I'm a 50 year old percussionist/srummer and play a lot. Like so many of us, I have been aware of possible tendonitis as we over-use and/or grow older.  For years I have been working with tennis elbow. I've done both traditional and non-traditional stuff and have done a fairly good job of managing it.

Around the new year I played 5 high-energy gigs in 4 weeks... lots of volume and long hours. It looks like I hurt myself.   

My elbows, and now shoulders, are still quite sore. Using the techniques I know, I've SLOWLY been improving. I'm impatient.

So group, what advice can you give me?

Felix, getting older sucks... er... nevermind.

I have had a shot in my elbow years ago, but I just don't wanna do that again.

I have been considering the glucosomine tabs. What dose are you taking? Does it upset your stomach.

Yes, I pop advil too 

Lot's of good advice.

I would suggest a little extra stretching before playing and after, just to help relax the muscles a bit. Plenty of water before a show or night of playing. Staying hydrated is really important and you have to make sure that you drink enough a few hours before in order to get your body fluids up to par. If your getting dehydrated during a show it's too late, it takes time to build up.

It doesn't hurt to get a little extra help loading and unloading your equipment as well. I've done more dammage to myself lifting hardware cases at the end of the night when I was physically exhausted than from actually playing.

Obviously a good massage every once in a while does wonders.

The Chiroprator is a good alternative, my back has been fixed rescued many times.

Try a good vitamin supplement as well.

I used a pair of those wrist bands desogned to stabalize your wrist a couple years ago when I was having hand pain and a weaker grip in my left hand. It did wonders and my hand felt great at the end of th night. I'm not sure if it was scientific or just in my mind, but it did work.

Rest is always the best.

Also, consider soaking in Epsom Salt solution and, yeah, getting a good diagnosis from your physician.

Well... I'm only 16 and having shoulder problems...
I play anywhere from 5-10 hours a day and I play snare in marching band, which is about 30 lbs on my shoulders/back for several hours a day during marching season. At the beginning of last winter drumline season, my right shoulder had been reduced to where it hurt to touch my left elbow from behind my back. Almost like clockwork my left shoulder is getting more injured to the point where it also hurts to reach my right elbow behind my back.
I tried shoulder exersises for quite a while and didn't get any results so I stopped. For now I push through the pain and try to make sure I still use as much of the range of motion as I can to make sure they don't lock up like my mom's did. I take some Advil before shows or extended rehearsals, too.
I think I need to see a doctor but my parents don't agree with me. What do you guys think?

I just turned 47.  I've been dealing with a bad back and shoulder for several years now.  The aches and pains come and go - sometimes worse than others.  Like someone else mentioned, you should do serious stretching before playing.  And afterward, my best advice is to ice down the problem areas.  That works wonders for my shoulder and back, whether I'm plyaing or working out at the gym.  The next day I try to get in my hot tub for a good soak.  But if I get in hot water soon after I play or work out, that makes things worse due to swelling.

Dude I'd see a doctor real quick. My drum teachers told me about stuff like that. Just chill out for awhile, your killing your self man. It's great your passionate, but unless you want your drumming career to be over at 16, I'd see a doctor real quick. I'm 18, and deal with a leg problem, and I have metal in my leg, I'm just so happy I'm able to play without feeling pain. So for real man, see a doctor, practice a little less, and maybe ask to play something else in marching band, maybe mallets for right now. I dont know man, the decision is up to you, but if you really want to play drums longer than 16 years old, see a doctor.

-EML.

Get a steroid shot for tennis elbow (lateral tendinitis of the elbow).

I have dealt with this for years, but I hesitate to take the time out of work to get the operation for it (which works very well) so I just get a steroid shot about once every 6 months for my tennis elbow. Stops it immediately, dead in it's tracks. No pain at all. Have your doctor use some numbing medicine mixed with the steroid, and the pain will literally be gone in about 5 seconds. It may ache a little the next day, but after that no more pain. I have found that the time period that I require for injections is getting longer and longer.

Steroid shots for this problem are not dangerous (steroids can cause tendons to "atrophy", so you don't want to get repeated steroid shots, for example, in a finger or anyplace near a tendon). Atrophy of the part of the muscle that originates at that bony bump on the side of your elbow (the lateral epicondyle) is what you WANT to happen - the operation simply cuts this section of the muscle/bone away.

Go ahead and knock yourself out with special splints, stretching, therapy, pills (I've tried all of this), but all of them have been a waste of time for me.

It does temporarily make your elbow feel better if you go to the gym, tie a rubber strap up high on a bracket, twist the involved side's wrist up in the strap, and then "hang" from the strap, pulling on your elbow. You can even use a light weight in your other hand to increase the pull. This is what my therapist had me do. It felt better for awhile, but quickly came back. This therapy is just another way of trying to pull the origin of that muscle off of that little bone, so it doesn't hurt anymore.

Realize that you don't NEED to have the muscle originate on that bony point (it is an embryological remnant), as the muscle is also attached for a long way on one of the bones in you forearm, so function does not change with elimination of that small piece of bone and muscle. Just no more pain.

Good luck.