Have been back sailing around 10months. Just recently experiencing pain in tendon on left elbow. Is this common? How do i prevent or ease it? Stopping sailboarding is out of the question.
If it tennis elbow you can buy a strap which goes around your forearm this compresses the area and takes pressure off the tendon at the elbow.https://clinicsuppliescanada.com/orliman-sport-epitec-tennis-elbow-brace
There are stretches you can do after sailing. Google physiology for elbow tendon pain. The best prevention is to keep your arms straight when sailing, I.e lengthen your harness lines
I got elbow tendonitis a few years back. It bugged me for about a year until I found some specific exercises with a "Thera-Bar", then they were gone within a few days. I know several other windsurfers who had similar success. More details at boardsurfr.blogspot.com/2010/05/no-more-tennis-elbow.html
Select to expand quoteolskool said..
Have been back sailing around 10months. Just recently experiencing pain in tendon on left elbow. Is this common? How do i prevent or ease it? Stopping sailboarding is out of the question.
This is going to sound unhelpful but if you spend a fair bit of time on the phone, use the headset rather than holding your phone to your ear.
Bi-cep curls cured mine ...I have it a gain ..but doing the curls again almost gone .
Yes .stretch too.
bloody painful thing hey .
Imax1,how do i stop something i havnt started? Tennis you say. What is this tennis? Im sure windsurfing is the ONLY sport on planet earth.
Boardsurfr, checked out the flexbar. Looks the goods from all reports.Grabbed a red one from an OT friend. First exercise set coming up. Will keep you guys posted of outcome. Thanks crew!
Once I started using longer harness lines, which made me use an overhand grip for my mast hand, I haven't had it recur.
Tardy, does it help to do forearm curls? ie dumbell curled from palm of hand to fingertips n back? Bicep curls wise, preacher style to isolate better? Or just free standing ? Painfull, yes. But it only seems to bother me only on terra firma. On the water i dont feel it. Theres the solution.... JUST SAIL YA LIFE AWAY.
MikeyS, im 189cm tall already running 34s. Have just compared the overhand/ underhand grip pain levels.Its definately more painfull underhand. My preferred grip for gusty n strong winds. Looks like overhand could be the go.
Select to expand quoteMikeyS said..
Once I started using longer harness lines, which made me use an overhand grip for my mast hand, I haven't had it recur.
+1
I had it on inside of elbow, golfers elbow I think, after going to shorter lines. I then went back to same length (26) as before and elbow came fairly good fairly quick, now I'm using 30's, still using underhand but all good now. I'm no doctor 
Select to expand quoteBI- cep curls ..
Just standing or sitting ..take a loss grab .dont clinch .to hard ..and don't roll it out on your fingers ..
you build the joint muscle up ...a massage lady told me this info .and it ended up being a happy ending .
no tennis elbow after a week ,and after two weeks I looked like Arnold .
I had this complaint for about two years in both elbows.
I just forgot about it and got on with the job-- windsurf!!
It disappeared completely with no special treatment. I did wear the elbow strap after sailing , that helped the niggling pain and recovery
Hope yours does the same
I have suffered from this in the past also. +1 for straighter arms. Also take care with pumping technique - using shoulders / legs / core not arms. For exercise - I have a chin-up bar in my garage - a few of those a week works biceps and back.
Select to expand quoteboardsurfr said..
I got elbow tendonitis a few years back. It bugged me for about a year until I found some specific exercises with a "Thera-Bar", then they were gone within a few days. I know several other windsurfers who had similar success. More details at boardsurfr.blogspot.com/2010/05/no-more-tennis-elbow.html
Fixed within a few days - using same exercise
Get some of the arm bands & like people have recommended stretching & strength exercises, I have had it in the past & have found that my 'death grip' on the boom was the culprit, for me.
After focusing on lightly gripping the boom to the level I needed, I was no longer getting tendinitis & my TOW each session increased dramatically as my forearms weren't getting fatigued.
When we owned the radiator shop and on the tools doing radiator recores and cooling system services mine gave me greif for quite some time. The band around the upper forearm gave relief but my physio recomended trying kinesiology, kinesio taping, worked a treat, completely cured in several weeks. EDIT Chiro
Select to expand quoteG30ff0 said..
.. After focusing on lightly gripping the boom to the level I needed, I was no longer getting tendinitis & my TOW each session increased dramatically as my forearms weren't getting fatigued.
Always a good idea, regardless of tendonitis! Longer harness lines can help a lot, too. I had an overpowered session on a 4.0 today where it took me quite a while before I stopped using my arms too much. In my defense, I get a 4.0 or 3.7 session maybe twice a year.
Select to expand quoteG30ff0 said..
After focusing on lightly gripping the boom to the level I needed, I was no longer getting tendinitis & my TOW each session increased dramatically as my forearms weren't getting fatigued.
+1. I think I'm gripping the boom more lightly with longer lines and an overhand grip (even letting go altogether with both hands from time to time to prove my harness lines are in the right place and balanced).
Interesting. I thought it would be common as I know a few good sailors who have had issues. My current shoulder inflammation gives me golfers and tennis in both arms plus jaw and neck issues.
I was medically retired with work related TE issues which took 10 years to settle but noted I was starting to get it again sailing..I ignored it .Lesson get in early with measures rather than ignoring..
Thanks bboardsurfer I'll get one of those..
sboardcrazy, ive now got the flexbar. Seems ok to use so far (24hr). But i googled all kinds of stuff. Came across a physio link that said to massage firmly the OPPOSITE arm to the affected. But in exactly the same location as the injured arm pain. Haha i said. Opposite arm....Bah But did so anyway. Oddly enough the pain in the INJURED arm decreased significantly by massaging the uninjured arm. Which was also sore (different pain) but mostly very tight muscles. LIKE WOW!!! Big forecast coming. Test time. Ohhh Yeah!!
I get it every summer.
Easy to cure for me. I just stop sailing and go skiing for a few months.
Now I have no elbow pain, but I have aching knees! 
Select to expand quoteolskool said..
sboardcrazy, ive now got the flexbar. Seems ok to use so far (24hr). But i googled all kinds of stuff. Came across a physio link that said to massage firmly the OPPOSITE arm to the affected. But in exactly the same location as the injured arm pain. Haha i said. Opposite arm....Bah But did so anyway. Oddly enough the pain in the INJURED arm decreased significantly by massaging the uninjured arm. Which was also sore (different pain) but mostly very tight muscles. LIKE WOW!!! Big forecast coming. Test time. Ohhh Yeah!!
Mabee it's the giving massaging muscle use in the bad arm to the good arm that is soothing the bad massaging arm.
Try saying that with a mouth full of Salada biscuits .
Imax, could well be. But physio did it to patient. Others recommend massaging firmly with stainless steel rod etc. Seems there are a few different methods.
Select to expand quoteolskool said..
Imax, could well be. But physio did it to patient. Others recommend massaging firmly with stainless steel rod etc. Seems there are a few different methods.
I have golfers elbow, just like tennis except both sides of the elbow are in constant pain right down the arm to the smallest fingers - makes windsurfing difficult. The waiting list for surgery to relocate the ulnar nerve from the outside of the elbow to inside is 2 years. The best advice is, seek the right medical opinion first and thats not a physio, save your money and see a orthopaedic surgeon or wait until it heals 2mm per year.
Select to expand quoteWindsurfSystems said..olskool said..
Imax, could well be. But physio did it to patient. Others recommend massaging firmly with stainless steel rod etc. Seems there are a few different methods.
I have golfers elbow, just like tennis except both sides of the elbow are in constant pain right down the arm to the smallest fingers - makes windsurfing difficult. The waiting list for surgery to relocate the ulnar nerve from the outside of the elbow to inside is 2 years. The best advice is, seek the right medical opinion first and thats not a physio, save your money and see a orthopaedic surgeon or wait until it heals 2mm per year.
I strongly disagree, you are much better off with a physio or chiro to start with. It's not a difficult diagnosis. If you are the few percent who don't get better with deep massage, friction massage (maybe using a tool, like in Graston technique) exercises, supports, dry needling, freeing up the neck (and hence nerve supply to the forearm) then go to an orthopaedic surgeon. Tennis elbow and golfers elbow are rarely operated on and surgery is an orthopaedic surgeons main tool in the tool box. They can help with diagnosis and also offer oral painkillers, antiinflammatory medication and cortisone injections.
When I get inflamed elbows I stretch them, pressure point massage them and stick some dry needles in them and they always get better quickly. I suppose some people leave them to fester for too long and they develop a lot of inflammation and maybe some scar tissue. They would then need to be persistent and patient with their treatment.
I've been struggling with Tennis Elbow for a couple of months now. I've been doing exercises to strengthen my forearms and it's starting to get better. But, I just came across this article about tennis elbow in relation to Judo and BJJ. He talks about doing pullups with a towel (see pic on at link) to strengthen the forearms.
www.grapplearts.com/preventing-achy-elbows-and-getting-a-killer-grip/
I'll be trying this one for sure..
So nearly 12months down the track. Still have a slight issue with tendonitis. Tried many different 'cures'. Flexbar, ice n massage seems to work for me. Interestingly the pain 'line' can be felt from ring finger n middle finger (numbness)thru the elbow (pain) right up to between front n middle deltoids.(aches when massaged, but otherwise gives no pain.) All this started when i tried to seperate a totally stuck mast by twisting. 
