Tennis elbow????Tendonitis and fibro
 

I've had pain in my left elbow just below the bone for quite a while, months. I assumed it was just fibro pain. Does anyone else have tendonitis with fibro?
The pain has gone down the front of my arm, into my wrist and hand. It has been throbbing sometimes and keeping my awake occaisionally. My P.T. says that is a "Fibro spot".
Today, I finally went to my PDoc, and he said I have tendonitis. He sent me to the orthodoc, who took me right in. He x-rayed, and said I have tennis elbow (tendonitis). I wish I had gotten it from playing tennis, but no, it's from shlepping boxes of art supplies all around town (I teach in 4 elementary schoos).
He gave me a steroid shot in the elbow.
I Googled tennis elbow, and learned that tendonitis is tears in the tendon. It needs rest to heal. I've probably been making it worse by carrying boxes of supplies around all winter.
I guess there is a lesson in here. Pain is worth checking out with a doc even if you have fibro. Don't take it for granted that it is the cause of all our aches and pains.:grouphug:

I had been dx'd as having tendinitis, bilateral wrist strains, cubital tunnel {tennis elbow/golfers elbow}, DeQuervains {sp}, c spine strain & shoulder strains.

Most of those were wrong- or I went through all of those symptoms on my merry way to acquiring TOS { Thoracic Outlet Syndrome}.

Did the tears actually show up on an Xray? {I don't think they do, but it's been awhile since I researched on RSI injuries}
or did dr just call it that since nothing of an orthopedic cause showed on the xray?

just for your own health and wellness you might want to read on our TOS forum stickys - I have RSI links posted there too.
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=84

Thanks, jo 55 for sharing the information about these conditions.
I read about both of them, and feel sure that i don't anywhere meet the dx criteria for either. It doesn't hurt to have more information on hand.

Hi., The first sign of my fibro. was Tendinitis in both of my elbows. The orthodoc gave me a shot of cortisone in each elbow. Boy, I thought I was in heaven. It felt so good. I am a cake decorator so you can imagine. The shots lasted for four years. I got two more about three years ago. So far, so good. Every now and then I feel a little ping in the old elbows. Hopefully I can hold out a couple more years. You might give it a try. Good Luck, Shell

Come to think of it, I had tendinitis in my other elbow not long before I was dx with fibro.
This steroid injection has worked like a miracle. The past two mornings in a row, I've woken up with NO pain in my hips or lower back. This hasn't happened in years.
I don't know what it means that the shot in my elbow helped my back and hips, but I won't argue with it.

Hi Coyote. Yes, I've dealt with tennis elbow on several occasions. I could kiss the ground my p-doc walks on after the steroid injections he gives me when it flares. They help tremendously! Normally I get the tennis elbow when I've tortured my arm in some way, usually because I've heavily keyboarded at work nonstop. It's painful! Hugs and I hope you're feeling better.

I've had a beautiful month without pain in my elbow, but it's coming back with a vengeance now. The other one's starting to hurt, too.
I hope my ortho will suggest a second shot. It helped my back, too, which I hurt at work again. Yuk. This stuff can get you down.

Coyote. I have had tendonitis in my hands and left elbow from cutting and blowdrying hair 10 hours a day. I learned this from my massage therapist,and it may help til you can get to doc. Put elbows in hot water as hot as you can stand it then put them in ice water. Do each for around 30 sec.or so 4 or 5 times. It worked for me gave me a little releif. I hope this helps and you get better soon.:)

Thanks for the suggestion. It's worth trying because the ice alone doen't seem to do much.