its called a Band - It tennis elbow strap - a few of my friends at kung fu use them for elbow injuries and another friend of mine bought this strap to try for tennis elbow she'd been really suffering from. she is SOOOO pleased with this strap - has tried lots of others and says this one is worth every penny. just thought id pass that on - i dont have bad elbows but heard lots of you saying about painful elbows and tendonitis rsi etc - its sometimes nice to hear a recommendation before shelling out eh?:)

Hey Beth,

I've used the bands and indeed they help with the symptoms. The downside is, my doctor and physical therapists warned me they can actually increase the damage by minimizing the pain during a time when you should not be over-using the injured area but allowing it to rest.

Like all "stop gap" measures, use them prudently.

chyan very wise words - something that alleviates the pain shouldnt be used so that you can carry on abusing the injury without feeling it either. Like you say a stop gap in order to REST the injury and hopeful aid its healing.

I have found that if you really focus on using your back muscles to rise the hammer and chest muscles to strike, letting your arm function as a lever, a lot of arm troubles just go away.

Hello from Kentucky, and a brand new member.
My chiropractor told me that the pain is aggreivated by the fact that the grip on a hammer (or tennis racket) works the muscles in only one direction, the "squeeze" of the grip. He told me to put the tips of fingers and thumb all together, put a rubber band around them, and open against the rubberband as I sit, or drive, or whenever I can. That will execise the arm and hand muscles in the opposite direction, balence the strength and help to alliviate the problem. Like anything else, don't overdo it, but a minute or so a couple of times a day has made a huge difference for me.
Hope that helps someone else.

mtnman,

Welcome to IFI! There's a whole bunch here to enjoy!

Thanks for the heads up about that exercise. My physical therapist recommends a similar type activity as well.

Another is called the "waiter" - bring your wrists together behind you at your lower back with your palms facing back, then stretch your hands in an upward motion (like a waiter looking for you to slip them a tip). This is great for the upper forearms and the elbows.