prone elbow pain

[jedin]

(This is of course not a novel problem, but I'm posting in case anybody has new thoughts that I haven't seen in other posts or other fora!)
I'm having increasing problems with my sling arm elbow (my right, since I shoot left-handed). The symptom is fairly sharp pain just on the forearm side of the outer elbow - yesterday it got so bad (after five cards) that I had to abandon my session. The damage is something persistent, since I also feel it when, say, I put my elbow down on the bed as I get into bed!
I can think of a few things to try:
(1) pad it - I only shoot postal, so I don't have to worry too much about following ISSF rules strictly. What has worked for other people inside the jacket?
(2) change my position. I have, I think, a fairly low position - I suspect my forearm angle is about at the minimum 30°.
(3) see a physio.

[Tim S]

Jedin,

Lasting pain after shooting is not good. Seeking professional medical advice is sensible.

Yes padding is good. If you're only shooting to NSRA rules you can wear as many sweaters as you like (without making your jacket too small)*. Think about the mat too; if you have an old roll-up Andrew Tucker, these are usually paper-thin, and a new well-padded one would be a sensible investment.

In terms of position, are you sure the sling is supporting the rifle, and your right arm isn't taking the weight instead? Is your right arm straight, with the elbow just to the right of the rifle?

*Extra underlayers can affect your butt-grip and butt-handstop settings and your sling length.

[40xguy]

you might think about trying a soccer knee protector to put on your elbow. go to the sports stores and shop around for elbow protectors and knee protectors (both child's and adult's - depending on your arm size)... there are many on the market. some are decent and some simply won't work, but keep looking. you can try Amazon too, but with Amazon you can't "see and feel" the product, so it's more risky. it's "trial and error," so hope you find what you need on the first try !!!

[rgibson]

Because of an injury I have to pad my support elbow. I had to try several different ones. Nothing which supplies illegal support, a slip on flexible pad with just enough padding to keep the bump on the point of the elbow cushioned. Once I found the correct cushion it made for no pain after the match. I do think one of the foam-type pads that fold, such as the pad from the now defunct company “10.9” would be a help as well.
Academy Sports had the pad I use now which has a thin honeycomb pad which provides the comfort.

[jedin]

Thanks for the replies.
The trouble with wearing extra layers is that I'm not very good at coping with heat :) It's now "summer" in Edinburgh, so I have to shoot without a sweater (or cook), and I extend my butt a bit to compensate. I hadn't thought about it affecting the sling - I did notice that my sling keeper had become loose without my noticing earlier, and maybe the sling might be a little looser than I originally set it anyway. I will check that out and make sure it's doing its job.
For padding, I like rgibson's idea. I guess it's something like the volleyball pads that Academy Sports sell? I'll look for something similar in the UK.

[Tim S]

Jedin,

It does get hot under the jacket. The downside of wearing fewer layers is that you can change the fit of the jacket around your shoulders. Extending the butt will re-seat the plate against your shoulder, but can't compensate for the change at the back and left shoulder.

Taking plenty to drink, wearing shorts, and just enduring the sweating always worked better for me than leaving my jumper at home. Some years ago I saw one shooter put a freezer block (wrapped in a bar towel) up the back if her jacket on a very hot day.

[rgibson]

This sport padding that I found at Academy Sports is made by “MCDAVID.” It is almost a full sleeve of neoprene with the honeycomb elbow pad. I hope you can find it across the pond. I tried several others bit the “honeycomb” pad was the trick for my glass elbow. I wore it for the second time in a full match today and again, no swollen, painful elbow bump afterward. It is hard to understand why this thin flexible pad works better than the others but it does.

[jedin]

Today I shot with a random bit of 8mm stiff foam packing from a mail order up my sleeve. No pain!

[rgibson]

Amazon.....an elbow’s best friend

[TenOne]

I have a Kurt Thune mat and added another 10mm of neoprene (or similar). This helped a lot especially during 60-shot matches.