UKBouldering.com

sheffside elbow quacks: the best of the best? (Read 7333 times)

Steve R

Offline
  • ****
  • forum abuser
  • Posts: 647
  • Karma: +53/-1
Looking for recommendations for someone who knows their elbows. Quick bit of background: I'm a long term sufferer of golfer's/medial epicondylosis itis/referred shoulder instabilty or whatever it may be.  Strangely they seem to suffer much more on routes (lower intensity climbing but for longer time) than hard (for me) bouldering. Though I seem to be able to hold the problem at bay myself with negative wrist curls and the like I'm keen this year to spend some more money seeing someone good in the hope of finding a more complete solution so I can enjoy route climbing again.  Thanks for any suggestions.

ghisino

Offline
  • ****
  • forum abuser
  • Posts: 664
  • Karma: +36/-0
not sure i know my elbows very well as they are a recent issue for me...


BUT i've been suffering over-use/imbalance inflammations in my shoulders since 2007 and my conclusion is that there's no subtitute for those stupid rehab exercise, stretches, etc.
(i've seen the same in other climbers : those that accept the theraband as a necessary complementary training are much more successful than those looking for some kind of "it'll never hurt again" solution...)


so my advice is : if you can really manage it yourself, that's already the best possible case!  :)

psychomansam

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 1179
  • Karma: +66/-11
I agree with the last poster to a point. The shit we do produces imbalance. If you're not one of the lucky (often the scrawny wee) ones who rarely has injury problems, then you need to do stuff to provide balance. Swimming, yoga, whatever, but if you're injured you need to be doing specific/physio exercises as i'm sure you know. The real advantage of a good physio will be diagnosing the exact problem and getting you on the right exercises.

Saying that, John Ostrovskis got me on the right exercises but also pummelled the shit out of the knots in my back which were locking up and destabilising my shoulder.

http://919clinic.co.uk/therapists_detail.aspx?position=1

butters

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Natural Born Punter
  • Posts: 1590
  • Karma: +56/-2
  • Everything's a grade harder hauling these 'burns!!
    • blog of butters
Saying that, John Ostrovskis got me on the right exercises but also pummelled the shit out of the knots in my back which were locking up and destabilising my shoulder.

http://919clinic.co.uk/therapists_detail.aspx?position=1

John would be my recommendation as well - just be aware that when he says he is aiming for moderate pain\discomfort his definition of moderate pain\discomfort is somewhat higher than the average - it does work though.  ;)

sidewinder

Offline
  • ***
  • obsessive maniac
  • Posts: 350
  • Karma: +11/-0
his definition of moderate pain\discomfort is somewhat higher than the average
I think his definitions of moderate pain\discomfort are probably linked to the US view of what constitutes torture, in which it isn't torture unless the pain is
Quote
to the level of death, organ failure, or the permanent impairment of a significant body function
that does however still leave a fair amount of the pain spectrum within which to work, and John seems to be an expert at working within that spectrum. Don't let that put you off though, he is very good.

T_B

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 3078
  • Karma: +149/-5
I've never been to John O as I've heard too many horror stories.

I would recommend Rick Webb at the same place though. He totally sorted out my tennis elbow v quickly - all stemmed from shoulder instability. He's a climber and knows what's he's on about. If you don't like needles though, maybe go elsewhere. He likes to use acupuncture as part of his treatment.

psychomansam

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 1179
  • Karma: +66/-11
his definition of moderate pain\discomfort is somewhat higher than the average
I think his definitions of moderate pain\discomfort are probably linked to the US view of what constitutes torture, in which it isn't torture unless the pain is
Quote
to the level of death, organ failure, or the permanent impairment of a significant body function
that does however still leave a fair amount of the pain spectrum within which to work, and John seems to be an expert at working within that spectrum. Don't let that put you off though, he is very good.

John says he uses about 50% more pressure with climbers/athletes. He did once ask if it 'hurt too much' at a point when i couldn't breathe let alone reply. He nearly made my steel-foundry-worker-i'm-a-hardnut friend blackout. He gets shit done. I'd rather have a few moments pain than a few months

 :blink:

tommytwotone

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Southern jessie turned Almscliff devotee
  • Posts: 3633
  • Karma: +199/-3
+1 for John O.

I noticed the second time that I went to see him that he'd ask me if I'd been out much, what routes I'd done etc etc...only realised afterwards he this was a cunning way of working out when he'd hit the right spot / level of intensity!

As Sam says though, he gets shit done.

jamiev

Offline
  • *
  • regular
  • Posts: 67
  • Karma: +7/-0
Another vote for Rick Webb, sorted a problem for me a few years back.

shark

Offline
  • *****
  • Administrator
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 8697
  • Karma: +625/-17
  • insect overlord #1
John Ostro has been very good at sorting specific problems for me and if laughter is the best medecine then he has to be first choice. I have been recently impressed at the way that Hallamshire Physio clinic has addressed the root causes of recurring issues and the remedial recommendations have worked well. I have seen Rivca and Steve Hodgson there and Alsion Macfarlane is well thought of. These have been shoulder and back problems rather than elbow though. They do specialise in climbing injuries and have even produced a pamphlet.

Paul B

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 9626
  • Karma: +264/-4
Alsion Macfarlane is well thought of.

hard to get an appointment with.

cofe

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 5796
  • Karma: +187/-5
the only people I've had any sense/success out of are The Sausage on here, and Kim Thompson (Osteo) in Hathersage.

lukeinaz

Offline
  • *
  • newbie
  • Posts: 25
  • Karma: +4/-2
of course everyone has read this:

 http://www.athlon.com.au/articles/r&i_dodgyelbow.pdf

really good stuff.  i dont think he even takes patients regarding elbows anymore, he just has them follow this advice.


some mobility work I have found quite helpful for lateral, but you can apply the same principles for medial:

http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/06/episode-273365-lateral-elbow-paintennis-elbow-kimura-elbow.html

« Last Edit: July 01, 2011, 03:23:00 am by lukeinaz »

benpritch

Offline
  • ****
  • forum abuser
  • Posts: 644
  • Karma: +85/-0
Steve Hodgson - Hallamshire Physios. Only person I've been to who genuinely knows what he is doing. I have been to some others as well but not a patch on this guy.

Dolly

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 2006
  • Karma: +83/-0
I've heard Hallamshire physios are meant to be good.
Jenny at Meadowhead physio  gets my vote for the same reason. She's started to treat more climbers so has an appreciation of the nature of the injuries

highrepute

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 1288
  • Karma: +109/-0
  • Blah
Steve Hodgson - Hallamshire Physios. Only person I've been to who genuinely knows what he is doing. I have been to some others as well but not a patch on this guy.

Quite a few of my friends have used various physios hallamshire (steve, alison and matt) and all report back very positively. The fact you won't be able to get an appointment with alison until next year is testament to this.

Steve R

Offline
  • ****
  • forum abuser
  • Posts: 647
  • Karma: +53/-1
Thanks to all for taking the time to post.  Still weighing up the options.... 
My first impression of the halamshire clinic (its pdf pamphlet) wasn't good - the first paragraph and the elbows section rang nonsense alarm bells for me but then what do I know - the first hand opinions on here probably count for more.  The prospect of a session with the butcher at the clinic frightens me - if he went to town on my elbows I don't think I'd climb for a while.
I'm not expecting one of these experts to magically heal me in a session or two, I just want to better understand what the root problem is and suggest some new ideas on how I can work to reduce it .  I've been very confused by this injury for ages eg. how is it I can do 1 armers and 1 arm locks without causing too much discomfort whilst 5/10 minutes moving around on jugs screws them over?
Should get something sorted for next week anyway, hopefully some light will be shed,
cheers again

jonjon

Offline
  • **
  • addict
  • Posts: 149
  • Karma: +10/-2
vote for John O, I think everyone else got a bit side tracked earlier about the pain thing, he's basically a very experienced physio who has seen and treated a lot of climbers. But, with elbows, I hink you have to put the hours in yourself with the stretching etc.

This Alison woman sounds almost mythical, how can a physio be effective if you have to wait six months for an appointment?

tomtom

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • Posts: 20282
  • Karma: +641/-11


This Alison woman sounds almost mythical, how can a physio be effective if you have to wait six months for an appointment?

It's the 6 months of enforced rest before the appointment that does the trick ;)

Johns mum

Offline
  • *
  • newbie
  • Posts: 2
  • Karma: +0/-0
Have a look at this, it helped me out loads!!

http://919clinic.co.uk/exercise_video.aspx?v=13

Its from John and Rick at The Clinic

Jaspersharpe

Offline
  • *****
  • forum hero
  • 1B punter
  • Posts: 12344
  • Karma: +600/-20
  • Allez Oleeeve!
Steve Hodgson - Hallamshire Physios. Only person I've been to who genuinely knows what he is doing. I have been to some others as well but not a patch on this guy.



 :agree:

 

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal