If your doctor says you have tennis elbow, you might wonder what in the world they’re talking about since you don’t even play tennis! Surprisingly, tennis elbow doesn’t just affect tennis players; in fact, you can get tennis elbow from all kinds of sports, activities, and even duties on the job. Tennis elbow is a more common name for what is known in the medical field as lateral epicondylitis. This is an overuse injury that affects the tendons that connect the muscles in your forearm to the bones in your elbow. Repetitive activities that emphasize the elbows, forearms, and wrists can all lead to tennis elbow, and physiotherapy is one type of treatment that can help.
How Tennis Elbow Happens
Lateral epicondylitis got its nickname based on the repetitive backhand swing in tennis, which involves a strong grip on a tennis racket while you mainly utilize your forearms to hit a ball. This type of motion done over and over again can put pressure and strain on the muscles and tendons in your forearm and you may start to experience pain on your elbow. The tendons in your forearm can become inflamed when they are aggravated, which can be painful. The muscles can even strain or develop tiny tears due to overuse. When you have a tight grip on a racket or tool, it can also cause you to tense up your forearm muscles and tendons, which puts pressure and pain on your elbow.
Tennis elbow is a relatively common sports injury for people who participate in racquet sports and other sports that involve a lot of arm movements. It is also common off the field, like in musicians of certain instruments or jobs that require the use of heavy tools or repetitive motions like carpentry, painting, and plumbing. No matter whether you are on the job or on the field, you can develop tennis elbow and that pain can start to affect your ability to move through your daily life.
Three Treatment Options for Tennis Elbow
Here are three treatment options to consider if you struggle with tennis elbow.
R.I.C.E.
R.I.C.E. is an at-home remedy for mild cases of tennis elbow. It stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Rest is key to you experiencing pain relief after an overuse injury like tennis elbow. In order to manage the pain, you need to take time to rest in between activities and keep the pressure off of your affected elbow, forearm, and wrist. If you know a sport you love is causing you this type of elbow pain but you want to keep participating, then make sure you are taking healthy breaks in between to give your elbow a chance to heal. Icing the area can also help to address the swelling and inflammation that can occur. Compression is also helpful in addressing inflammation and can also help provide more stability in your elbow or wrist. Elevating the area helps to reduce blood flow temporarily so the swelling can go down.
Physiotherapy
If you struggle with elbow pain that won’t go away even after you try at-home remedies like R.I.C.E., then you should see a doctor for physiotherapy. A physical therapist can assess how your muscles and tendons have been affected by the repetitive motions and help address your pain. Physiotherapy for tennis elbow will focus on pain management through stretches and gentle massage of your sore muscles. A physical therapist can also walk you through stretches and exercises that can help you warm up before participating in the activity that was causing you pain. Stretches and exercises can also help you to regain range of motion and strengthen your muscles so they better support the elbow.
Chiropractic Care
A chiropractor can also help you experience pain relief through an all-natural and non-invasive treatment approach. When you see a chiropractor for tennis elbow, they will want to assess the elbow joint and also the shoulder and wrist to determine what isn’t functioning well and what areas could be better supported. Any misalignments can be gently and safely corrected by a chiropractor, which will also help restore blood flow to the area. Chiropractors also use therapeutic massage and other types of techniques to help improve functioning in the area.
Stay pain free on your next adventure! At AICA Orthopedics in Conyers, our team of chiropractors and physical therapists can work together to provide you with comprehensive, individualized care to address your tennis elbow pain so you can experience lasting pain relief.