What is tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow is a repetitive strain injury, also known as lateral epicondylosis. Lateral refers to the outer part of the arm when standing upright with the arm at the side. Tennis elbow is often referred to as outer elbow pain (lateral) or inner elbow pain (medial) but it often comes from overuse of the arm muscles that straighten the fingers and wrist, causing pain in the elbow and forearm.
Over time, this repeated overuse can damage tendons, fibrous cords that connect muscles to bones, or other muscles. The tendon attached to the elbow becomes swollen and inflamed. Simple movements like shaking hands or turning a doorknob can cause moderate to acute pain. Tennis elbow pain is common in both men and women, but is most common in people between the ages of 30 and 50.
What Causes Tennis Elbow?
Lateral epicondylosis is one of the most common forearm problems disorders, which can cause a significant reduction in movement and function. The area around the outer elbow bone becomes irritated and inflamed by sports or repetitive daily activities. Many people who have never played tennis will develop tennis elbow. Often, inflammation of this part of the elbow is caused by simple daily activities such as gardening, using scissors, or carrying heavy work bags.
It is estimated that less than three percent of the world’s population suffers from the disease, but only about five percent of people who play tennis. The most common cause of tennis elbow in tennis players is the use of the wrong tennis racket or the wrong backhand stroke. Using a tightly bound racket increases the force on a player’s arm, and hitting the ball with the wrong part of the racket can also contribute.
Symptoms of tennis elbow include outer elbow pain, point tenderness (pain when touched) at the outermost point of the elbow, pain when holding or holding something in the hand at the wrist, elbow stiffness in the morning and a ringing sound, and pain when lifting with the hand. wrist with palm facing down to something with weight.
Tennis Elbow Treatment
Treatment and management of tennis elbow focuses on pain relief and discomfort as a result of tension in the muscle tissue and tendons in the affected area. Changing the repetitive activities that cause the condition is also addressed. Avoiding activities that require gripping, twisting, or lifting will help restore damaged tissue. Using an ice pack can improve circulation by reducing swelling in the affected area. The use of analgesics is often recommended.
Tennis Elbow Exercises
Tennis elbow treatment exercises can help strengthen weak arm muscles, which may be the cause of the problem. This exercise can also be a healing treatment, or a rehabilitation exercise for people who have undergone tennis elbow treatment or tennis elbow surgery.
- Supination with dumbbells: The supinator muscle is a large forearm muscle that attaches to the elbow. It is responsible for supinating the palm up and is often involved in tennis elbow-causing movements. Hold a light to moderate dumbbell and rotate your arms to lift them forward and down.
- Wrist extension: The muscle group responsible for bending the wrist is the wrist extensors. This is a small muscle that connects to the elbow that is easy to use, especially during racket sports. Hold a light to moderate weight dumbbell and rest your arms on your thighs or table while hanging from your wrists palms down from the back of the thigh or the table. Keep your arms in place as you bend your wrists up, and repeat.
- Wrist flexion: The muscle group that works opposite the wrist extensors is the wrist flexors. This is a small muscle that connects to the elbow that is also easy to use, causing inflammation and pain. Hold a light to moderate weight dumbbell and rest your arms on your thighs or table while hanging from your wrists hands up from the back of the thigh or the table. Keep your arms in place while bending your wrists up and repeat. This exercise is also known as a wrist curl.
Your doctor may recommend steroid injections to help reduce inflammation and pain. Steroid injections for tennis elbow are often used as a last resort as they can have annoying side effects, including pain at the injection site, atrophy, and damage to the tendons around the elbow. Physiotherapy, splints and braces, blood injections, shock wave therapy, and surgery are some of the more advanced treatments used to manage tennis elbow.
Rest is the first choice for treating tennis elbow, because this allows the body to heal itself. Using anti-inflammatories, as well as heat and ice, is the second step in treatment. For prolonged support during healing, a device designed to relieve pressure on the affected area called a “Tennis Elbow Strap” is useful. Exercise, stretching, and massage have also been found to be effective.
If none of these traditional options help people get the relief they need for their elbow condition, they may consider alternative therapies before surgery. Acupuncture is one of the alternative therapies used, along with heat therapy, splinting, laser therapy, physical therapy, and trigger point therapy.
Acupuncture For Tennis Elbow
Acupuncture combined with massage has been found to be effective in the treatment of tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis. Research involving 90 athletes concluded that acupuncture and TCM massage were effective in treating lateral epicondylitis.(1)
The participating athletes were divided into three groups. Group 1 received acupuncture only. The 2nd group received only massage, and the 3rd group received a combination of acupuncture massage and Traditional Chinese Medicine. All 3 groups experienced very positive clinical results. The combination of acupuncture and massage was better compared to the other groups, showing a synergistic effect.(2)
In a smaller but similar study to fire needle acupuncture, participants were treated with fire needle acupuncture at the trigger point, or Ashi point, at the most painful point on the affected elbow. Researchers found that fire needle acupuncture patients experienced pain relief and were able to move their joints without restriction in all directions.(3)
Massage For Tennis Elbow
A massage therapist can help with tennis foot pain. A common technique used to relieve elbow pain is called friction, or local soft tissue manipulation using fingers and thumbs. Friction can be done at home without professional help, but most non-practitioners don’t know what to look for or how to deliver treatment, so it’s best to use a qualified sports massage therapist. Deep massage, stretching, and strengthening of affected tissues can also be beneficial if done correctly.(4)
Tennis Elbow Brace
A tennis elbow brace or tennis elbow strap on the upper arm provides compression that can help reduce the symptoms of tennis elbow. Brackets are most useful when you need to twist or grasp something. Wearing a tennis elbow brace or strap on the arm below the elbow will reduce pressure on the affected tendon and distribute the force on the arm.
The fit of a tennis elbow brace or strap is one of the most important factors when considering a tennis elbow brace. It should fit tightly to provide compression and support without cutting off circulation. You also want to make sure that the brace is breathable and absorbs sweat when worn. A good elbow tape, strap or brace coupled with appropriate rest and anti-inflammatory aids is the easiest and most natural therapy and is how most people treat tennis elbow.
Tennis Elbow Surgery
Surgical treatment for tennis elbow should be used only as a last resort. Tennis elbow surgery may be recommended when symptoms do not respond to nonsurgical treatment after 6 to 12 months. Most tennis elbow surgical procedures involve removing the diseased muscle and reattaching the healthy muscle to the bone using arthroscopic surgery. Arthroscopic surgery allows visualization of the elbow joint to ensure that there are no other sources of pain, as well as removing the damaged tendon without detaching the tendon from the bone. Unfortunately, some studies have shown that surgery may not be effective for the long-term treatment of tennis elbow.(5) (6)
How Long Does Tennis Elbow Take to Heal?
After you rest and begin therapy, you may feel better within 2 to 4 weeks, but it may take up to 6 to 12 months for the tendon to heal. In extreme cases, the pain persists for two years or more. If your pain and symptoms do not improve after 6 weeks of home treatment, your doctor may recommend corticosteroid injections, which may provide short-term relief so you can begin therapy and rehab exercises.
