Subject: Re: Hand Protection

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 16:08:17 -0500

Hey folks, I've been beating 16 penny nails into my new shop for the last 6
months and then I dug a 135 foot trench with a pick to bury the wire and that
was the final straw. My elbow has been hurting like hell for the past 2
weeks. Can't afford to give it a real rest until the shop's finished so I'm
wondering -- should I be keeping it as still as possible or should I exercise
it to work the stiffness out?

--Jim McCarty

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From: Clyde Wynia <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 19:47:52 -0600

>it to work the stiffness out?

Those elbows can be murder. The symptoms can be simmilar but the causes and
root of the pain be different. I'll tell you about my experience.

In Aug 1994 I got this painful elbow after using the chain saw and tossing
some heavey wood around. The pain persisted so I started talking to
blacksmiths, the local vet and others who had what appeared to be the same
problem. Most found it lasted for months, even up to a year and a half.
Ibuprofen, Aleve or other pain killers helped a lot but nothing got rid of it. 

I saw a blip in the Anvil on the problem and called the fellow. He said
every case he had advised on had been curred with his technique which he had
picked up. Put the fingers of the hand together with the thumb so the tips
touch. wrap a rubber band around the tips and then spread the tips. This is
the opposite of squeezing together such as grasping the hammer handle. I
faithfully did this for a month without noticable effect.

After a year I went to my doctor (this is the Marshfield clinic with 450
physicians and top notch therapy department. The advice I got was not to
stop using it, continue with the Aleve and take their treatment consisting
of hot packs, cold packs, excersise, ultrasound and a steroid driven into
the elbow with an electronic device. Several weeks of treatment and hundreds
of dollars later no improvement.

Then I saw this infomercial on TV for a device called the "Stimulator".
Looked like a syring but they said it was electric but without a battery.
All these folks would give testimony that all their ackes and pains
dissapeared when they used the device. Sure they did. Electronic snake oil. 

But then they had Evil Knevil on saying that he had broken every bone in his
body several times. He'd been on drugs to kill the pain with limited results
and lots of expense and dependency. Since he got the "Stimulator" no more
pain or drugs. Now, I knew Evil would not lie on TV. I also knew I wouldn't
pay $88.50 to see if he was kidding. I figured it had to be a little peitzo
electric spark generator that you start your grill with. I had one that
looked like a syring that I used to ignite my acetylene torch with. I sawed
off the end to expose the part that the spark jumped from.

When I held it to my elbow I could feel a slight snap like a small rubber
band had been release against me but nothing uncomfortable. Depending on
where you held it it would sometimes cause the muscle, fingers, arm, to
twitch. I used it for 3 weeks and no more pain, no more Aleve. Could be the
the best placebo I ever had. As the folks said on the infomercial, "you can
take away my car, my house, my dog, but you cannot wrench my stimulator from
me. 

I can't find the same ignitor, but if this one gives out I will make one
from the replacement ignitors from the gas grills (or gas forges). By the
way, I had a client in the office who had to rush out to make his clinic
appointment. He said he had this bad arm. I asked how they were treating it.
He said they used accupunture. I kidded him that that didn't match my
stimulator because mine use electricity. He told me that when they put the
needles in they hooked wires up to put a current through. Now, does the
stimulator sound so far fetched when the medical proffesion is using needles
and electricity? At least the peitzo electric is not so invasive as the docs
like to put it.

Peitzo and much of the rest is probably spelled wrong but without a spell
checker or my secretary here you can guess what I meant.

Clyde Wynia

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 22:29:26 -0500

In a message dated 96-03-15 20:56:09 EST, [email-masked] (Clyde Wynia)
writes:

>twitch. I used it for 3 weeks and no more pain,

Electric snake oil?  yes I suppose so, but who knows?   I picked up a
beautiful chrome plated device at a flea market, it was made I think in the
thirties.  Looks like a flashlight handle for the battery with a roller
attached like a glue applicator.  I've heard about electric stimulation of
the cells etc. for healing tissues, used in a clinic in Texas I think.  I've
tried it but have no idea what to do with it although I have the original box
with instructions, claims for it's marvelous healing powers, a couple of
wires etc.  When I want to stay awake during a boring conversation with my
accountant or something, I rub it on my arm.  The adjustable lever increases
the shock level.  When I start twitching like a midnight convict in the
electric chair, I know it's time to leave the party.
I think this electric stimulation theory has been around for a while, but
never knew if it worked for anyone.  Now that you tell me it might be a
viable device, I think I'll deduct the cost for medical apparatus or
something on my tax return.  

Another interesting aside, is the use of pure copper bracelets for arthritis
and related problems.  I thought that too was perhaps an overrated kind of
thing but it does seem to work.  Someone I know  had her fingers begin to
distort and the pain was uncomfortable from the arthritis.  Ever since she
used the copper bracelets that a physicist assured her  worked and expained
some theory or other, the problem has not progressed and the pain is gone.  I
have to wonder if there might not be some kind of low level electrical energy
that is generated by the copper and the natural salts of the body.  I was
always curious about this.
Chris Ray

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From: [email-masked] (MR WILLIAM A HOCHELLA)
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 09:42:23 EST

To All,
The answer to the rest / exercise question is yes, yes and no. Yes 
you should exercise the elbow, yes you should rest it, and no you 
should not keep doing what hurt it in the first place. Gentle 
stretching works well. An anti-inflamatory, prescription or otherwise 
is in order. Over the counter things like asprin or ibuprofin work 
well if you can take them. Use an ice pack often, this reduces the 
inflamation. Use no heat, that is what the body is doing anyway. A 
neat trick I learned from a buddy of mine is to freeze water in paper 
cups, then use them to massage the area that hurts. This can be done 
almost anywhere. See a doctor and just because he can make it feel 
better, doesn't mean that you have been healed right away.

Regards,

Bill Hochella

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 1996 15:02:17 -0500

On the subject of hand, elbow and arm protection, I think we all owe it to
ourselves to stay in good overall physical shape.  I experienced a lot of
pain in both wrists from 'smithing which went on for several years.  This
pain is now completely gone, partly from doses of Aleve and moderate
weightlifting.  You don't have to have a bodybuilder's routine to gain
benefit from strength training.  Not only does it give you stamina and
strength to swing that BIG hammer, but it also improves coordination.  A
friend of mine who is a real athlete told me that fatigued muscles are the
ones that get strained - one of the reasons folks with pot bellies throw
their backs or get hernias.  So hit the bricks and give us 20 pushups!

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From: [email-masked] (Marc Davis III)
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 1996 21:12:17 -0800

RICE!!!!!

Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.
Never heat on a joint or injury!
Keep the joint moving but "do not" stress it!
If you have to move the arm with the other arm thats ok.
Just don't go to far or push too hard. No pain.

Once the injury (muscle injury) is on the road to healing (about  a 
week or two) light exercise helps the injury heal stronger. The 
repairing tissue heal and deposite themselves across the tear bridging 
the tear rather than randomly. 
A burn from exercise is different than pain. You should not feel pain 
anytime you exercise!

It also depends on the type of injury. 

A true joint problem (ligiment, cartalige) does not usually have much 
pain. There arn't a lot of nerves in this area. Severe joint problems 
should be immobilized until you see a doctor.

A muscle problem tendent, muscle tear, ect has more pain envolved.
Muscle problems usually  show signs of improvement in about
a week or two.
 
You can do light exercises in the opposite direction that 
you hurt it in, ie...if you hurt it extending your arm light curls 
would be ok (this is more for a muscle problem).

I'm not a doctor (a gymnastics coach and a trainer not to mention all 
my time in physical therapy at sports medicine) and neither are you. If 
it does not start feeling better in a couple weeks find a good ortho 
doctor associated with a good sports medicine clinic. (if you can' get 
a recomendation call some of the sports teams in the area. start with 
pro then college then high school. A Blacksmiths arm is just as 
athletic as a quarterbacks. Sports med is where the latest research is.

Write me if you have any more questions.

Good luck!

Marc3