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[Aileen]

Thanks Bev.  All I knoiw its b****y painful!! Doctor was talking about steroid injections and I thought of Andy last year!  Learning to operate everything with my left hand, including my pc.

And if you get the same pain on the inside of the elbow it's known as "golfers" elbow!  I've had both (tennis elbow twice) and can sympathise!  

Iris, if you can avoid the injections, then do so.  You'd get much more help from a physio (if you can afford to see one privately) and the one I saw for both said that injections have gone out of favour and are only a last resort these days because it's been found they can sometimes do more harm than good, especially if you have several, because they can actually damage the joint.  He said it's much better to let the body heal naturally, even it is a slower way of curing the complaint.  Sportsmen and women get them because it's vital for their career that they lose as little time as possible through injury and so require a quick "cure".  Also I can tell you that I had an injection for tennis elbow No.1 - and sticking a needle into an already painful joint is agony and made things worse for a few days.  Very big ouch!!!

Anti-inflammatory drugs and pain-killers can help but one of the best remedies is to place an icepack over the joint for as often and as long as you can tolerate it (small packets of frozen peas are ideal) but whatever, remember to wrap the ice in a cloth or you'll get a freezer burn on your skin.  The whole idea of the ice is that (a) it eases the pain and (b) when it's removed the circulation to the affected area is greatly improved with fresh oxygenated blood rushing in to replace the "bad" blood caused by the inflammation.

Hope that helps.

[Iris]

Thanks Bev and Aileen.   Andrew

[Aileen]

I see that there's a few MWers atm - those on antibiotics should remember to take a good probiotic at the end of your course of tablets - they kill the good bacteria that we have in our system.

Haven't been on antibiotics for ages (thank goodness) but glad I read this because I thought you had to take the probiotics whilst you were taking them, not at the end of the course.

[Aileen]

Expect a PM from me next time I have the misfortune to have to take that medication!

[Hazybear]

I'm waiting for a doctors appointment to try and see if there's any way of getting some more investigation into my back and treatment rather than just pain management. Fed up at the moment.

[ljs]

I'm waiting for a doctors appointment to try and see if there's any way of getting some more investigation into my back and treatment rather than just pain management. Fed up at the moment.

aww Hazy , back pain is the worst isnt it

[Littlebuddha]

Yes Hazel you have to push or they just think it is okay. Do not see why you have to put up with the pain and take painkillers to ease the pain. My husband can hardly walk and I had to blow my top with the doctor to get xrays done and for him to see a specialist. He sees the doctor on Friday maybe now we will get some action