I've been on the bench for nearly two months with tennis elbow caused by kite surfing. After a month I went to a physio and he said 6-8 weeks more. No idea how I did it just woke up sore the day after a good session.

Any tips for beating/avoiding this injury?

Get kites with low bar pressure & Google stretches for tennis elbow.

Took me 8 months to get my right arm sorted, only 6 months for the left (that followed soon after the right).

Don't rush it & good luck.

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KiwiDave said..
I've been on the bench for nearly two months with tennis elbow caused by kite surfing. After a month I went to a physio and he said 6-8 weeks more. No idea how I did it just woke up sore the day after a good session.

Any tips for beating/avoiding this injury?

Had it for nearly a year, I feel your pain.
An instant relief for me was to hold the bar Palm up
on the crook arm.
I now fly gaastra jekylls and Peter Lyn furys as the bar pressure is very light.
Have not had a problem since
By the way, my problems started with cabrinha, great kites but bar pressure
killed me.

Yep. Light bar pressure.

What kites are you flying?

Prior to going out warm up said area with tiger balm, then get lecee tape and strap tightly, worked for me.

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yendor said..

KiwiDave said..
I've been on the bench for nearly two months with tennis elbow caused by kite surfing. After a month I went to a physio and he said 6-8 weeks more. No idea how I did it just woke up sore the day after a good session.

Any tips for beating/avoiding this injury?

By the way, my problems started with cabrinha, great kites but bar pressure
killed me.

which cabrinha kite? I never had it until I started using an 11m drifter going toeside where I need to work the kite in lighter winds with one arm.

seems to flare up again everytime I use a drifter, so mainly use switchys now or small drifters in stronger winds

tips are: straighten arm bend palm up and down to stretch, also regular grip exercises.

had a physio do acupuncture on it. didn't help. also got an elastic bandage which helped the pain but didn't solve the problem.

I'm not sure it ever goes away.

ps. its called golfers elbow not tennis elbow (which is the opposite muscles)

I thought I had it from kiting, or maybe riding the bike, but it turned out to be how I was sleeping... Arm dangling off the side of the bed, trying to hyperextended the joint all night. Started rolling my arm so it bent at be elbow, problem gone.

I have it mildly off and on - much worse if I've had to work the kite a lot So try to rig big - moved to low bar pressure kites and settings as well.

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HighzaKite said..

yendor said..

KiwiDave said..
I've been on the bench for nearly two months with tennis elbow caused by kite surfing. After a month I went to a physio and he said 6-8 weeks more. No idea how I did it just woke up sore the day after a good session.

Any tips for beating/avoiding this injury?

By the way, my problems started with cabrinha, great kites but bar pressure
killed me.

which cabrinha kite? I never had it until I started using an 11m drifter going toeside where I need to work the kite in lighter winds with one arm.

seems to flare up again everytime I use a drifter, so mainly use switchys now or small drifters in stronger winds

tips are: straighten arm bend palm up and down to stretch, also regular grip exercises.

had a physio do acupuncture on it. didn't help. also got an elastic bandage which helped the pain but didn't solve the problem.

I'm not sure it ever goes away.

ps. its called golfers elbow not tennis elbow (which is the opposite muscles)

I had 9 and 11 meter drifters.
Read reviews that they had light to meadium bar pressure.
Which was far from the truth.
I then switched to Naish parks which were better.
Have since sold them as my Gaastra jekylls are feather light.
Pity they stopped making them.
And your right, mine was golfers elbow.

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HighzaKite said..

yendor said..

KiwiDave said..
I've been on the bench for nearly two months with tennis elbow caused by kite surfing. After a month I went to a physio and he said 6-8 weeks more. No idea how I did it just woke up sore the day after a good session.

Any tips for beating/avoiding this injury?

By the way, my problems started with cabrinha, great kites but bar pressure
killed me.

which cabrinha kite? I never had it until I started using an 11m drifter going toeside where I need to work the kite in lighter winds with one arm.

seems to flare up again everytime I use a drifter, so mainly use switchys now or small drifters in stronger winds

tips are: straighten arm bend palm up and down to stretch, also regular grip exercises.

had a physio do acupuncture on it. didn't help. also got an elastic bandage which helped the pain but didn't solve the problem.

I'm not sure it ever goes away.

ps. its called golfers elbow not tennis elbow (which is the opposite muscles)

I was also flying Cabs (switchblades) when it occurred & have been pain free for a few years now.

Flying a 9m Airush Lithium and a 12m Airush DNA (a budget lithium). They do both have a low bar pressure setting that I have not been using so that is a possibility.

I think tennis elbow can be a repetitive strain type injury, where this seems to be the result of a specific one off movement damaging the tendon connecting two of my fingers to my elbow (via some muscle of course).

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daddycool said..
I have it mildly off and on - much worse if I've had to work the kite a lot So try to rig big - moved to low bar pressure kites and settings as well.

What kites did you find to have least bar pressure?
My first criteria in buying second hand is low bar pressure.
My list so far is.
Ozone edge
Ozone Cat
Gaastra jekyll
peter lynn fury
naish park

I use Peter Lynn Escapes mostly

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yendor said..

daddycool said..
I have it mildly off and on - much worse if I've had to work the kite a lot So try to rig big - moved to low bar pressure kites and settings as well.

What kites did you find to have least bar pressure?
My first criteria in buying second hand is low bar pressure.
My list so far is.
Ozone edge
Ozone Cat
Gaastra jekyll
peter lynn fury
naish park

Flysurfer Speed3s top my list.

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yendor said..

HighzaKite said..

yendor said..

By the way, my problems started with cabrinha, great kites but bar pressure
killed me.

which cabrinha kite? I never had it until I started using an 11m drifter going toeside where I need to work the kite in lighter winds with one arm.

seems to flare up again everytime I use a drifter, so mainly use switchys now or small drifters in stronger winds

I had 9 and 11 meter drifters.
Read reviews that they had light to meadium bar pressure.
Which was far from the truth.
I then switched to Naish parks which were better.
Have since sold them as my Gaastra jekylls are feather light.
Pity they stopped making them.
And your right, mine was golfers elbow.

not sure its related to bar pressure only, drifters tend to sit further back in the window than most kites

Years ago I had elbow trouble with Switchblades. I fly Ozone Reos now, mostly one handed finger tip control with light bar pressure but they still have feel. No more problems with elbows.

Hey Kiwidave,

Nasty injury. had the same to the point where I could not even flip a light switch without pain. I started by seeing the GP who told me to stop kiting. This guy studied all that time to come up with the stupidest thing I ever heard!! Stopped for 2 months anyway. then I couldn't stand it anymore and found kiting gave me a bit of relief actually. That made me think.
In my case my desk was to high so I had to lift my arm up and turn my elbows out. that put tension on them all the time and was the cause of the injury. Just saying: it could be something else too. Give this some serious thought. If you have a desk job like me you may do this without realizing. Search the net for ergonomics, desk, sitting position etc. so you know what is ideal and compare it to what your set up is and also what bad habits you may have. (bar pressure is a factor to consider seriously though)
If you recently started supping that may have pushed you over the edge???

Solution for me:
stretching and strengthening. I will try and explain a few stretches (in case you're not doing these already).
Hold each stretch 20-30 seconds. make sets of 3 for each stretch and do it a few times a day if you can.
1)raise your arm in front of you to about horizontal. point your fingers up and pull them towards you with your other hand.
2) same arm position but now point your finger downwards and pull them towards you with the other hand.
3) put your hand palms together against you chest, fingers pointing to your chin. now move them downwards, keep your palms together. this stretches the underside of your arms. I also moved them (in the low position) slightly left and right. that brought the stretch all the way into my elbow.
4) put you arm sideways, horizontal, fingers pointing backwards and put your hand flat against a wall. now twist your body until you get a good stretch. try some different angles and you will feel you get some stretch in your biceps as well.
5) I also bought a massager. Somehow the Missus is tired of giving me a massage. Funny how that look saying ' you and all your stupid sports' never seems to tire her out??!! Anyway, back on topic; From your name I recon you're in NZ as I am. I bought this one from trade me years ago. Still working. just have to replace the power cord every few years www.trademe.co.nz/health-beauty/massage/massagers/other/auction-925599410.htm
6) They also made me massage the sore spot and also put a lot of pressure on it by just pushing your finger on the sore spot.

I also started working weights again. Just a bench with a few dumbells did the job for me. Saw a physio and an osteopath. the last one put me through a few days of pain after the treatment but cured me and it hasn't come back!! The osteo also sorted a few stuck and twisted bits and pieces in my back. That seemed to help a bit as well. All in all it took me a year to get rid of it.

I kited wearing those tennis elbow velcros around my forearm for a while as well.

****, what a misery now that I write it all down like this.
My advise would be: start those stretches and see a physio asap. They will be able to tell you what exactly it is and your do's and don'ts. If the sore spot feels warm then it is inflamed. Voltaren gel or the pills do wonders with that in just a few days.

Hope that any of this will help you on your way to recovery.

good luck.
cheers
Rene

This



In conjunction with stretches described above, as well as massage with a spiky massage ball - all available on-line or from good physio.

Hi Kiwi, I am a sports physio and kiter. Lateral epicondylagia (outside of elbow pain) is most often an overuse condition. No specific injury. The pathology is most often described as tendinopathy, just like achilles and other tendons in the body.
Strength and specific exercises are the key after decent physio assessment. Kiting and exercise is good for it (doesn't cause any damage) within reason. Up to 3/10 discomfort during, after, and morning after activity is a good guide. No injections!
Grip size, shoulder and neck position, nerve gliding, work mods if needed all part of normal management. No magic cure or routine exercises. Individualised approach after thorough assessment is ideal.
Hope this helps.
Kerry.

Thanks for the input Kerry .Valuable professional advice .

You're right though. Any Dr who prescribes "stop kiting" is obviously a fool and deluding himself.
Have you looked into having him 'struck off' ? This alleged Doctor of yours needs sorting out !!

I'd heed Kerry's advice and see a good physio. I've had it a few times and the most recent, this year, was the most persistent. Saw my favourite excellent physio. Quite a few different treatments improved things - massage, flexbar exercises etc. Some improvement to nerve mobility in the neck/brachial plexus improved things markedly for a short time. Eventually the best treatment was massage of one of the medial flexors (golfer's elbow side) rather than the lateral tensors (tennis elbow side), notwithstanding that the pain was very specifically at the lateral epicondyle. The point is, it can be very specific to you. A generic solution that worked for someone else may not be much use for you. Although I doubt any of the suggested exercises will do any harm, if they're not the ones for you, they may also not help much. Good luck.

Thanks guys I had my 4th weekly physio session today. He is fairly adamant that this time it is a specific event / injury, but I will get my work station assessed at the next opportunity to make sure that is not the root cause. For the last week he has had me trying to strengthen my grip using "exercise putty" twice daily, but it seems I was over doing that so his advice is back off to only every second day.

Apparently, my tendons are at the weaker, more jelly like end of the "normal scale" and my grip is weaker than usual even in my dominant/non injured hand.

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KiwiDave said..
Thanks guys I had my 4th weekly physio session today. He is fairly adamant that this time it is a specific event / injury, but I will get my work station assessed at the next opportunity to make sure that is not the root cause. For the last week he has had me trying to strengthen my grip using "exercise putty" twice daily, but it seems I was over doing that so his advice is back off to only every second day.

Apparently, my tendons are at the weaker, more jelly like end of the "normal scale" and my grip is weaker than usual even in my dominant/non injured hand.

I feel your pain & remember when I had it....

Was a painful to pour the kettle with the dodgy arm.
Had to use both hands to turn the key to start my car.

Good luck Dave, you will get there eventually mate.

Lost dog is on the money! The reason it occurs is due to weakness and continued stress through your forarm muscles.

I suffered for 2 years, then 3 months using the flexbar its gone and I'm riding cable 3 times a week now without dramas.

Rest is actually the enemy with tennis elbow, how can you build the area up by doing less?

Changing kites to lighter pressure will help but depending on your strength may still be an issue. I ride fuels, which are one of the heaviest pressure kites and since my rehab even they don't bother me!

Grab your wrist below the joint and rotate your wrist similar how you would roll your neck and roll it left then right a few times. Do that a few times a day and you will strengthen your forearms after a while.

Havent had tennis elbow since I got rid of my Crossbow years ago but think this will work, or maybe not but does feel quite tough.

Hey nick where did u get that flex bar from

Australian physio equipment APE in Balcatta. Get the green one, the reds too soft unless your arms totally cactus! About 30 bucks.

Simple solution. Physio said "Don't wrap your thumb around the bar, just use your fingers to grip"

Worked for me when the exercises weren't helping.

A little thing that helped me, similar to above, was to rotate my hand around so my fingers were under the bar instead of on top. Takes a bit of getting used to but it meant I could control the kite without feeling that pain and the pain went away after a month or two.

I forked out a small fortune for a specialist Osteopath who after 3 sessions and no results, quite simply said that he might not be able to help me!!! So I had a look at these things called trigger points. That pain in your elbow could be being caused by tightness anywhere from over your shoulder, to your chest, triceps or forearms but the final straw where it becomes a problem is your elbow so I'd definitely recommend having a look at trigger points. Added bonus is that you can give it a go yourself at home for free, there's a ton of youtube videos about them

Yep i feel your pain Kiwi Dave - in time it will be called kiters elbow instead of tennis elbow. IMHO all advice is good but you need to do what works for you. I found the flex bar and Ultralieve Pro (small ultrasound device you can purchase from chemist) helpful. I never stopped kiting but after each session I iced my elbows then applied ibuprofen gel and used the ultrasound. All this helps reduce inflammation so the vascular system can get the nutrients to the traumatised area - and allows for a reasonable nights sleep! The good news is it will go away eventually. Good luck