[Dan]

Yes be very careful
Im currently studying a countryside management / conservation degree and volunteered all last year with the Kent Wildlife trust using loppers, rakes and bowsaws 3 days a week...i have now had for nearly a year this summer serious tennis elbow in one arm and rotary cuff injury in the other shoulder which to date has cost me hundreds in physio....steroid injection is next step.

Its so irritating as its the smaller things that hurt more....i could lift a large box full of books with ease...ask me to take a heavy hardback off the shelf with the tennis elbow arm and it kills.

Im also very depressed and fed up with it now as its effecting the practical side of my degree course and has put an end to practical reserve work for the moment , my gardening is done in small doses until it hurts too bad.

Dan

[Redwellies]

since i've started this my right elbow has been hurting.  am i doing something wrong when i'm digging?

Very confused, Pippy :roll:  :roll:  :?[/quote]

How long has it been hurting?  Weeks, Months and where specifically! on the elbow does it hurt

[cozzcov]

If the worse comes to the worst you could always rip both plants out to make refreshing teas as you sit and watch others do all the hard work getting the roots up  

[pippy001]

No, just a few strange looks...

[cozzcov]

i'll get you a big badge with 'Supervisor' on it so they don't get confused, hehehe

[pippy001]

Oh yes please.  Can i have a yellow jacket and a hard hat too?

[pippy001]

redwellies its just been hurting for about 10 days.  if you look down your arm at the elbow its below the sticky out bit on the right.

Does that make sense?

[cozzcov]

Whatever floats your boat!

I have a varigated lemon balm in my garden and keep finding small un-varigated versions all over the place, so I guess WG is correct the the balm self seeds rather than runners.  Mint I've always grown in pots cos that does go mad.  

Have you thought about big power tools to go with the hi-vis and hard hat - ie a rotavator? Or would that just spread the mint root around more?  Either way it might help with your elbow pains.

[pippy001]

I hadn't but i will think about it.  The mint is next to some kind of old concrete pathway.  I was told a greenhouse was somewhere round that area at one point, so not sure if the concretes got anything to do with this.

Do you think i could fit a boat on my pond?  wow, that would be good!!  

[flowerlady]

WG, i'm in a new office today and i've burst out laughting

I hope my joke didn't get you fired then !!   :shock:

... tsk  

I also have apple mint !! ??

[WG.]

I also have apple mint !! ??

 Ooo ... if you'd like to swopsies then please see my seeds list in the Swop Shop.  Smoked Garlic is finished tho'    :cry:

[Jim T]

Thanks for confirming, wellies.   Have you got any nice mints that I might be able to trade for some smoked garlic??   I am looking for chocolate mint, pineapple mint, apple mint and especially the new type of mint they are selling as an oral contraceptive.

    Yeah, it used to called "Polo, the mint with the less fattening centre"

[corndolly]

Pippy  ! it sounds  like you have got tennis elbow problem! exactly how Iwould describe what I suffered from last year. You will need to be very kind to your elbow for a few months and treat it as fragile!

Dont do any action again ! once it causes you pain. that can come from the simplest of things ,its horrible and even now 12 months on my elbow is tender.

You will be able to enjoy your gardening but get someone else to do the heavy work and repetetive stuff,especially if you have heavy clay type soil.

[flowerlady]

I also have apple mint !! ??

 Ooo ... if you'd like to swopsies then please see my seeds list in the Swop Shop.  Smoked Garlic is finished tho'    :cry:

pm'd you  

[Trillium]

Pippy, you might have to shell out for physiotherapy to get that sorted out. It doesn't go away by itself. Been there, done that. Physio here uses a machine call a TENS (?) that sends a small current into the stiff area and surprisingly after 20 minutes of treatment the area loosens up quite a bit. It's not completely healed but sure helps. Then the therapist turns sadist and yanks and pulls the arm to further loosen the muscles and joint. Fortunately over here I found that a doctor's note requesting treatment will get it covered by gov't health plan, otherwise you pay out of your own pocket so ask around and find out how it works in the UK. The same treatment works for rotator cuff problems too. Had both so I know all about them. As for why it happens, usually it's repetition of a specific motion  much like that wrist problem that I can't think of the name of. (Think John is passing on those 'senior's moments' to others)