http://www.care2.com/greenliving/tame-your-tendonitis.html
Tame Your Tendonitis
By Robert Keller, Natural Solutions magazine
Q: I was recently diagnosed with tennis elbow, and I don’t even play tennis! What can I do?
A: First off, don’t be surprised—tennis often has nothing to do with tennis elbow. Any repetitive movement or strain on the forearm–from playing tennis to painting your house to typing–can trigger the condition, but poor circulation or inflammation are most likely the underlying causes.
Tennis elbow is a form of tendonitis that affects the fleshy region at the top of the forearm, the home of numerous muscles and tendons that control the hands and fingers. Both the large intestine and the “triple heater channels” of acupuncture, which regulate bowel function and metabolism, also run through this area. These channels are easily affected by the imbalance that Chinese medicine calls depressive liver heat, which causes inflammation and swelling of the surrounding tissues.
Acupuncture treats tendonitis very effectively, and I suggest you give it a try. In my own practice, I see people twice a week for three weeks, and then once weekly for another three weeks. This usually solves the problem (at least by 80 percent); any remaining pain can be treated less intensively over another month or so. I often give patients Chinese herbal topicals such as Plaster for Bruise–which you can find in Asian markets and health-food stores–to apply just before bedtime. These contain anti-inflammatory herbs such as mint and cinnamon. In the meantime, try these self-care remedies:
1. Take an anti-inflammatory supplement like ginger, turmeric, or myrrh–or even better, add the first two to your food.
2. Pick up a combination antioxidant remedy containing quercetin and bromelain to reduce swelling and pain, improve blood circulation, and neutralize metabolism waste products.
3. Add nutrient-rich berries and dark-green and orange vegetables to your diet–these foods help heal damaged tissue.
4. Steer clear of coffee, sugar, and alcohol, all of which can aggravate the liver and make things worse.
5. Rest your arm muscles. If you keep using your forearm, the condition might drag on for months.
6. Use a support wrap during the day but avoid tight bands that could immobilize the tendons.
7. Avoid feeling cold, which can impede blood flow to the tissues.
8. Begin strengthening and stretching exercises once the pain has eased. I recommend using a gyroscope, which you can find at any sporting goods store. This low-impact device lengthens every muscle in the forearm when used for just five minutes, twice a day. For two more simple exercises, see “Quick Exercises for Tendonitis” below.
9. Finally, nothing damages the liver more than stress. Ten minutes of some form of meditation each day can reduce stress’ negative effects.
Robert Keller practices acupuncture and Chinese medicine in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Quick Exercises for Tendonitis
The more often you find time to fit these stretches into your workday, says California chiropractor Pali Cooper, the better your forearms will feel.
1. Sit in a chair with your feet on the floor, feeling the three corners of your feet: the big-toe ball, the little-toe ball, and the heel’s center. This activates your core and helps you sit up straight. Now stretch your right arm out in front of you, palm facing the floor. Gently press down on the backside of your outstretched hand with your left hand until your right wrist bends and your palm faces you. Hold for several seconds, and breathe. Reverse arms and repeat.
2. Return to the starting position in No. 1. Gently grasp the palm side of your fingers, pulling them up toward you so the backside of your right hand faces you. Hold for several seconds, and breathe. Reverse arms and repeat.
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17 comments
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Kabin
Konteyner
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why is this inappropriate?
Tendinitis is correctly medically spelled with an 'i', not an 'o'.
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Having suffered from tendonitis in multiple places, I would agree that rest, compression of the inflamed tissues, and any remedy that you can find to reduce inflammation are important. Avoid painkillers, as they will impede your body's ability to tell you that you are doing something to aggravate your injury. The only way to prevent the injury from recurring after resting it sufficiently to heal it is to discover what caused it in the first place and either change that action or do strengthening exercises, as she suggests, to offset its effects.
Please be wary of acupuncture. I know people who have been seriously crippled by problems with acupuncture performed by perfectly well respected professionals. If you can avoid this road by doing everything else possible to heal your injury and preventing it from recurring, please do.
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why is this inappropriate?
As a professional massage therapist who specializes in acute & chronic pain, I agree with many of the posts. There is a great deal more involved than the large intestine or liver energies in these cases. The body has several meridians (energetic pathways) which run throughout: nerves, muscles, tendons & ligaments, & faschia which surround all of them.
Repetitive strain injuries, sprains, etc. all affect the energetic flow into the physical level. Another way to explain this is to compare the effect of pain or injury to a beaver dam. When the pathway or tissues are blocked, imbalanced, or injured, the energy cannot flow freely, like water in a stream. This causes a pond (in the case of water) or a stagnant-like condition within the body itself. The result is often pain, heat or swelling, etc. In the case of pain in the hand, wrist, forearm, or elbow the point of cause can come from the neck, shoulders & scapula, especially in the case of whiplash or overuse of the upper body.
Deep tissue massage, as well as energetic healing modalities such as Jin Shin Jyutsu, Acupressure, Acupuncture, Shiatsu & other forms of bodywork can be highly effective when performed by a professional practitioner. Many times self-help can be done, on your own, to work with these conditions.
Herbal anti-inflamatories can be extremely helpful such as those containing Ginger, Tumeric. Cutting out sugar & caffiene will help
greatly to reduce inflammation levels to
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why is this inappropriate?
As a professional massage therapist who specializes in acute & chronic pain conditions I agree with many of the posts here. That said there is a great deal more involved than the large intestine or liver energies in cases like this. While the body has several meridians (energetic pathways) which run throughout, we also have nerves, muscles, tendons & ligaments, and faschia which surround all of them. Whether it is a repetitive strain injury, or sprain,etc.
it affects all levels from the energetic flow to the physical. Another way to explain to compare
the effect of pain or injury to a beaver dam. When the pathway or tissues are blocked, imbalanced, or injured the energy cannot flow through like water in a stream. This causes a pond (in the case of water) or stagnantlike condition within the body itself. The result is often pain, heat or swelling, etc. In the case of pain in the hand, wrist, forearm, or elbow the point of cause can well be up into the neck, shoulders & scapula, especially in the case of whiplash or overuse of the upper body.
Deep tissue massage, as well as energetic healing modalities such as Jin Shin Jyutsu, Acupressure, Acupuncture, Shiatsu & other forms of bodywork can be highly effective when performed by a professional practitioner. Many times self-help can be done on your own to work with conditions such as these as well.
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why is this inappropriate?
Try Alexander Technique
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I had a nasty case of tennis elbow (actually snow-rake elbow). Chiropractic and physical therapy helped somewhat, but what totally cured it was wall push-ups. They're easy to do and even sort of enjoyable. Here are some instructions I found online:
Step 1
Stand up straight facing the wall and place your palms flat against it. Stand far enough away from the wall so that your elbows are straight but not locked. Your hands should be about shoulder-width apart and at the same level as your shoulders.
Step 2
Keeping your body straight, bend your elbows and bring your nose towards the wall. Then push into the wall with your hands to come back up. Your heels may lift up slightly, but try to keep them as close to the floor as you can. Do not bring your hips or buttocks forward. A common mistake is to let the hips come towards the wall, which arches your back. Keep your body rigid. You are just bending and straightening the elbows.
Step3
Do three sets of eight to 12 repetitions. You can vary the muscles you work by doing each set a little differently. Move your hands further apart. You also can turn the hands until they face out or do a set with your hands turned in. Each variation will work your muscles from a slightly different angle.
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I use accupressure and yoga, which I can do myself, first thing in the morning and last thing at night. This has eased my carpal tunnel problem my "greater trochlear bursitus" (sharp, deep pain inside my hip), headaches, and shoulder pain. I look up books in the public library and follow the instructions. Thank heavens this is possible free, since my high-deductible health insurance and only sporatic income would otherwise leave me in serious pain.
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The large intestine also transports something that seems to be somewhat related to this article.
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The large intestine also carries something that seems somewhat related to the advice in this article. Sounds a lot like snake oil to me.
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