bowyers/ archers elbow

[sleek]

Like tennis elbow but from bracing and unbracing, chopping ( I work mostly with a knife ) and shooting. It sucks so bad. It is stopping me in my tracks and I have so many bows to make! At least 14. So painful I cant even rest my arm on an arm rest or just let it dangle. Yall ever experience this? I have several times and it shuts me down for at least 2 weeks usually before I can very carefully start things again.

[bubbles]

Rest it!  Ice, etc, but rest is most important. I also like to do a hot/cold mix. Hot as you can stand for a couple minutes, then cold as you can stand. Repeat many times. Gets the circulation running.  RSI's are bad news.   I messed up my shoulder for a while because I was shooting a lot and excercising all my bows by hand. 20 pulls by hand every time I removed wood really wore me out.  Its all better now, but it made me build a tiller tree where I could do all the excercising.  While you're resting, think of ways you could change up your routine: build a bracing jig, use a stringer, try some roughing out with tools that are less impactful (spokeshave or something). Anything to lessen the stresses on the body.

[Pat B]

Like tennis elbow it is an over use syndrome. Rest it, ice it and take an anti-inflammatory like Ibuprofen or aspirin. 

[sleek]

Probably should also get an elbow brace or something if those will help? Away from home now so maybe icy hot and motrin...

[lebhuntfish]

All of the above is excellent advice. I also bought me one of those bands with a little gell ball in it that you wear just below the elbow. I wore it daily for a while and it really helps. When mine gets tender now I put it on. I also try to use it when I'm really roughing out a bow to. They are pretty cheap, less than 10 bucks at a walgreens. Patrick

[Del the cat]

Like tennis elbow it is an over use syndrome. Rest it, ice it and take an anti-inflammatory like Ibuprofen or aspirin.

Don't over do the Ibuprofen, it can damage your kidneys... asprin is fine.
Tennis elbow was one big factor in me buying a bandsaw, using an axe was a real killer.
I long since gave up Badminton and Golf... I even have two bits of carpet on my desk at work for me to rest my elbows on when I'm sleeping thinking.
I don't shoot real heavy bows any more. My 100# Elm bow was called "Dennis" 'cos it gave me Dennis elbow
Del

[n8tr boy]

i to have tennis elbow and i also have golfers elbow. I had a car accident in 2000 and it reappears from that. I'm a bricklayer by trade and when installing heavy cement bricks on large houses it becomes painful and I use a brace from Tensor special for that injury and it works great. Hot and cold also but the brace is Awesome. got it at a drug store here in Ontario

[Pat B]

Mine developed when I went from turning wrenches on outboard motors to turning wrenches on motorhomes and buses(trucks). Archery doesn't seem to bother me.
The only way to get over an over use malady is to refrain from using it.

[crooketarrow]

 Pain pills

[bow101]

I had tennis elbow big time years ago. Try stretching it out, Whirlpool, wrapping it, massage and weight training.
My Tennis elbow has never returned in the last 35 years. 

[Pappy]

I feel for you , mine[both] hurt all the time, I broke them both, got thrown from a dirt bike 2 weeks after me and Miss Joanie got married almost 42 years ago,[talk about getting to know each other quick I was in double cast strapped to my chest] broke one in 7 place and the other in 5 so I may have tennis elbow but it's hard to tell, just live with it for the most part. When they get really bad I take aspirin's.
   Pappy

[bowtarist]

bee venom therapy. its worked for me several times. lookin for a strong hive right now for my knee and and shoulder.  dont get me wrong....it aint for everybody, but its a gooder for me. dpg

[sleek]

Gave it time, today strung a bow. I guess not enough time was given. Motrin in the morning....

[Badger]

    I stay away from the chopping. The draw knives and rasps don't seem to be a problem. Mine was more like carpal tunnel I think

[sleek]

Fortunately its my left elbow,  not my right chopping arm. Maybe I just need to build up strength in my left. My right is so much stronger than my left. It creates awkward situations. Hard to explain with a straight face how its only because I play with wood all day.