tendonitis?

So I've been riding pretty much every day for the past 3 weeks or so, getting in about 1 or 2 sets of about 15 minutes each day. Lately the inside of my elbows has been bugging me quite a bit, I think it's tendonitis. So I've been popping a couple ibuprofen to help before I ride. I was just wondering if this happens to anybody else? Have any solutions? (maybe special exercises, vitamins, etc.) Slowing down the riding would be an obvious solution, but c'mon...it's wakeboarding! Besides, my progression has grown tremendously (6 new tricks in 3 weeks).

I have tendonitis in my knees that I wear special straps for. I also do exercises and ice every night.

If it is tendonitis from riding, taking ibuprofen right before you ride just masks the pain, which allows you to continue wakeboarding possibly at the expense of aggravating the injury. Take care of the injury (RICE) and try to experiment to see if it is being caused by your riding. Exercise is always good, too - I don't have anything specific I've done, but I have adopted the idea of avoiding ibuprofen so that I can react effectively to my injuries.

Does the pain start mostly after you stop riding and build over 30 to 40 minutes, then slowly go away over a few hours? Or, is it a constant pain?

Bicep tendonitis or if it builds, maybe neuritis. NSAIDs and rest are likely your best solutions.

But, a small 3 to 5 foot section of ski rope in the line makes this problem much less for me. The slight give of the ski rope absorbs just enough of the forward pull on a landing to make a difference. Yes, it can decrease your pop. But unless you are throwing 7s and 9s, I doubt you will notice any difference. I also have added padding to my handle which helped.

David's point is good. But, NSAIDs and steroids are still quite helpful in preventing an inflammatory musculoskeletal disease from becoming much worse and therefore I would not rule these therapies out.

But again David's point is important. If you use anti-inflammatories to simply mask a problem and do not take steps to resolve the underlying cause, you can do more damage by masking the pain.

Besides a line with slight give, proper technique, particularly proper line tension on landings and avoiding the yank of landing with slack, can make a huge difference.

go to www.activerelease.com . its a 10 to 15 minute fix. the drummer from Korn couldnt hold his drumsticks for more than 10 minutes. he went to an ART therapist and he was fixed...
--

the pain isn't horrible, it's completely bearable and more of just an uncomfortable annoyance. It typically occurs just after riding and like ^^^bobenglish said, builds a little but goes away after a bit. It may come back later in the day if I do something that requires some intense bicep flexion but only on rare occasions. For now, I will just continue NSAID's and make sure to ice. Honeslty, it's not that bad, just more annoying.

your call, but these things are easier to fix sooner than later. the guy from Korn was not a 1 time 15 minutes fix. i do this therapy myself. new injuries very easy to fix, chronic injuries take many more visits. sometimes as many as 10. either way, keep the website handy in case you do need it

+1^^^^^^ Active release is awesome therapy.

I've been riding alot lately too and I am getting horrible heel bruises. I have been blessed with flat feet and I can't hardly walk the first fifteen minutes when I get up in the morning.

Watch out for the ibuprofens. They can cause some serious stomach problems if you take them too often. But, other than that, physiotherapy is a great way to help.

Hey man I have it really bad at the start of the season. Try using a thicker handle. I got the era from accurate i think it is and it was gone in 2 weeks. Just my 2 cents hope it helps.

my bf was having a lot of trouble with it - he ended up buying a strap from the chemist - it's just a 2 inch wide band that wraps around his arm just below the elbow. he says it makes a huge difference, so might be worth a try. the strap cost around $20 i think?

i was having bad tennis elbow winter 07/08 and i couldnt do handle pass tricks because i could barely hold the handle. like some guys said ibuprofen and pain creams made it worse because i would push it too far. i started riding with a strap below my elbow/upper forearm and it helped sooo much. after that it eventually went away and then i didnt need the strap.

i just used the rubbery strap that comes with straight line ropes, haha. but it worked.

Matt - what you are describing is plantar faciatis. Do a google search on it and find some stretching exercise. I've been dealing with it for about a year and it sucks! The exercises will work, but you have to be dilligent in doing them. If they don't give you relief you may need to get a steroid shot in your foot.

I also had/have tendonitus in my arm. Had an orthopedic surgeon run a bunch of nerve tests, etc. Turned out that it was all due to a pinched nerve in my neck. I went to a chiropracter and got adjusted. The pain went away, but still comes back. I've since learn to crack my neck myself and that usually takes the pain away.

i got this last summer after riding a lot, i now wear a smalll strap jusat beneath my elbow and i havent had it since. i know for a fact it was this! apparently it is called tantrum elbow. and the strap has a little splint it was like 10 pound 20$

Wait I have always struggled with this! My bicept absolutely KILLS right on the inside of my lead elbow. The pain isnt as bad when I ride as once I stop riding, that's when the pain really sets in. The only thing I have found to reduce the pain outside of drugs is running my bicept under really hot water (shower on boat) after riding. This seems to calm down the pain. Is this the same pain you guys are referring to (Chris)? If so do you have a link to a similar strap to the one your wearing? Can someone also explain the technical term so I can research proper rehab, stretching etc. for it? In the past I have had to take a week or two off from riding as a result of this lingering injury. It would be awesome to get a better handle on this...especially since most docs I have talked to couldnt offer much advice on this.

Thanks a ton!

+1 on the 5' section of poly rope. I don't notice any difference in pop but haven't had the 'tennis elbow' symptoms since.

Another thing I do to help limit tendonitus is use a skiers grip when getting pulled up (like griping a baseball bat). Once I'm up I flip my hand over and grip the handle normally. I also use the skiers grip when riding through turns. I've found that doing this lessons the strain on my forearm during moments of heavy tension such as getting pulled up and taking turns.

I've had this problem for the last two years. If it is on the inside of the elbow, like mine, it is the same problem that is known outside of wakeboarding as "golfer's elbow." Tennis elbow typically affects the other side of the elbow. I've asked some pros about this problem and they all seem to be familiar with it. Travis Moye called it "jerk arm." He said lots of water skiers have it as well. The strap described for the forearm takes tension off the tendons involved. The small piece of flex line sounds very creative, but my pop is already so marginal that I hesitate to try it. Riding switch or even just getting up switch might also help, and letting go rather than popping the handle or trying to save a bad jump by hanging on while being dragged thru the lake should also help. If you are working out between riding, doing hammer curls with the affected arm will be less stressful than normal bicep curls. Rest, of course, is the ultimate cure. I'm usually just about healed when the season starts in April.

The poly line works like a charm!! I use it all the time, and have been for 4 years. Just go to the store and get like 60' of it and make several 5' sections. After a while, they will need to be replaced, but it works. You will never notice it when your riding, but you won't have the pain afterward either. I have also used the arm band just below the elbow, and it helps as well.

I have also been using the poly line, and have not had any more soreness.

1 more for the section of poly line. Been doing that for a few years now and it's been great. My shoulder and elbow on my lead arm used to kill me from TS backrolls in particular as well as just plain riding now I'm never sore like that anymore. Also make sure you stretch in general before riding. I always stretch my legs and body as much as possible, it cuts way back on the general pain that wakeboarding causes.

here's my $0.02, i was a pitcher all through college and was informed any "itis" is inflammation. anti-inflammatories will help, but rest is crucial--whether that's what you want to hear or not. hence the 10-day DL for a lot of pitchers.
another key, heat! heat up your elbow with a pad or exercises before riding. this will help the blood flow through the inflamed tissue. and ice after riding.

I will 3rd the 5' of Poly. The stretch is not noticeable in the air or on your pop but it does give just enough that it has cleared up the elbow issues for me.

Where do you put the 5' of line. At the tower, or right infront of the handle?

also what diameter poly rope?

Have tendonitis in a couple places from almost 2 decades int he gym and sports. The key is icing them when they flare up, or resting for a period of time. I prefer to ice before bed.

Similar problem with my left shoulder, had local pro on my lake tell me I was landing all toe-side switch landings with let arm fully extended. Took some pics and he was right, now trying to remember to keep arm bent on landings.
I'm going to try the poly section of rope as well, good idea.

Where do you put the 5' of line. At the tower, or right infront of the handle?

In front of the handle. More effective.