Ouch
I'm writing today to seek advice for hastened healing and pain management.
Lateral epicondylitis. Tennis elbow. Awful. Horrible. Ow.
I've had it for a while, off and on, but lately it has flared up and I'm getting zero relief.
It all started a good 15 years ago when I injured my rotator cuff, pulling a patient up in bed. Since then, I favored hauling dead weight from the other direction, which in turn has created a situation with the opposite elbow.
It has enhanced itself to the point that I have difficulty grasping and lifting objects. Sleeping is torture, it seems to hurt more at rest, and I never can find a comfortable position to lay my arms.
The mechanics of the musculoskeletal system are simply amazing; something I've never been quite so much in awe of until mine isn't working properly!
I've been icing it, and taking NSAIDs. I do not want a cortisone injection if I can avoid it. I try my best to rest it when I can, but the nature of my job is such I can't just *not* use it at all. Besides that, it's my dominant arm! Ugh.
Any advice?
Lateral epicondylitis. Tennis elbow. Awful. Horrible. Ow.
I've had it for a while, off and on, but lately it has flared up and I'm getting zero relief.
It all started a good 15 years ago when I injured my rotator cuff, pulling a patient up in bed. Since then, I favored hauling dead weight from the other direction, which in turn has created a situation with the opposite elbow.
It has enhanced itself to the point that I have difficulty grasping and lifting objects. Sleeping is torture, it seems to hurt more at rest, and I never can find a comfortable position to lay my arms.
The mechanics of the musculoskeletal system are simply amazing; something I've never been quite so much in awe of until mine isn't working properly!
I've been icing it, and taking NSAIDs. I do not want a cortisone injection if I can avoid it. I try my best to rest it when I can, but the nature of my job is such I can't just *not* use it at all. Besides that, it's my dominant arm! Ugh.
Any advice?
posted by Julie, RN at 6/15/2007 11:41:00 PM
1 Comments:
jules,
thanks for stopping by and saying hello. i've been by here before. i'll come again.
as someone who has suffered from muskuloskeletal [i know i botched that one, it's 4:30 am, for crying in a bucket] injuries as well as wathcing her baby boomer parents be able to do a little less each year, you've got to rest it. there is no other answer.
call in help from your co-workers for lifting. drop that bed into trendelenburg before you pull anyone up. use gravity, not your body weight. it may take more time, but you need to take it. wear a brace or sling if you have to, even if it doesn't hurt, to make sure you rest it. sprains, tears and pulls are "worse" than breaking bones and slicing by surgery or trauma. it just takes longer to get better.
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