Theme 2: impact on everyday life
infection, ’d been shopping and I’d, pain
INFLAMMATION, PATHOLOGY, INFECTION, TENNIS ELBOW
Participants reported that they continued to work but highlighted the difficulty in doing so, with some experiencing constant pain.Well, basically the pain was constantly there especially when I was working, so yes it was in everyday life basically. BHX004From a career perspective it was having a constant impact, constant pain, difficult to perform the necessary tasks and then on a day-to-day perspective I was having difficulty with things like carrying my shopping home. DER006For many, the pain was severe enough to disturb their sleep—a characteristic often attributed to inflammation, infection or more sinister pathology but, historically in the literature, not usually associated with LET.Sleeping is the worst; I virtually have to sleep with my arm like across my chest because I just can’t get comfy. And if I lay on it, well obviously the pain it wakes me up and obviously then it takes me forever to get back to sleep. So, it’s definitely disturbing my sleep. SHE005One of the other factors has been at night it’s been very uncomfortable; I tend to lay on that side just from a breathing perspective I end up on that side. And it’s becoming very painful just moving my arm to turn over. That’s probably been the worst of this particular bout of Tennis Elbow that I’ve had but that comes and goes. Sometimes, last November, December it was really painful at night, this last couple of months a bit better and then the last few nights have not been so good. SHE013The majority of participants had found difficulty or significant pain when performing even the most basic of daily tasks such as washing and dressing, household chores, driving the car or even eating and drinking:It’s been quite major to be fair. Obviously, it’s got to a stage where I can’t really carry my shopping. I can’t throw the ball for my dogs. I can’t lift any heavy weights. At one point I could barely pick up a kettle. I can’t pick up cups of coffee. Anything with a weight to it I’m really struggling with. At one point I could I was struggling to put my car into reverse because it’s a push down and push across motion and I couldn’t do it. Yes, it’s been quite major to be honest. SHE004I couldn’t really carry my shopping bags on my right arm anymore. Difficulty with basic, well at that point essential care things like putting my mask on [during the COVID-19 pandemic] when I was going outside or would be meeting with other people like simple gesture of raise your arm and twist, put the ear loop on really hurt by an astonishing amount for such a small gesture. Plus of course difficulty with little things like washing my hair in the shower. So, you know it was, it was persistent, it was there all parts of my life. It wasn’t always painful so much as discomforting or just a bit limiting but you know it was quite a bother. DER006Some had experienced episodes where their grip was weakened to such an extent that they were unable to hold objects:I mean a few weeks ago I was pretty much in tears at the physiotherapy because—well, I’d been shopping and I’d picked up a two-litre bottle of pop and couldn’t hold it and I dropped it and it smashed all over the floor. I had to find people to come and clean that up for me. Then I went round the next aisle and picked up a big bottle of bubble bath and did exactly the same thing. It was not a good day. I think the people at the supermarket was just glad to see the back of me that day, because I just kept dropping stuff and smashing it on the floor. SHE004I mean I couldn’t even paint a wall, cutting in was too painful, I ended up dropping the paintbrush. SHE018Many gave examples of how the condition had impacted on the hobbies that they enjoyed with DIY tasks, gardening and exercise/gym featuring regularly.Well, I was a keen gym-goer, loved keeping fit and that and when the pain started coming it started to restrict my movement in my arm, the speed I could do it. So, even though it didn’t affect my actual workout, afterwards it would just be very painful, stop me from doing things. To the point where sometimes I had to stop using my right arm because of the pain and eventually it stopped me from going to the gym altogether. Which I didn’t like, I hated not going to the gym but it stopped me from going to the gym eventually because I thought it needs to get better so, I needed to rest it. So, that’s when I went to physiotherapy. BHX003So, from the outset the main problem was doing DIY projects, any lifting, doing door handles. It’s quite limiting … So, it’s quite restricting, a lot of non-work activities that I normally do around the house and DIY in particular. DER003