MotoElbow and Suspension

[HomeMadeSin]

My left elbow is hurtin' like a beach.  No swelling, bruising or any visible signs of damage.  I just can't reach my face with my left arm w/o pain.  It is amazing what I do with my left arm and didn't realize.  good thing I still have the right one :eek:

I've done a search and it seems that suspension has a lot to do with it.  I haven't been riding consistently ( about twice a month) and it varies between trail riding, wide open spaces and tracks.  The last two rides, I've been hitting the track (intermediate).  Out here in CO, everything is hardpack covered in sand and I've got a CR500.  Plus I now have fear where I didn;t back in the day. 

Anyway, 2 rides ago, I decided to adjust the suspension on my bike.  I had never done this before but I noticed that it felt awful after a decent jump.  AfterI made the adjustments(1 full turn harder), the bike handled much better, IMO.  The next day, I noticed my left elbow hurt.  I haven't aldi the bike down although I had to fight to keep it upright when the rear tire came around to take the lead.  I assumed that was it.  Yesterday I rode again and didn't change any suspension settings.  Before I was done riding, my elbow was shot.  I had problems loading the bike.

For those that have had suspension adjustments, did you go softer or harder?  Did you adjust them yourselves or have someone else do it?  Also, I let some KLX numbnut ride the 500 once and it was too much for him.  My handlebar is still tweaked slightly.  I couldn't really notice it until I rode a friends brand new YZ450.

Looks like I will laying low until DW03.

 

[tri-mx'er]

It sounds like six pack disease. I'm talking about tennis elbow, and holding your hand like you would hold a six pack is pretty painful,and can be VERY painful. It usually hurts in your forearm more than your elbow, but that is where the pain starts. Is this what you have got? If it is, well, you need to ice it regularly, and when any swellling goes down and you think healing has begun, you can start alternating between heat and ice. Sounds stupid, but its what the experts do, and it works. As it heals, you need to massage your forearm muscle deeply several times a day to increase blood flow. You can take advil for inflamation, or something stronger like lodine.

The lousy thing about this is it can go on and on, and just when you think its cleared up it comes back worse than before. I ended up finally getting a cortizone shot in my elbow, and that was an experience I hope I dont have to do again. Ive had several cortizone injections over the years, but I had a reaction to this one, and was in immense pain for 3 days, then it was fine. I got it from building a deck and doing a lot of hammering that I wasnt used to, and then some hard racing on top of that did me in. I fought it for 6 months before I got the injection. Take care of it early!

tri-mx'er