Hi!

I have been practising a lot these days, some Allegro I was working faster and faster and I have just developed rather strong left elbow pain. So I stopped and am looking for some advise. Being Sunday and not any urgency I cannot consult with doctors.

Anybody has suffered this problem or knows about it? Tendon problems maybe?

Thanks

Hi Jose,
I can't really help you. I've not had flute related elbow pains that I know of or remember.
We flutists get a lot of shoulder or wrist pains. Carpal tunnel or even tendonitis.

Perhaps it was caused by something else like a sleeping position.

Hi,
There could be many reasons as to why your elbow is hurting. It could be just as simple as your sleeping position as the person before me said. The only other thing i could think of is what is called tennis elbow. A trombonist at my university has developed this. Not sure if a flutist could get such a thing because the way the trombone plays the instrument it would be easier to develop something like this. Do you do any conducting? My Wind Ensemble conductor went to the doctor with the similar problem and they said he had tennis elbow as well
Hope this helps...i'm no doctor or anything just came up with the first thing i thought of
-JL

Tennis elbow is a degenerative condition of the tendon fibers that attach on the bony prominence (epicondyle) on the outside (lateral side) of the elbow. The tendons involved are responsible for anchoring the muscles that extend or lift the wrist and hand.

Chronic overuse leads to tendon degeneration, which is painful.

Thanks for your answers.

I once had tennis elbow, (at that time I was practising this sport). But it was many years ago and I do not play tennis any longer. The pain is similar and I can still feel it, though much attenuated. I do swim every work day, but not on Saturdays and Sundays and it happened on Sunday.

When it appeared, I was practising fast passages on my flute in the afternoon and I had been OK (no pain) all day. I know the elbow is not the usual place that could hurt while practising, but I have doubts as it showed up at that specific moment and almost disappeared when I stopped. Finger tendons go up quite high on the arm, but I do not know if they reach the elbow.

Heya, as a flautist myself and a student physiotherapist, It sounds as if you have just aggrivated your old "tennis-elbow" injury.

Repetitve strain injuries from overuse, like tennis elbow, don't just happen from sport (even though the name might suggest it!), and action which causes repetitive strain on a joint can lead to a RSI, such as playing reppitions of a fast passage for a long period of time.

Due to your previous history of the injury, it wouldn't surprise me if you have just aggrevated the condition. and so I would advise if it hurts to perhaps get it checked out, or manage it how you managed it last time you had tennis elbow. Take frequent rests between playing and allow for your elbow to stretch out again between practice. Know your own limitations and pain, there is no point practicing for a few hours if you know you are going to be in agony for the rest of the night!

Hope that helps!

Thank you very much keek88. Your suggestions are highly appreciated.

A couple of hours ago I found the possible cause of the pain: I had carried a heavy wooden door (with help of another person) for more than 500 yards the day before I noticed the pain. I am ashamed I did not remember that when I posted!. My wife made me recall it today (she was the other person carrying it, but my door end was the heaviest, of course...)

I carried it with both arms about half the time with each and only one elbow was hurt.. the one that had suffered that tennis elbow years ago, yes.

So everything is clear, the injure was caused by hard straining the day before and flute practise just made it noticeable. The first time I had that tennis elbow I took inflammation relieving drugs for a while and this fixed it. Now I am reluctant to take those medicaments because they can hurt my stomach so I will be very careful and take rest periods as you suggest. Today I had my flute class and my elbow seems to be recovering well and fast.