Help please! Question about elbow pads

[Sherry 0]

Hi everyone. I don't play hockey. I shattered two bones in my elbow, and it took 7 hours of surgery and a bunch of plates and screws to put it back together. The doctor said that it is very fragile. He said I have to avoid small or crowded places, and places with lots of people, because all it would take is one person bumping into me and knocking me up against a wall and hitting my elbow for it to shatter all over again. I'm not allowed to exercise- might trip and fall and shatter it. He said no malls or anyplace like that with lots of people, so I can't even go to Walmart. Someone could suddenly turn in front of me with a cart at an aisle and I could shatter it on a shelf ledge jumping backwards. Even staying inside is dangerous- I recently accidentally hit it on the fridge door, what would be a light knock to someone else, and the waves of pain shooting up my arm were horrible. I have been a hermit for 2 years and am sick of it.

I started thinking- hockey players wear big pads to cover their elbows, and I don't care about how silly or unattractive it may look, I just want to be able to go places. But when I started looking online, there are so many different products, I had no idea how I would choose one. So this is my question- what would be the best pads for someone like me? How do I know about sizes? Do you think this would work? (I have no idea what kind of padding inside there is, or if I would need to add extra padding or anything like that) There seems to be a big difference in prices. I saw a bunch on ebay fairly cheap, and since I am poor, price really matters, but if they aren't good enough for the protection I need. then it would be a waste. I need something big and tough with the most possible padding and protection. I felt totally bewildered looking at all the products online, and thought maybe I could go to a hockey forum and get some advice from people who know about these things what would be the best choice for me.

Thank you in advance for answering my question(s) and giving advice!

[Amiroo39 121]

Hi Sherry,

Manufactures have some general guidelines for sizing that can serve as a start. The other thing is since it sounds like you don't need much or any forearm or bicep protection, you'd want to go for something very minimalist on that front. I'd also recommend you look at Lacrosse elbow pads too:

(Visit: http://www.lacrossemonkey.com/armpads.html)

Lacrosse elbow pads:

Hockey elbows are somewhat "bulkier":

[BRUINS_FAN_74 19]

The lacrosse one's are not as big and bulky like the ones we wear, but it sounds like you want heavy protection.... try to find a rink in your area that has a pro shop so you can try them out. It would be worth while! Sorry to hear about your elbow....

[stick9 896]

Sherry, I'd go to a local hockey shop and actually shop for a pad. Like we tell everyone else, fit is the #1 priority. That said, my suggestion would be to look for a 3 piece pad, the mobility will be better. Since you'd be wearing this a lot, I would suggest something that breaths and is somewhat comfortable.

From there, all I can say is best of luck.

[MThockeydad 469]

Hi Sherry, I agree with what others have said.

I would recommend a 3-piece hockey elbow pad simply because they do move better.

Less expensive pads are also a bit less bulky than the higher-end pads.

Definitely skip the very cheapest pads you see on eBay as they're 1-piece and don't tend to stay in place very well. Pay a little and get better comfort.

[boo10 323]

A little off track, but when I was a teen, I injured the growth plate in my elbow. The doctor was able to fashion a removable plaster cast for my elbow. This would be a low cost solution. It could be made so that there is a gap between your elbow and the plaster, for added protection. Its a little heavy, but would keep you safe.

[Larry54 243]

Since you don't need bicep and forearm protection, you could look into elbow pads for inline skating or skateboarding. But I imagine that something with a pocket which doesn't touch the elbow but rather contacts only the area around the elbow would be preferable in your case.

[HDHockey 19]

These Tour elbow pads seem like they would provide some protection without alot of bulk. Not sure how sensitive your elbow is to slide through the stretch bicep and forearm.

http://www.icewarehouse.com/descpage.html?pcode=5284