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01-26-2011, 07:05 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SC
Posts: 12,887
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Loman
I have been diagnosed with tennis elbow, which may have been caused by building...
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Call the NTSB, sounds like an airplane accident to me! 
__________________
Bill R.
RV-9 (Yes, it's a dragon tail)
O-360 w/ dual P-mags
Build the plane you want, not the plane others want you to build!
SC86 - Easley, SC
www.repucci.com/bill/baf.html
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01-26-2011, 07:19 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 860
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Tendonosis...
...is what they diagnosed mine as. Probably caused by overuse of the mouse doing CAD at work on the computer, but no real solid diagnosis. Yep, really hurt! Thought I was going to have to buy an automatic car  Doctors didn't help, but I taught myself to use my left hand on the mouse and eventually, after about a year, it went away and hasn't returned. This was before I started building, but one of my early tools was an air cleco tool. I use this especially for a large number of clecos, but still use the manual tool.
Good posture using the computer helps and a good chair is essential.
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01-26-2011, 07:59 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Ft Myers, FL
Posts: 276
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I'll weigh in here...
I'm an orthopod and I see this everyday just like Pat. Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is a repetitive motion injury. The pathology is microtears in the extensor muscle mass on the outer side of the elbow. They are the muscles responsible for power grip as well as finger and wrist extension. It is usually a self-healing process but can take over a year to resolve. Essentially, with the tears the normal tissue is replaced with an immature scar tissue called granulation tissue. When the granulation tissue converts to normal fibrous (scar) tissue, the pain resolves.
In the meantime, there is a loosely recommended protocol for treatment of this in order of aggressiveness.
1) Elbow strap: these usually have a pad of some sort attached to a velcro strap. The pad is placed an inch or two below (toward the wrist) the point of maximum tenderness. This serves to transfer the origin of the muscle from the lateral epicondyle to the pad and thus unloads the tear. Wear it during the day, not at night. Tighten the strap to give a snug fit. If your fingers swell or turn blue loosen the strap a little.
2) Physical therapy: this usually consists of stretching, ultrasound and electrical stimulation. Sometimes the therapist will use Cortisone cream in conjunction with the ultrasound or e-stim to propel the cortisone to the area of tendinitis. Some people may have heard of or will hear of anodyne treatments. I can't comment on this very well as it seems to fall in and out of favor from year to year.
3) Cortisone injections: these hurt like @$%#% but will give pretty good relief either temporary or occasionally permanently. The problem with cortisone when injected into an injured tendon is that it relieves the inflammation associated with the tear but it interferes with tendon healing and so it may actually prolong the healing process if not stop it completely. Conventional orthopaedic thought is that this should be tried when waiting, strapping and PT have not worked and the possibility of surgery is looming.
4) Surgery: the purpose of surgery is to cut out the granulation tissue and give a good repair of the tendon to normal tissue. Sometimes it requires shaving off some of the bone to allow a better reattachment of the tendon. This is done with a rasp. Recovery time can be 6-12 weeks to return to the activity that started it all to begin with. If it heals completely, it rarely recurs.
This is a very common condition as evidenced by the number of comments on this thread.
If you have other questions, either post here or send a PM although I'm not very diligent about checking that.
Bill Near
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01-26-2011, 08:34 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 4,218
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Switch cleco hands. Also, when your "bad" arm is healed, force yourself to split the cleco work between hands.
__________________
Kyle Boatright
Marietta, GA
2001 RV-6 N46KB
2019(?) RV-10
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01-26-2011, 08:34 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Townsend, Montana
Posts: 3,179
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I don't have tennis elbow or cleco elbow. but earlier today, I was pulling my plane back into the hangar and both feet slipped out from under me on the ice. First thing to hit the ground were both elbows.  While they are swollen and tender now, the pain is overcome by the sheer joy of todays flight....wish I didn't have to work tomorrow, I need more elbow therapy. 
__________________
Retired Dam guy. Life is good.
Brian, N155BKsold but bought back.
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01-27-2011, 12:14 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 1,670
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With apologies to the MD's out there, I'm a bit perplexed that no one has yet suggested Jim Beam, or Jack Daniels as a remedy!
It's the cogeners, doncha know! 
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01-27-2011, 12:17 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Battle Ground, Washington
Posts: 138
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You can work through it if careful
You have gotten some good advice, especially from orthopod Bill Near. I got tendonitis in my left elbow while building my RV-8. Using clecos, tin snips, and squeezing rivets and other gripping activities seemed to cause the problem. I switched hands for these activities and always used a strap on my left arm and the left elbow got better after a few months. Then the right elbow came down with the same problem. For several months, both elbows were incredibly painful. However by wearing the brace and limiting gripping activities as much as possible, I managed to keep working on my plane and the elbows gradually healed themselves. Good luck.
Dan Miller
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01-27-2011, 01:11 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 337
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Air cleco gun to the rescue!
I had the usual discomfort associated with placing hundreds of clecoes in the -10. Cleveland tools has a great pistol shaped air cleco gun that makes it painless. $89 last I saw and well worth paying...and saving on the doc bills.
__________________
David Halmos
RV-10
Flying - 570+ hours
Portland, OR
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01-27-2011, 05:52 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Longmont, CO
Posts: 236
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I had this as well, but it was on the inner side of my right elbow. It took a year to get to the point where handshakes didn't make me wince, and 2 years later I still notice it but it never gets as painful, or debilitating, as it was at first.
I also believe it occurred because of using the cleco pliers.
Tendon injuries take a *long* time to heal. If you think tennis elbow is bad, try plantar fasciitis!
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01-27-2011, 06:21 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Woodstock, GA
Posts: 24
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I to had tennis elbow, not from building but countless hours on the computer and mouse. I am blaming it on tons of spread sheets and freaking game called Doom II. I went through the shots, ultrasound therapy but when it got to the point I couldn't hold a beer I relented to the surgery. I think they removed the scar tissue and ground down part of the bone related to the tendon. After about 4 months it was better than ever.
Mike
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