Severe Elbow Pain

Could be several things——your body posture as you use the tool. Your grip on the tool might be too tight. The constant vibration may jangle the nerves in the elbow to make them hurt.

I use special gloves that dampen the vibration and that helps some. The other is I try to use good body posture and I try to let the sander do the work and not hold onto the sander for dear life.

Hope that helps in some small way.

-- Betsy - GO BUCKS!

Thankyou Betsy! I will try all of those suggestions! Kinda scared to sand now if I am going to be punished for it.

-- Sometimes when I am building something and it is out of square, I just bend my square.

You are not alone Christopher

my eyes never open in the morning….............they wince first, then they wince again, then maybe they peek open and then stay shut hoping she makes the coffee while I adjust my screaming back

by noon the painkiller pills kick in

Cheers

and repeat

-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/

I would guess it is your grip, try relaxing or at least telling yourself to relax every few mins. Let the tool work for you, stop and take a breath every few mins and notice how your body is feeling then try to relax your stance as you attack the tool again.

-- "so much to learn and so little time"..

Relax and go with the flow. Sounds like you are to tense while you are working. I would also try the vibration gloves.

-- Adrian ..... The 11th Commandment...."Thou Shalt Not Buy A Wobble Dado"

I wouldn’t discount the possibility of tennis elbow. Technically known as lateral epicondylitis, you can get it from any number of activities which stress the tendons of the elbow in a particular way. I’ve had it in my right arm after using a roller to paint a small section (maybe 8’ x 25’) of the clapboard siding over 5 years ago. Just that one event, and while it flairs & subsides a bit, it’s never gone away. My wife has it in BOTH elbows from doing yoga, of all the damned things.

Needless to say, if the pain continues, you should have it checked out.

Dan

I use anti-vibration gloves and a light touch to keep my hands from hurting when I sand. I have not had my elbow hurt from sanding.

-- waroland, Mount Juliet, TN

I’ve had this problem, may not be your problem, for 20 years and being a professional woodworker it surely gets to be a chore to work some days. My doctors call my problem tendonitis or tennis elbow. Some days I will use the anti-vibration gloves and it does help. I also have this problem bad sometimes when I use a table saw all day, carving or turning on a lathe.
The doctors told me to wear a brace on my wrist at night because when i sleep my hands will drop down and more or less cut off the blood circulation. When I wear the braces the pain is usually gone the next morning.
Sometimes I will also wear the brace on my right hand when I’m working and that helps a little too.
I’ve learned over the years you not have to only take care of your machinery you have to take care of your body also. I wonder, where were those anti vibration gloves 30 years ago when I got started in woodworking after college.
I’m new to the forum and thanks to everyone who sent me welcome messages.

bruce

-- Give The Gift of Life, Adopt A Child

Chris
I believe Dan is on the right track diagnosing your problem as tendinitis, it is easily diagnosed but a little tougher to treat. You can test for it yourself, hold your arm out straight (elbow locked) and hand palm up have someone pull your hand down while you resist. If it reproduces the same pain it is a good indicator that it is tendinitis. It is not from vibration or circulation but from small tears in the tendon which attaches forearm muscles to the bony prominence at the elbow. Treatment is anti inflammatories, ice massage over the most inflamed point to reduce swelling and pain. I reccommend filling a styrofoam cup and putting it in the freezer and then tearing off the bottom when froze and use the insulated upper half of the cup to hold with the other hand and rub the sore spot. Avoid aggrivating activites as much as possible; gripping and twisting and especially using a hammer. Vibration dampening gloves can help. Therapy (ultrasound) and stretch techniques are helpful. Elbow manipulation can help break up scar tissue which can form in the tendon tissue. There are elbow braces to take the stress of the tendon while it heals which can take months. Hope this helps

-- DocK, WV

I get it from the computer mouse. I must be spending too much time on LJ’s.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

I worked in a factory and used to get tennis elbow. I wore a band around my forearm near my elbow and that helped. What I did to fix it was an exercise: stretch out your arm in front of you and raise and lower your hand at your wrist. ( like ‘paint the fence’ from Karate Kid). The idea is to strengthen the forearm muscle to take more of the work from your elbow. It is not much of a motion and it does take time. After a while I added a small weight, I started with a 1 lb. I did it every morning before work. Wore the armband at work, and it did get better. The armband was bought at the same place that you get the wrist brace and stuff.
Hope you feel better :)

this disclaimer is because I am not a doctor and I am not trying to diagnose or treat anything.

-- Berta in NC