Pain in the shoulder and elbow area connected to racket?

Discussion in 'Injuries' started by azabaz_ipoh, Aug 23, 2007.

  1. azabaz_ipoh

    azabaz_ipoh Regular Member

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    before everybody bash me for not doing research before posting this topic, i just want to say that i did search for pain, elbow using the search function but was told there was no matches. and when i type pain, i got like so many threads that dont even have the word pain in the topic. if i was to browse through all the threads it would have taken me ages to get to the information that i need. so please forgive me and yes i am apologizing beforehand. i just hope a new thread will be easier to track and if anybody have the address to the thread that is related to my topic, please inform me. thank you.

    so after the lengthy intro, let me get to the point.

    i am experiencing pain in both the shoulder and elbow area (of my racket playing side) that i have not experienced before. i am using a very flexible racket. i am wondering could it be that after playing more frequently that my swing is better and more agressive that the flexible nature of the racket is giving me backlash or something. i did not have this problem the first 3 months of using the racket but lately i am. and after the five days rest from badminton, the pain was gone. yesterday i resume my badminton and there it was again. i do seem to hit the shuttle further to the baseline and that is why i think my swing is getting better. could the racket be connected to the pain or is it just my technique that is wrong or something because logically if my technique is wrong then i should be experiencing this pain from day one. if it is the racket, i should seriously consider trading it right? wouldn't want to aggravate the pain. advice please. thank you in advance.:eek:
     
  2. Dreamzz

    Dreamzz Regular Member

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    it could be due to your racquet, it sounds like you have 2 very common injuries that occur with many players of racquet sports.

    tennis elbow - not strictly for tennis players .... check out this site for details.

    http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=132

    if it's on the inside of the elbow, then it's golfer's elbow.

    as for the shoulder injury, it's something i suffer from as well, and it's called tendonitis or impingement, you can read up on it here.

    http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=133&topcategory=Shoulder

    i personally have seen a physio, who prescribed some strengthening exercises with an elastic band which has helped a lot.
     
  3. slam_w2k

    slam_w2k Regular Member

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    I have the same problem, but mostly in the elbow. This happen after I switched to the Yonex AT300, a medium flex racket.

    I agree the pain is from tennis elbow. I guess rest and treatment would help, but the question is what about the racket? I did tried to switch to a stiff racket, but I play really well with the AT300! Will change racket correct the elbow pain?
     
  4. Dreamzz

    Dreamzz Regular Member

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    a change might make a difference, though i would have thought that using a stiffer racquet would make matter worse.
    let's see what some of the other members think.
     
  5. MEL888

    MEL888 Regular Member

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    I switch from mp27 to at500 then that's when my elbow pain started. It must be because of the head heaviness of armortec rakets. but I whn using nanospeed rackets its my shoulder that is experiencing pain
     
  6. azabaz_ipoh

    azabaz_ipoh Regular Member

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    i checked out the site. i think i have a mild case of those since it is not yet a constant pain. the pain in the elbow area are felt during badminton and, dont laugh, while i squeeze the shampoo bottle. the pain in the shoulder area are more on the front side of the shoulder. pretty much on the same level as my collar bone. it is painful when playing and when i stretch my arm. either to the side or up above the head. what kind of strengthening exercise with an elastic band can i do? i remember when i was active in archery that we used bicycle tyre tubes and pull it in the motion of pulling the string of the bow. would that be beneficial?
     
  7. Dreamzz

    Dreamzz Regular Member

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    well, it's something like that, though i use an resistance band like this one:
    http://www.physio-line.co.uk/acatalog/Resistance_and_Exercise_Bands.html

    the stretching exercise which works for me is the external rotation one as seen in:
    http://www.orthoassociates.com/shoulder1.htm
     
  8. azabaz_ipoh

    azabaz_ipoh Regular Member

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    thank you very much dreamz. i think i will give it a try. looks simple enough to do. maybe i will buy the rubber used for slingshot or bicycle tyres tube. i will stop playing badminton for two months while we muslims practice the fasting month and the subsequent celebration of the end of the fasting month. maybe i will do the exercise during this two months rest and see if it will help me with the pain. :)
     
  9. TrunkZ69

    TrunkZ69 Regular Member

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    what is the string tension? I've found that high string tension leads to a lot of problems.
     
  10. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    If you haven't already done so, discuss your pain with a doctor.
     
  11. azabaz_ipoh

    azabaz_ipoh Regular Member

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    i went to a general practicioner and he asked me what activities i thought might contribute to the pain. i told him i play badminton 3 times a week and sometimes i also feel the pain after i woke up from sleep. he told me it is just muscle pain and that i should stop playing for a while. that's it. no medication was given. no other alternative other than to stop playing was given. not helping at all i must say. and since it is not a full blown constant pain i thought it would be to much to see a specialist. :)

    the racket i am frequently using now are strung at 25lbs. as is the other racket. the one i am using now is 3U whereas the other one is 2U. i usually use the 2U to warm up and then use the 3U to play.
     
  12. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    Pain in the elbow and particularly the shoulder are symptoms of common badminton injuries.

    It's entirely possible that your string tension is too high. 25 lbs is quite high for an amateur player, and you may not yet have the technique to handle it. What was your previous string tension? Have you made a sudden jump in tensions?

    Badminton, although safe compared to such bone-crunching sports as rugby, still has plenty of potential to damage your body. Common badminton injuries include elbow or shoulder tendonitis, other damage to the rotator cuff such as a cartilage tear (I have one of these), patello-femoral pain syndrome (I have this too), ankle sprains (yep, that's me), and achilles tendon injuries (ouch! Glad I don't have that).

    Preventing these injuries is (of course) the best option. A well-planned fitness programme helps a lot, with the emphasis on injury prevention rather than performance enhancement (believe it or not, that's the same emphasis that top athletes choose).

    Once an injury occurs, however, it's unwise to ignore it. The sooner you find out what's wrong, the better you can plan to fix it. You did the right thing by consulting your GP, and he probably did the right thing by telling you to rest for a while. Medication is largely useless here. This is the first stage of treatment: rest, and see if it goes away. Most minor sports injuries do recover from simple rest. In the case of strains or sprains, rest can be augmented by icing the area, elevating it above the level of the heart (although this is often overkill for minor strains), applying compression bandaging, and taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen (400mg three times daily with meals). This anti-inflammatory programme should be followed for at least three days, which is the duration of the body's immediate inflammatory response.

    But don't wait too long before you go back to the doctor. If the pain has not completely gone within a few weeks (say, 2-3) then you may have a lasting injury. You need to find out what it is.

    You may find that this is beyond the competence of your current doctor to handle. That's not his fault -- he's a GP, not an expert in sports injuries. If at all possible, consult a relevant expert; in my experience, a sports-specialist GP is the best starting point, and can be the lynchpin to managing your injury. I don't know what the healthcare rules are in Malaysia, but here in the UK we can routinely see any doctor in our local practice. I've seen the sports specialist more often than my registered GP. If there is no sports specialist in your practice, you could look further afield.

    The pain from a permanent injury is not necessarily constant or severe (for example, my shoulder and knee pains are mild-moderate, chronic, and intermittent). Pain can fluctuate for a variety of reasons, including activity patterns and change in the weather.
     
    #12 Gollum, Aug 27, 2007
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2007
  13. azabaz_ipoh

    azabaz_ipoh Regular Member

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    hmmm....i have restrung my old 2U racket at 25lbs since late last year. and because the racket feels ok with me, i decided to string my new racket at 25lbs too. the new racket i have used for more than six months and the first three months i alternate between the 2U and the new 3U racket whereas the last three months being mostly the 3U racket. so i think i could eliminate the possibility of the tension being the culprit since the tension should have already lessen by now and the pain only started to appear recently.

    yep, i have seen other people with a myriad of injuries. some of them limping in the court and still they keep on playing. :eek: me, even if i feel a small niggling pain in my back, i would stop playing immediately since i have a history with back injuries. i haven't had any sprains, thank goodness. only two injuries have affected me before this arm and elbow pain and that was the back pain and the knee pain. :cool:

    yes, i agree that pain should not be ignored. as i have posted earlier, i had a 5 day break from badminton and it took me a day to not experience the pain anymore. you see, i play every other day and i think the fact that i only have one day to rest between playing time is the reason the pain stays with me. when i stopped playing badminton it will stop too. however, since i am not planning to give up badminton entirely i am looking for an alternative and that is why i am asking if maybe a change of racket can help because if that is all it needs i can surely do that more than i am willing to give up badminton. in fact i am praying that is all it takes to stop the pain. because if there's no alternative other than to stop playing i am willing to live with the pain as long as i can stand it. :D

    yes, i agree that it might be beyond the competence of the GP. In malaysia, seeing a specialist means triple of more the cost of seeing a GP. unfortunately i dont have that kind of money. and since the pain is still bearable, i will most probably not be seeing a specialist anytime soon. not by choice mind you but by the fact that in is beyond my means right now.:eek:

    oh, i have that. pain in the left knee area especially when it is cold at night. it has been raining at night here lately and the nights can be very cold. and when it is cold, sometimes my knees and other joints will feel, not really pain but rather like a discomfort.:rolleyes:
     
  14. DivingBirdie

    DivingBirdie Regular Member

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    although i'm neither a doctor or a badminton pro, i'm making a guess that you might be exerting your force not very correctly. In other words...technique problem. 25lbs is also pretty high tension and might not be a comfortable tension for most. You might not have experienced the pain since Day 1, but it could be due to various reasons such as you are beginning to play more competitively, and is trying harder? It could also be having an accumulative effect...
    and just a question...do you swing with the racket head ending on your racket side sometimes?(instead of ending on non-racket side) I notice some people frequently doing that with great force often gets shoulder pains.

    if the pain is persistent, i'd advise you to see a doctor
     
  15. DivingBirdie

    DivingBirdie Regular Member

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    i think i have that sometimes too...just wear long pants and use a blanket:cool:on cold nights i also get 'cold feets' (literally)
     
  16. Patriot

    Patriot Regular Member

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    The advice from an international badmintoncoach to me was very simple:

    The stiffer the shaft (for example NS9KX) the more develloped your arm should be.

    Many complaints have been sent to yonex about painful arms and elbows because the shaft was to stiff...

    that's also a reason why they develloped the NS9KS

    So: Train your shoulder by putting weights of two kilogram (1lbs?) in every palm of your hand, keep your arms straight an lift them till they are parallell with the ground (handpalms up) and move them a litte bit forward and then backwards again. Do this 100 times (the movement forward/backward), and you will see the result. First times perhaps start with 50 times, then 75 and then 100.

    For your elbow: a simple brace for tenniselbow helps
    if you seem to have a golf elbow.. take rest for 2 weeks!!! it's an awful injury or if it does not hurt all the time (for example only when you do a backhand from the back of the court) then the tenniselbow brace should help (costs approximatly: 13 euro's/5 dollar).
     
  17. korendir07

    korendir07 Regular Member

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    Hi Patriot,

    When you say to lift your arms 'til they are parallel to the ground, do you mean out to the sides? Then move them forward and backward from there?

    Thanks.
     
  18. azabaz_ipoh

    azabaz_ipoh Regular Member

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    maybe a little group of pics could help. :D thanks
     
  19. Patriot

    Patriot Regular Member

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    yeah, I mean sidewards..

    So you lift your arms sidewards and parallell to the ground (a bit like this one here but with your palms up)
    [​IMG]
    and then you move them a bit forward and backwards
    (like I show you here, yes I did an effort to make a picture:-D)

    [​IMG]
     
    #19 Patriot, Sep 3, 2007
    Last edited: Sep 3, 2007
  20. azabaz_ipoh

    azabaz_ipoh Regular Member

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    thank you very much patriot. in addition to the excercise that dreamzz suggested, i will try yours too. :)
     

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