Dealing with an elbow injury

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softgabby

Gear Empress
Mar 10, 2016
1,073
83
Just behind home plate
I believe I have the right board for this post. If I don't, please move to the correct board.

We were playing our semi final game in districts Tuesday (we won 8-6). Prior to this game, I have been dealing with a little soreness in my left elbow (I am a lefty). I come to bat for the second time in the game in the third inning. The count is 2-1 with 1 out. I get hit by a pitch just below my left elbow. I don't fault the pitcher. Let's face it...we're playing softball and sometimes the ball gets away from the pitcher and a batter gets hit. I've seen it happen on my team where the ball gets away from the pitcher...it happens. I'm holding my elbow and I run down to first. Keep in mind, I don't own any batters protection except my evogaurd wrist protectors. But anyway, I stay in the game. Over the course of the game, I notice that I'm having a harder time holding the ball to throw either to a base or back to the pitcher and when I throw, my elbow sends shooting, spasm like pain down to my hand where I can't grip right or I lose my grip entirely. Or, in certain ways I turn my arm to throw or whatever, I get shooting, spasm like pain going up into my shoulder. Afterward, I went to the trainer and they feel like I either have a lot of bruising in my elbow or I have tennis elbow that got aggravated. I'm currently wearing a ace wrap on that elbow.

I'm wondering should I be wearing a elbow brace on that elbow now since the injury happened? Should I invest in a tennis elbow strap? Would wearing a compression garment help? Or should I be talking to my mom about making a doctor appointment to have my elbow looked at. I need to do something before our championship game, Saturday.
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
I hate doctors and try to avoid them whenever possible. NO offense to any doctors, I'm sure I'd like most of them personally. I just don't like going to the doctor or taking the kids in. If I were you I'd probably bite the bullet and go. We took my DD for softball injuries twice, once tendonitis in her elbow and once for xrays after a very hard hit to the shin at pitcher. Neither time were there any lasting issues thank goodness but I still think it was worth going. Even if it just rules out something serious, it'll be peace of mind. And if it is something more serious you'd rather know sooner than later so you can address it. JMO!
 
Oct 2, 2015
615
18
Like the typical athlete I've had a myriad of injuries.
Both shoulders separated.
Both rotator cuffs separated. (not torn)
Left knee meniscus...MIA since 2001...

But elbow injuries are no joking matter. So if yours is extremely painful, please do not wait to go in to see an Ortho Surgeon/Specialist

My right elbow gets the blue ribbon.
Injuring it, and have a clueless Ortho Doc tell me there was nothing that could be done about ended my outfield career. He was pretty much driven out of town...
I was told by my current Ortho Dr/Surgeon that I waited too long to get the elbow fixed correctly so I paid the price.
The first elbow surgery they took out 13 pieces of ossified ligament (gravel). I have the VHS of him having to crush the large pieces with the tool he used to pull them out with.
The second elbow scope surgery, he used a new device that basically sucked the tiny pieces of bone out and ground them up as it sucked them in.

The moral of the story is I was initially told there was nothing that could be done by the first clueless Dr. When in actuality, he just didn't want to, or know how to do the surgeries...

I've permanently lost 35-40 degrees of motion in my right elbow because of it.

A sore elbow is one thing, an extremely painful elbow is another.
Shooting pains might be a nerve.
But please do not wait to go to an Ortho Dr.
And when I mean Ortho Dr, I mean the best Ortho Surgeon in the area that specializes in that particular surgery. Not the guy who got his degree from a Cracker Jack box.

Good luck!
 
Last edited:

softgabby

Gear Empress
Mar 10, 2016
1,073
83
Just behind home plate
Like the typical athlete I've had a myriad of injuries.
Both shoulders separated.
Both rotator cuffs separated. (not torn)
Left knee meniscus...MIA since 2001...

But elbow injuries are no joking matter. So if yours is extremely painful, please do not wait to go in to see an Ortho Surgeon/Specialist

My right elbow gets the blue ribbon.
Injuring it, and have a clueless Ortho Doc tell me there was nothing that could be done about ended my outfield career. He was pretty much driven out of town...
I was told by my current Ortho Dr/Surgeon that I waited too long to get the elbow fixed correctly so I paid the price.
The first elbow surgery they took out 13 pieces of ossified ligament (gravel). I have the VHS of him having to crush the large pieces with the tool he used to pull them out with.
The second elbow scope surgery, he used a new device that basically sucked the tiny pieces of bone out and ground them up as it sucked them in.

The moral of the story is I was initially told there was nothing that could be done by the first clueless Dr. When in actuality, he just didn't want to, or know how to do the surgeries...

I've permanently lost 35-40 degrees of motion in my right elbow because of it.

A sore elbow is one thing, an extremely painful elbow is another.
Shooting pains might be a nerve.
But please do not wait to go to an Ortho Dr.
And when I mean Ortho Dr, I mean the best Ortho Surgeon in the area that specializes in that particular surgery. Not the guy who got his degree from a Cracker Jack box.

Good luck!

Wow! Sounds like you've had your share of injuries. As far as my elbow area, it feels really sore if I'm not trying to use it. It's almost a constant thing. If I'm trying to use it at first, it doesn't seem to hurt much more than just the constant soreness. It's if I'm using it over and over, holding my bat for a while or trying to throw that I have the worst pain. The pain seems worse when it's travelling to my hand than it is my shoulder. I'm going to go to our walk-in clinic and have it checked because it hurts for me to even have a pen in my hand right now.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Gabby - Is the pain on the inside of the elbow or the outside? Pain on the inside is often "golfer's elbow". Pain on the outside is often "tennis elbow". These are tendinitis issues typically related to over-use and/or poor mechanics. If the condition in bad enough, surgery may be required. If not, rest and physical therapy will probably be the prescription to recover. DO NOT try to "play through the pain". My DD went through a "golfer's elbow" issue at the end of last year, and it took about 6 weeks to get back to being able to throw with reasonable velocity.
 
Oct 2, 2015
615
18
Gabby - Is the pain on the inside of the elbow or the outside? Pain on the inside is often "golfer's elbow". Pain on the outside is often "tennis elbow". These are tendinitis issues typically related to over-use and/or poor mechanics. If the condition in bad enough, surgery may be required. If not, rest and physical therapy will probably be the prescription to recover. DO NOT try to "play through the pain". My DD went through a "golfer's elbow" issue at the end of last year, and it took about 6 weeks to get back to being able to throw with reasonable velocity.

Yes, overuse leads to tendonitis, tennis elbow or general pains. Tendonitis from swinging a framing hammer or jack hammering for weeks on end, would be a good example for a guy.

My injury was not from overuse. It was from being too strong and too stubborn. :D An injury that was a tear/shock to the elbow.

Elbow damage/injuries are very serious, and are tough to recover from 100%...tendonitis not quite as serious.

So please have it looked at by an Ortho Dr....

Good luck!
 
Sep 29, 2010
1,082
83
Knoxville, TN
DD had this same injury this past fall. She tried to finish out travel season by icing and a compression sleeve. IT DID NOT WORK! Elbow gave out on a routine throw down during warmups between innings. Long story short, severe tendinitis lead to bone bruising where the two meet. Three weeks in a cast, MRI and two and a half months of therapy to slowly strengthen muscles/tendons around elbow. Please go see an orthopedic specialist.
 

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