This won't be good news for the fly tyers and flyfishers on the list... I have a good friend who has spent most of his life in flyfishing, is a professional guide and fly tyer. At less than 60 years of age, he has tendinitus in both elbows (one from casting, the other from fly tying), and severe tendinitis in his left wrist from opening and closing the jaws of his Regal vise (now, ex-Regal vise) due to tying dozens of flies in a sitting.
Tendinitus is caused by excessive and incorrect use of a muscle. Not everyone is equally disposed to getting it. One cause of tendinitus is dehydration...drink lots of fluids.
Here are suggested treatments:
Immediate treatment consists of rest and cooling the affected area (with an cold pack , for example). Anti-inflammatory creams and analgesics prescribed by a doctor can be helpful.
Following this, heat from a source such as a heat pack will relax the tendon. You can also try deep transversal massage. Using a backward and forward movement perpendicular to the tendon, this technique results in a clear improvement in 70% of cases. It should be practised when the patient is lying down and relaxed, and consists of massaging the skin around the affected tendon with the fingertips. Stretching is also useful to encourage recovery, and to prepare for the return to sporting activities.
Locally applied anti-inflammatory ointment, acupuncture (needle treatment), mesotherapy (simultaneous small-volume injections of medication) and electrotherapy (using an appropriate electrical current) are good complementary treatments.
If anyone is suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome in their hand, email me off-list. I have a good treatment for that prescribed by a friend who is a massage therapist.
Wes Bend, Oregon
Byard Miller wrote:
...or we can make it On Topic and call it Fly Tyer's Elbow...
Anyhow...has anyone experienced this affliction and what have you done to relieve it...
