Tennis elbow is the swelling of the tendons, connecting the muscles of your lower arm to the bone, causing pain in the elbow and arms. It doesn’t necessarily affect tennis players but it can affect anyone at any age.
Causes of Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow may develop over time after repetitive gripping activities. These activities strain the tendons found on the arms causing them to swell. The tissues may also undergo microscopic tearing due to strain in the muscles. This leads to pain in the elbow and arms. People who are likely to get this condition include:
- Squash players
- Weight lifters
- Painters
- Carpenters
Symptoms of Tennis Elbow
Pain in the elbow is the common symptom of tennis elbow. You may also feel a tenderness in the bony knob outside your elbow. The pain is as a result of torn tendons that connect to the bone in the lower arm. The pain may progress to the upper arm. The pain intensifies when you lift something, raise your arms, straighten your wrist or shake hands.
Treatment
Over-the-counter medication may relieve your pain but if it persists your doctor may recommend therapy. Surgery is recommended if the elbow injury is severe.
Therapy
Physical therapists at Absolute Physical Therapy will evaluate your movements involving your job to determine how to reduce the stress on the injured tendons. Physical therapy at Absolute Physical Therapy involves exercises to stretch and strengthen your muscles. Eccentric exercises which involve raising your wrist and lowering it slowly provide successful treatment.
Ultrasonic tenotomy
The physical therapists at Absolute Physical Therapy insert a needle through your skin to the injured tendon. Ultrasonic energy is passed through the needle and liquefies the damaged tissue which can then be suctioned.
Lifestyle and home remedies
Rest is very helpful as it relieves stress on your tendons. Application of ice or heat can relieve the pain on your elbow. Ensure that you use the proper technique when doing any activity to avoid repetitive motions.
Tennis elbow can prevent you from doing your daily activities hence, should not be ignored. One should take precautions when carrying out any activities. Resting can provide effective treatment for tennis elbow and should be taken into consideration.