Ibuprofen seems to have cured my tennis elbow...

Hence my skepticism, but the pain did go away (and stay away) after taking it, which was unusual.  Ibuprofin is not just a pain reliever; it also lowers inflammation, which might be why it "cured" my tennis elbow.

Rafael: yeah, I found that (and just about every other article on the subject).  Thanks!

s.price wrote:

Ibuprofen never cured anything. It is a mask. Get real.

Dont be a fool. Three IB's are not just a painkiller but an anti-inflammatory. If you went to a doc for a tweaked muscle a lot would say 3x vitamin IB twice a day 12 hours apart after meals for one-two weeks. Get real harambe

Just do lots of push-ups, like 100 a day. Vitamin I didn't do anything permanent for you.

Garth wrote:

As a science writer I'm pretty much a professional skeptic. As an old guy trying to get/stay strong, I also exist on the edge of golfer's elbow (the "inside bump" version of tennis elbow). And so I was totally convinced that Tom Randall's advice linked below would do no good whatsoever. But might as well try, right? As long as I can keep my fierce labradors from licking the skin from my face while I lay on the floor to do this stretch, it's been a total turnaround for me. Would love to hear your experience!

https://tomrandallclimbing.wordpress.com/2012/11/23/golfers-elbow-a-possible-solution/

This is what also worked for me^...well that and staying away from overhanging bouldering

I'll have to try that Tom Randall stretch.  I dealt with golfer's elbow for years before it resolved itself.  Currently though I'm dealing with tennis elbow symptoms.  The soreness is really on the top of the forearm, not at the outer elbow.  It's been manageable with taping (Adidas has several good taping videos put out by the Kraftwerk folks).  However, while I'm feeling stronger at the gym, it seems to take longer for the soreness/tightness to reside.  I'm buying an armaid but the problem feels like it's upstream in the shoulders and neck, which the armaid won't resolve.  

Turmeric is a great way to naturally fight inflammation.   I called BS on it until an MD advise me to start taking it and then I still called BS until I stopped and my pain returned.  Cheap,  easy and natural.  YMMV

http://www.healthline.com/health/osteoarthritis/turmeric-and-anti-inflammatory-herbs#overview1

Aceite de Culebra is hands down the best product to cure what ails you.

n00b wrote:

Aceite de Culebra is hands down the best product to cure what ails you.

:D

I second the link that Garth posted it was a miracle cure for my golfers elbow. My personal experience with golfers elbow, was I had pain for about six months that got gradually worst until it was so bad I couldn't climb.at this point I stopped climbing for two months during that time I tried everything and I mean everything acupuncture, deep tissue massage, rice buckets, NSAIDs, stretching, aramid, push-ups, icing the whole nine yards, and none of it made any difference after two months off I felt the same as before. Truly demoralized I went online searching for miracle cures and I ran across this blog post by tom randall, I also was highly skeptical it seemed to good to be true. I started the stretch that day and within the week my pain dropped from an eight to a two. One week Doing this stretch a few times a day and I was climbing within two weeks the pain was minimal and I was back to pushing my limits. This was a miracle for me. I've found if I don't do the stretch for a while the pain will return but the moment I return to the stretch the pain goes away almost instantly. If you have golfers or tennis elbow just give this a try it might work for you. It was truly a miracle for me, no bullshit instant pain relief back to climbing pretty much overnight. 

About six years ago I had a case of elbow tendonitis that lasted a good five months; what cured it for me was a combination of a conscious choice to keep my arm straight while sleeping (I had a tendency to curl  my hand up under my head) and chiropractic elbow adjustments.  I know for a fact that ibuprofen didn't/couldn't help because I dose up on vitamin I once a month due to female problems.  I'm glad ibuprofen seemed to help you, but I'm afraid to say that it is not the miracle cure for tendonitis.

No, nor am I suggesting that.  It just completely killed the chronic pain I was experiencing, and the effects continued after the dose wore off, which I found strange.

Interesting...I had the same experience with changing the way I keep my arm while sleeping.  I also was curling it, and when I  made a point of straightening it during sleep, the pain was better.  Stretching has also helped.  The pain did return when I did a particularly hard day of pocket pulling, but it's manageable now with stretching and ibuprofin and I'm back to climbing regularly, albeit not multiple days in a row unless I'm outside.

I've had bursitis, and ibuprofen is the cure. My doctor's explanation was that as long as the bursa stays inflamed, it can't drain, and that keeps it irritated and inflamed. The ibuprofen forces the inflammation off, which lets the bursa drain, which not only relieves pain but stops the irritation and actually cures the problem.

Is it possible you had bursitis of the elbow, and not tendonitis? If you did, that explains exactly why ibuprofen cured it.

Mm possible, I suppose...I never actually got a medical diagnosis, but my symptoms fit the description of tendinosis fairly well.  Most of the time, it's a dull ache unless I really stress it (bouldering, projecting), at which point it can become more sharp, but it always goes away when I warm up and feels worse if I haven't climbed in a few days.

Tendinitis in my shoulder... NSAIDs to reduce swelling and cease cycle of injury.

probably gave your tendon some time to actually heal.

s.price wrote:

Bill, do you still take IB for the bursitis? Or did a few doses make it go away and you no longer have to take the IB? 

I no longer take it. The doctor recommended IB for some amount of time (a few weeks, I think, but I don't recall exactly). The pain was cured almost immediately after starting the ibuprofen, and never came back after I stopped. I'd had it nonstop for about six months before I saw the doctor, and it had only gotten worse in that time, so it was great to suddenly have it cured.

s.price wrote:

Turmeric is a safe alternative to NSAIDS. 

Like anything else, it does have side effects:

[From WebMD]

Special Precautions & Warnings:

 Pregnancy and breast-feeding: During pregnancy and while breast-feeding, turmeric is LIKELY SAFE when taken by mouth in amounts commonly found in food. However, turmeric is LIKELY UNSAFE when taken by mouth in medicinal amounts during pregnancy. It might promote a menstrual period or stimulate the uterus, putting the pregnancy at risk. Do not take medicinal amounts of turmeric if you are pregnant. There is not enough information to rate the safety of medicinal amounts of turmeric during breast-feeding. It is best not to use it.

 Gallbladder problems: Turmeric can make gallbladder problems worse. Do not use turmeric if you have gallstones or a bile duct obstruction.

 Bleeding problems: Taking turmeric might slow blood clotting. This might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding in people with bleeding disorders.

 Diabetes: Curcumin, a chemical in turmeric, might decrease blood sugar in people with diabetes. Use with caution in people with diabetes as it might make blood sugar too low.

 A stomach disorder called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): Turmeric can cause stomach upset in some people. It might make stomach problems such as GERD worse. Do not take turmeric if it worsens symptoms of GERD.

 Hormone-sensitive condition such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids: Turmeric contains a chemical called curcumin, which might act like the hormone estrogen. In theory, turmeric might make hormone-sensitive conditions worse. However, some research shows that turmeric reduces the effects of estrogen in some hormone-sensitive cancer cells. Therefore, turmeric might have beneficial effects on hormone-sensitive conditions. Until more is known, use cautiously if you have a condition that might be made worse by exposure to hormones.

 Infertility: Turmeric might lower testosterone levels and decrease sperm movement when taken by mouth by men. This might reduce fertility. Turmeric should be used cautiously by people trying to have a baby.

 Iron deficiency: Taking high amounts of turmeric might prevent the absorption of iron. Turmeric should be used with caution in people with iron deficiency.

 Surgery: Turmeric might slow blood clotting. It might cause extra bleeding during and after surgery. Stop using turmeric at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.

Wow, I should google things I eat more...

Tylerpratt wrote:

Wow, I should google things I eat more...

Just because something is "natural" (whatever that means - there's no legal definition when it comes to food) doesn't mean it is safe, no matter the dose, and the dose makes the poison.

Yup, you can overdose on water too.