Thanks Maija and welcome to TreeBuzz. How did you find the site by the way? Do you climb?
Mark Chisholm (being a Stihl rep) was able to give me your father’s email address a few years ago and I contacted him. He got back to me very quickly and was able to help me out. I still have his answer to my question and for those of you who are wondering about the elbow pads and elbow pain in general, this is what Guy said:
“Chris,
It's interesting that you noticed the pads - I suppose one becomes more aware of such particularities when a direct interest is involved.
I actually wear elastic fabric knee or ankle supports (I can’t remember which) that I have adapted for forearm skin protection in case I lose control and slide down the pole. I tape them just above the elbow to prevent slipping. I've "burned" forearms in the past on several occasions and the partial loss of skin is very painful and takes a while to heal. I don't have any significant problems with my elbows, except for occasional sensitivity to touch or bumps which is usually caused by an inflamed bursa. If that is the problem an anti-inflammatory like Ibuprophen or Aleve can help. I would guess that you must be doing some kind of repetitive motion with your elbows or overstraining them in some way. It could even come about if you are habitually using your elbows for bracing or support while working in trees.
If all you need is support of some kind, you might check out a sporting goods store like Sports Authority, and see what they have available. They're usually not too expensive. I see a lot of college and pro football players wearing what appear to be pretty good elbow supports. Often they are made of neoprene foam rubber which would provide a little padding as well as support. I'm not a doctor, but I've had to work through many aches and injuries over the years. Observing how you use your elbows during the day might give you some clues and you might be able to adjust the way you do things to change elbow mechanics and provide relief. Sometimes just taking a couple weeks off of strenuous work can work wonders for the body. I hope you can figure out a way.
Thanks - Guy German”
Maija, I really appreciate your dad taking the time to help me out. I hope that he is doing well. Is he still climbing? I remember seeing you and your sisters on TV cheering him on and thought that was awesome. He’s one heck of a climber.
