Tennis Elbow... from splitting wood.

Same boat last year; but right arm. x27, I found that I needed to adjust my posture when swinging down as I was over extending my arm at the elbow. After some rest and Physio, I had to bend my knees more and get a higher chopping block ; well thats what helped me ; also do a half hour or so of splitting here and there, not all day just to get it done., I suppose a longer axe handle would help as well

Never had problems with my elbows but after 2 or 3 extended sessions (4-5 hours each) my wrists really start hurting. I think mostly caused by trying to overcontrol the head of my 8 pound maul on my follow through.

I've been there. You need to lay off the splitting and wait it out. It can take a long time to heal.

I've had that but worse in the left wrist and lower thumb area. I rested it a few weeks no better. Bought a nice hydraulic..
Real good now.

I have tennis elbow in both. My company offers a new therapy called ART (Active Reflex Therapy). It is non-intrusive and the doctor works (via rigorous massage and neading???) the area to break up the scar tissue. I haven't tried it yet but according to what I have heard many pro athletes use the therapy.

Yup, kept getting the same thing, would rest it a couple weeks but would come right back, ended up buying a hydraulic splitter.

I had the same thing....ended up with three surgeries, and a real nasty lookin' scar.....twice on the right Elbow, once on the left

I had it before. You have to place a forearm brace on. The brace reduces tension on the elbow joint.

http://www.amazon.com/CHAMPION-Neop...&qid=1390742382&sr=8-6&keywords=Forearm+brace

Mine was the initial result of putting in a hardwood floor, then splitting a huge maple tree that fell on my house when I didn't understand proper technique. I bought a hydraulic splitter as well (for same reason as others), but prefer to split my hand. Another thing I found that helps is to take two ibuprofen before starting the strenuous activity and it seems to help very much in that the inevitable inflammation around the trouble spot seems to be reduced before the activity begins and ends. As long as in moderation should be OK but it definitely works. With regard to surgery to remove the scar tissue that ultimately generates the inflammation, everyone I have talked to says it either made it worse or offered no real long term benefit. The ART technique is something that sounds like it really works without having to have surgery. Sure the doctors prefer the surgery. Will keep others posted once I have my first 30 minute session.

As a tennis player, spike driver, and split by hander, here are my observations;

Although I've never used one, those Fiskars type mauls appear to be lighter than a regular job. This means you have to pull it down into the split instead of just letting it fall through the wood. This in turn means your hands, wrists, arms and shoulders are in tension at the strike, increasing shock. Any down effort should be with the right arm. This exertion on the down stroke also makes them dangerous in MHO.

You need to change your stroke. Your left hand should have a firm but not strained grip on the handle and your left arm should be relaxed throughout the downswing. Instead of lifting the maul vertically to a stop and yanking it down, swing it up and around in an arc for a smooth transition between the lift and downstroke. The left hand is merely a guide. We used to drive spikes one handed with this method, but with splitting, you need the left hand to control the rebound. Most of your effort should be in the lift.

If you can't split it without applying a lot of force, go to the wedge. Unless I'm splitting easy stuff I always use a wedge to break the round instead of whacking away at it.

If you split bare handed like me, wear a padded glove on your left hand or use a maul with a rubber grip.

Once you've rested your arm, try a regular maul and let gravity do most of the work.

Tennis elbow can also develop from picking things up straight arm and palm down. Something I'm sure all wood cutters do. I have altered how I pick up splits when splitting, stacking, etc. Think of how we all pick up splits from the ground.... Straight arm and palm down. So now I either two hand one split (slow) or pick up two at a time by more scooping them from the side. You really have to alter how you pick anything up. I found myself doing the exact wrong thing when getting things out of the back of my pickup.

I suffered for over a year, but I don't think my issue was from splitting. Splitting just aggregated it. I honestly think that it was from my older ipad/heavy ipad case. Don't laugh.... Google it. I have since gotten an Air with no heavy case and altered how I hold it..... Gone. The 4G iPad is my only internet access at home so I use it a good deal for work and play.

KenLockett said:

Mine was the initial result of putting in a hardwood floor, then splitting a huge maple tree that fell on my house when I didn't understand proper technique. I bought a hydraulic splitter as well (for same reason as others), but prefer to split my hand. Another thing I found that helps is to take two ibuprofen before starting the strenuous activity and it seems to help very much in that the inevitable inflammation around the trouble spot seems to be reduced before the activity begins and ends. As long as in moderation should be OK but it definitely works. With regard to surgery to remove the scar tissue that ultimately generates the inflammation, everyone I have talked to says it either made it worse or offered no real long term benefit. The ART technique is something that sounds like it really works without having to have surgery. Sure the doctors prefer the surgery. Will keep others posted once I have my first 30 minute session.

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+1 on the Ibuprophen. I'm not a pill popper but it makes a huge difference. My Doc. says 2 tabs before strenuous exercise is no big deal. It's clearing up a chronic wrist inflamation for me. Don't let them cut you!

wood splitter elbow for me is a combination of tennis elbow and golf elbow
my left elbow as well.
luckily I can still use the saw
I can't pick up and/or throw splits with that arm at all so I just don't
I just don't do the things that cause sharp pain
It could be no limb at all and I'd still have to work around it.

I know I did mine throwing splits in a truck. Back-handed/straight arm palm down straight off the horizontal splitter. I should have quit as soon as it started to hurt but I kept pushing.
Gotta be careful doing those things when you get older, like it or not.

Boiler74 said:

Tennis elbow can also develop from picking things up straight arm and palm down. Something I'm sure all wood cutters do. I have altered how I pick up splits when splitting, stacking, etc. Think of how we all pick up splits from the ground.... Straight arm and palm down. So now I either two hand one split (slow) or pick up two at a time by more scooping them from the side. You really have to alter how you pick anything up. I found myself doing the exact wrong thing when getting things out of the back of my pickup.

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Pulp hooks or tongs really shine for relieving this kind of stress. Can't go quite as fast but at the end of the day you will feel a lot less used up. The not bending over make things much easier on your back also which for some is a bigger benefit. A pickaroon will help you pull things out of your truck.

Got it last summer finishing my basement. Spliting wood really sucked. I stopped doing anything agressive with that arm and now after 6 months its finally mostly back to normal. Im left handed and got it on my left arm. Sucked bad. No bowling, hell no darts even.

I got in the left arm too. Aggravated it lifting heavy rounds. Repetitive gripping, which happens a lot with wood processing is a major cause. When swinging a handled tool like an ax or maul it's often the guide hand often suffers but the grabbing/lifting rounds and splits doesn't help either.

The braces work. They are cheap and available at any drug store. Have to wear them for a while and not just when working. Also picked up a set of tongs and a pickaroon to save the body.

CenterTree said:

I have been reading some "medical resources" that suggest that those braces only tend to make your muscles/tendons WEAKER due to them becoming reliant on the artificial support. (??????)

Not sure if that is absolute for every case. I REALLY want to get back to normal and then even STRENGTHEN this arm! (if I can).

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This is not a strength issue, it's a tendon issue. The brace holds the tendon in place so inflammation can go down. The brace really does it's job when you are not working. Wear it to bed and during the day when you can.

I did it too, left arm. It was from a particularly energetic session using a maul and wedges on some big oak rounds.Caused by gripping the handle too tightly. It took about a year to heal. I'm more careful now.

Same here the left arm and left thumb.

I've had tennis elbow from playing tennis but not from 33yrs of swinging a maul.

For me the maul motion is much more of a full body process with my arms controlling the arc as the head 'drops' on the round.

My guess is that the Fiskars with it's short handle and lighter weight requires more of a 'chopping' motion invlolving more elbow bending/flexing.

Technique is important. Use the lightest grip possible, only enough to keep the ax from flying out of your hands. From the top, imagine trying to drive the butt end of the ax into the ground. Don't try to force the handle out straight, centrifugal force will do that for you later in the stroke with no effort on your part. I actually loosen my grip even further at impact....reduces the shock transmitted to the hands, wrists and arms.

I'm nursing my left elbow as a result of just holding down a lever on my stupid little electric splitter. There is no repetitive motion that won't put you down for the count given time.

I've had good results with an anti-inflammatory called Etodolac. It's brand name is Lodine. I'll take 2-3 a week depending on the activity. I'll also take them before the fact and that does seem to make a big difference.