Give that pain the elbow

This month I will be talking about Tennis Elbow. This is a  very common injury that affects the tennis player, manual workers and people who work at desks. 

What is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow or its anatomical name, “lateral epicondylitis”, is a painful condition felt in the outside of the elbow and forearm. It is more painful when gripping, when playing racquet sports, mountain biking, and activities where you extend your fingers and wrists such as typing, or playing piano.

How does it occur?

The extensor muscles in the forearm that extend your wrist and fingers attach into a single point on the outside of the elbow, so when the muscles contract or tense they pull at the elbow, causing repetitive strain, trauma and inflammation, which in turn causes pain and possibly swelling.

How can you treat it?

If you are unfortunate enough to develop tennis elbow, there are certain things you can do to help the condition or alleviate the pain.

1. Use a tennis elbow strap or sports tape to compress the point of tenderness, which helps stop the muscles that pull on the elbow.
2. Use ice packs to help reduce swelling and inflammation.
3. Massage the elbow and muscles of the forearm to help reduce tension and strain on the elbow.
4. Stretch the muscles of the forearm by keeping the elbow straight, with your palm facing down and flex your wrist towards the floor.
5. Use anti-inflammatory gels to massage into the elbow.
6. If you play racquet sports, try changing the grip on your racquet to a slightly wider grip, as having a narrow grip encourages you to grip tighter.This is very common in tennis players who change racquets, to a new one where the grip is narrower.
7. Changing your posture at your desk can have a positive effect on reducing tennis elbow.
8. If you have tried these steps above and you are still experiencing pain, then you should consult a physiotherapist, who can treat the painful condition.

If you manage this condition early enough then the recovery time is much shorter and the overall outcome is very successful. It is always advisable to prevent a problem from getting worse than to try treating it once the painful symptoms are more chronic and persistent. If you have any queries related to this article please feel free to email me at info@louisjonesphysio.co.uk or call me on 01273741515.