How do you reduce soreness of elbow or wrist tendinitis without taking ibuprofen?

The RICE method may help:

Rest: 24–48 hours immediately after an injury is deemed a crucial part of the recovery. Make sure any activities in this time period do not aggravate the injury further.

Ice:You should apply ice to the affected area for 20 minutes at a time (on for 20 minutes, off for 20 minutes), for 3–4 hours on and off during the first 24–48 hours.

Compression: Use a wrap/donut which should be snug to the injury. However, make sure it does not cut off the circulation.

Elevate: Keep your injury above heart level, at night put a pillow underneath the affected area.

I am not a doctor. Consult a physician. Good luck!

Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory – a recent study at the University of Arizona (published in vol. 54 of Arthritis & Rheumatism, Funk et al.) found that turmeric extract was helpful in treating rheumatoid arthritis in rats. I don’t know how turmeric interacts with your kidneys, but it is commonly used in cooking so I think it’s fairly benign. You might want to ask your doctor about taking a turmeric supplement.

IcyHot, works like a charm. The rub is GREAT, but it smells of muscle rub (worth it for the results). You can also get ThermaCare heat patches which are great. I wouldn’t recommend the IcyHot patches though, they don’t work as well as the rub.

the person above me whose name i cant abbreviate has it right in my book. Icy hot was a gift from the gods, and as sick as it is I actually enjoy the smell. Not that I want yankee candle to make Icy Hot scent but you know what I mean.

Actually, Icy hot is not the answer because it is temporary relief. What you really need to do is build the muscles around those bones. Stretching is all it takes. Do some simple arm stretches before you go to sleep and the pain will go away fairly quickly.. but temporary relief only creates worse problems down the road.