Torn tendon in my arm... wanna get back to wrenching!
 

Man I really hate posting this. I've been sidelined for a few weeks now with a torn tendon in my arm/elbow. Classic "tennis elbow" as the doc says. It is amazing how painful and debilitating it is. I was trying to finish up a big project on the ol' honey-do list when I tore it (long story) and now I'm struggling to get that job done and heal so I can get back to wrenching on the car. I crossed 40 a couple of years ago and everything seems to be falling apart! :D

I know I'm not the first person to ever have this. When I was talking to the doc about what kinds of activities I do and said that I enjoy turning a wrench for fun he was not very encouraging. Said something to the effect of "just be glad your livelihood doesn't depend on it." I know somebody has some good advice so let's hear it!

good news..
in time you will be able to hold a cup of joe in comfort..
best you accept it will never be the same..
over 40 and all that..
you should be able to wrench again..
but know it will feel like 10 hrs wrenching..
after 1 or 2..or just tear again with little or no effort..
and were back to 'healing'...

Rika

42 here. I tore the tendon on my right bicep two years ago. I couldn't even hold a glass of water. Even at rest it was pretty painful. I went through physical therapy for about a year but, yeah, it's not the same. Every now and then I get little reminders, or "twinges", when I overwork it. But at least now I'm not in constant pain and I can pick my daughters up for hugs so it's all good. SmileWavy. However, my occupation doesn't require anything too physical. Good luck to you.

How'd you do that?

Classic "Tennis Elbow" does not entail a torn tendon.

Tennis elbow - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I lifted a very heavy box.

The key here for us old farts to remember is that we are not 20 anymore. Think about it before you pick up that heavy box, or he man that drywall up stairs by yourself , or lift that 915 trans up onto the work bench. Work smart, not hard.
I picked up a log last weekend that I had no business lifting. Could have just as easily rolled it , but nooooooo, Had to he man it. For the last week, I was walking like quasi modo.
Getting old sucks.

I recently turned 42.......i feel like I'm 30, look like I'm 30......
But some days if i do something just the wrong way wrenching on p cars it stays with me for days....sometimes weeks.....
Key is to remember what you do that hurts.....then work around it......i will no longer try to push in a 911 by myself.....heavy things that need lifting? Get help......
Need some crazy leverage on a big bolt? Breaker bar......
I've been wrenching professionally for 5 years now on p cars.....before that spent 20 years under dashes doing electrical.......
Work smarter, more efficiently.........have the young guys help with the grunt work......

I won't ever accept that I'm getting older, i just work around it so my body doesn't tell me i am. ...

Yep. I didn't realize just how badly I had hurt it at first. A day later I'm on a business trip and went to a meeting. A guy shook my hand and I almost went to my knees in pain.

I have had back problems and knee problems before, but nothing like this. And it is the craziest things that hurt the worst. Gripping and squeezing stuff is really painful. They have me in a wrist brace and a thing called a "bandit". I got a cortisone shot that helped for a few days but now it's just as bad as the day I injured it. I've been to one physical therapy session so far.

The main thing that bothered me about what the doc said was that it's entirely possible that I will never really get over it, which was not something I was prepared for. He said it could last a year.

I was curious what kind of healing time others have had and is there anything you can do -- like a brace -- that could be used while I'm working on the car.

I have to be able to work on the car. I enjoy it too much and I'll do whatever I need to in order to keep enjoying the hobby. Failure is not an option here. :)

Well the way the doc explained it from the X-rays there are small tears of the tendon, which I think is consistent with the link (thanks, btw). Anatomy was never my strong suit so if there is a better term then so be it. It's not a complete tear -- so severe strain? I dunno.

Yea I used to laugh at people who said "wait till you're 40! everything changes!"

I'm not laughing now. I'm trying to do a better job of taking care of myself but I didn't even see this one coming. Sudden pain in my arm like someone plugged me into a 120V outlet.

I'm gonna fight the glue factory the whole way! :)

Exactly. My little episode was a wakeup call for me. Now I let the young bucks do the heavy lifting. And I'm no longer too proud to call for a dolly. :D

stretching, messaging the most tender area, stretching, ice, stretching, ibuprofen, messaging the most tender area, stretching, ice...on and on.

https://www.orthocenterillinois.com/pdfs/Tennis-Elbow.pdf

Tennis elbow/lateral epicondylitis (as in post #1) is totally different than a torn distal biceps tendon (post #3). Tennis elbow is a tearing of the fibers of the common extensor tendon, but if you were to look at the tendon with your own eyes it would look fairly intact. In comparison, a biceps tendon tear at the elbow is usually a real tear (like with a piece of paper), which is easily seen once uncovered. Tennis elbow is usually treated non-operatively, but surgery can be done a minority (30%) of the time. A torn distal biceps tendon is usually treated with surgery.

For non-opeartive management of tennis elbow, you can try a tennis elbow strap, stretching exercises, behavioral modification, therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic deep tissue massage, cortisone injection, or a platelet (PRP) injection. For stretching exercises, put your arm out in front of you, elbow straight, palm facing the floor; use your other hand to flex the wrist/palm down towards the floor. You feel the stretch along the forearm towards the elbow. If that's too easy, add a twist to the affected wrist, by using the other hand to simultaneously flex the affected wrist and twist the hand outwards (pinky side). Also, when carrying things, do so with your palm facing up, not down. Palm up and you're using the stronger flexor muscles. Palm down and you're continuing to strain the injured extensor muscles.

I'm 51 and blessed with horrible genes. Take care of yourself and get medical attention as needed. 15 years ago I separated my shoulder (again) after falling on a rugged trail run. Sucked up the pain for years only to learn it was a break. No options for me other than replacement. Advanced arthritis in place and pain 24/7/365. Not complaining just sharing so you don't make the same mistake.

My neck & lower back are so calcified up that X-rays come out as a long amorphous mass in these areas....strangely enough they don't bother me much ....I guess it's because the joints can't hardly move.

What does bother me are my hands and wrists. They are hammered.

You think that he forties are bad, just wait. You ain't seen nothin' yet......but.
I figure you use it or you lose it. I got mighty careful in my mid 50s. It takes a long time to heal when ya get older. Heavy lifting is out, but moderate lifting is a necessity....if you can deal with 50lbs, do it often. The old dogs won't allow running? Walk a lot. I try to maintain what little endurance I have. I push my hands/wrists as needed......then give em' a week or 2 off. My Honda lawn mower drug my ass around the whole freaking yard today. I'll be 70 next year but I'm in this for the long haul.

"My Honda lawn mower drug my ass around the whole freaking yard today."
~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for that. :D

I've had tennis elbow twice. The first was in my twenties from hitting thousands of golf balls off hard rubber practice mats. It returned last year when I took up drumming. The rudiments set it off & the only thing I could do was quit. It took nearly a year to heal, I'm almost 50.

Getting old sucks, seems I'm always injured. I rode my dirt bike without a kidney belt last Friday & though I didn't crash, my back has been killing me.

Happened to me 5 years ago. Repetitive stress injury. Lifting too much weight over and over. I removed about 8,000 lbs of concrete sidewalk when rebuilding my front porch. The burn is always not good for you. My Dr told me to not do anything for 3 months or it wouldn't get any better. Couldn't hold a glass with either arm. The worst part was the muscles in my arms were in spasms. Kept me awake at night. A weightlifter friend suggested I try DMSO on my arms to stop the spasms. It worked.

[QUOTE=J P Stein; My Honda lawn mower drug my ass around the whole freaking yard today. I'll be 70 next year but I'm in this for the long haul.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for that JP. If a picture is worth a thousand words then your lawn mower sentence is the next best thing. I am pushing 70(2 years to go) and somehow pushing a lawnmower is good coz I can still do it.

Cheers, Guy