on point with the sports massage therapist
Ibuprophen alone won't work. Beer alone won't work
Cortisone won't work permanently. You may or may not have tennis elbow...this is more of an outer-elbow affliction than inner but I had severe tennis elbow from four nights a week of martial arts and almost seven days a week of tree and firewood work along with lots of other activities. I tend to heal fast so I let a whole year go by before I realized it wasn't just going away...I couldn't even squeeze the toothpaste tube or tie my boots anymore...both arms. I contacted a sports massage therapist and in TWO WEEKS (two session) the pain was 90% gone. The other 8% subsided over a couple of months and to date there is always a very slight sensation in there but not enough to affect my day whatsoever. This was his required regimine:
1) He was able to warm and deep massage those tendons with pinpoint accuracy. He described the scar tissue build up as a material similar to Jello. Under normal conditions it was able to form, remain and irritate those tendons...from overuse. When warmed and worked, it breaks down and is absorbed into your system. Pain was moderate while he did this but he was able to 'wear away' that scar tissue with his thumbs! Highly effective!
2) Wear the tennis elbow brace while working AND sleeping. The brace works much like a fret on guitar strings in that it clamps down the tendons in the arm just before they tie in at the elbow, hence, resting that 'tie-in' even while working. Why during sleep? Many times in a night, many of us flex those tendons vigorously...my pain was usually worse in the AM than any time during the day.
3) Ice cubes massaged directly over the tie-in in the elbow after work (I did slack on this). This was said to combat inflammation and continue to break down scar tissue (sources of pain). Temporary use of Ibuprophen as well but keep in mind it must be built up in the system to optimally reduce inflammation...may take several days of regular use before this happens...then I kept at it with regular doses. I'm no doctor so make sure your system is tolerant of Ibuprophen.
So I've dropped the martial arts but still climb, cut, split, play ice-hockey, snowshoe, chainsaw carve...whatever and the pain HASN'T COME BACK! If anyone is in pain in the Seattle area I will be happy to refer you...he's $50 per 30 minute session and gives you lots of good 'healing' info from many standpoints as dietary, motion/mechanical, etc.