Zamst Elbow Band

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My right elbow has been acting up of late with a classic case of Lateral Epicondylitis, commonly know as tennis elbow. I refer to it as hockey elbow since playing ball hockey usually causes flare ups over the course of a nine month schedule. As a goalie my right arm is my stick/ blocker side and the repetitive strain inherent in holding and manipulating the stick takes it toll.



I had originally strained my arm at the gym doing clean and jerk movements with a barbell about a month ago.  I backed off the upper body strength training but noticed it getting more tender with each passing game of hockey. It came to a disabling status two Sundays past when I made a save on a rising shot to my blocker. I felt it "go" and knew I was in for a full measure of misery.



Its just miserable with intense pain and stiffness that radiates down to my fingers. Simple tasks like manipulating the computer mouse at work or lifting a coffee mug is a laborious and painful task. Night time is the worse, especially when trying to sleep.



I have been doing the best to rest and ice my forearm and treat the inflammation with little success so decided to try one of the many braces available upon the market. Opted for the Zamst Elbow Band. At 29.99 CDN it was mid range in price and available at the local Sport Chek.

https://www.zamst.us/product/elbow-band.15.html

I was sceptical but have to say I had relief within ten minutes of using the band. Took a few minutes to fit it where it needed to be and adjust the tightness but after the adjustments I was golden. The stiffness and pain ceased in my forearm and hand. Finger and wrist dexterity was much improved. My elbow itself is still tender but the throbbing pain is lessened considerably.



The band itself seems well made with a sturdy D ring Velcro fastener that makes adjustments easy. The design is functional and stays in place very well. Even during a high intensity spin class it performed well, my grip strength was fine and the strap retained its position. The test will be on Thursday at ball hockey, used under my chest ( arm) protection.

Very happy thus far with the product. I hope to use the band proactively to treat and prevent future flare-ups.

Update-band fit comfortably under my goalie gear. Got me through the game but I still had some pain and discomfort as to be expected. More importantly my tendonitis did not get any worse from the effort which is an excellent result.

For the love of the game.

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