on you, as opposed to an injury with a known cause and sudden onset of symptoms, like pain or swelling. With overuse injuries you may notice a slow, gradual ache or pain that can progress if not attended to. Take a moment to review the course of action if you notice a new ache or pain.

1. Make an appointment to see your physician. Remember early diagnosis and treatment leads to faster recovery. Be prepared for your visit with your doctor. Write down questions you have and be sure to discuss your options!

2. In the meantime try using a gel cold pack wrapped in a pillowcase over the painful or swollen area for 10 minutes, a few times each day. This is especially important for the first three to five days after your symptoms start.

To make your own cold pack get two one gallon Ziploc bags and place one inside the other. Fill it with a 16 ounce bottle of rubbing alcohol and 32 ounces of water. Seal it tightly and freeze until slushy.

3. Respect pain. Throw the phrase "no pain, no gain" out the window. Pain is your body's way of telling you that an activity is stressful. If you can safely stop in the middle of an activity that's increasing your pain, do so.

4. Rest the painful area as much as possible. Plan ahead to avoid or delegate
activities you know will be painful.

With each year that passes, our lives and schedules seem to get busier with less and less time for ourselves. Whatever 2012 has in store for you, taking time out to "treat yourself" may be just the answer.

Happy New Year from Treat Yourself Therapy!

Treat Yourself Therapy, LLC provides innovative and inexpensive do-it-yourself videos for people unable to attend hand therapy. These videos were developed by Jessica Karge, OTR, CHT and Kathleen Papi-Baker, OTR,CHT, both certified hand therapists who have over 40 years of combined clinical experience. To learn more, visit www.TreatYourselfTherapy.com.