Can kayaking cause tennis elbow? Tips for preventing elbow and wrist pain
Can kayaking cause tennis elbow? It sure can. Overexertion from paddling of the muscles and tendons in your elbow can lead to tendonitis, or as I like to call it, “paddle elbow.”
I know this from personal experience. Each spring, as the days get warmer and longer, I start paddling more and more. And each spring, unless I’m thoughtful about it, my elbow starts hurting.
In fact, any kind of paddlesport can cause elbow tendonitis, be it kayaking, canoeing, or standup paddleboarding.
Below, I’ll share how I’ve learned to avoid and manage tendonitis caused by paddling. But first, a bit about what causes it in the first place.
How paddling causes “tennis elbow”?
Tennis elbow refers to lateral epicondylitis, a painful condition that occurs when tendons in your elbow are overworked, usually by repetitive motions of the wrist and arm.
Kayaking and other paddle sports can put a great deal of stress on the arms, which can lead to lateral epicondylitis.
The primary cause of the condition, according to the Mayo Clinic, is “repeated contraction of the forearm muscles that you use to straighten and raise your hand and wrist. The repeated motions and stress to the tissue may result in a series of tiny tears in the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the bony prominence at the outside of your elbow.”
Think about how many paddle strokes you put in on your last kayaking trip or SUP outing. Lots, right? The perfect conditions for repetitive motion injury.
Beyond the pain, another bummer with “paddle elbow,” in my experience, is that if you don’t prevent it or manage it aggressively, it just gets worse and can take a long time to subside. That means no paddling until you heal. Better to nip it in the, er, nub.
Prevention and Treatment
The best medicine is prevention when it comes to paddling-related elbow strain. What I learned to do, after having to sit out many days of kayaking due to achy elbows, was to gradually build up to paddling in the spring.
Strengthening Muscles and Joints
After a period of low paddling activity, I will start back with short paddles then gradually increase the duration of my outings. Warming up with some light stretches and range of motion exercised before paddling also help prevent soreness.
Cross-training, such as lifting weights and swimming, can also help if you aren’t able to get out for regular short paddles. While it takes a tall dose of self-discipline to cut paddling trips short and get in shape, it allows me to paddle more overall.
Bent Shaft Paddle
Depending on what type of padding you’re into, a bent shaft paddle can also help relieve stress on your elbows and wrists through better ergonomics. There are a number of bent shaft kayak and canoe paddles on the market.
Caring for Sore Elbows and Wrists
When I overdo it and my elbows are sore, I’ve found that taking a few days off lets my elbows calm down. Same if my wrists start to ache, though I suffer more often from elbow pain. Ibuprofen and ice can also help with the pain and inflammation.
If your joint pain seems to be chronic, it might be time to see a doctor. The Mayo Clinic suggests talking to your doctor if “self-care steps such as rest, ice and use of over-the-counter pain relievers don’t ease your elbow pain and tenderness.” In this case, physical therapy might be the next step to strengthening your arm joints and improving their flexibility and range of motion.
