What is Tennis Elbow? Is this injury related to only tennis players? You’ll find out the causes of tennis elbow and its treatment Do you want to know if there is any tennis elbow treatment at home?
There is a strong misconception that Tennis Elbow (tendonitis in the elbow) can happen to only those who play Tennis. However, several patients are causing these diseases even though they aren’t related to sports. Tennis Elbow is a repetitive strain injury (RSI) that involves micro-tears of the tendons near the elbow.
- Pain around the Elbow
- Soreness
- Difficulty in Shaking Hands or Squeezing Objects
- Instability of Hand while the Wrist
- Feel Pain While Lifting something, Even the Lightest Loads
- Weakness of the Forearm
- Tenderness on Lateral Side of the Elbow
Why Do We Get Tennis Elbows?
One can get Tennis Elbow through working on an ergonomically bad keyboard and mouse for long hours. In such cases, the pressure falls entirely on the elbow and thus subjecting it to enormous pressure and pain. Of course, tennis elbow is most common among cricketers, tennis players, or squash players.
Activities that Can Cause Tennis Elbow:
- Bricklaying
- Carpentry
- Knitting
- Meat Cutting
- Painting
- Playing Musical Instruments
- Plumbing
- Typing
- Wood Cutting
In addition to the above list, tailors, artists, and factory workers who use scissors constantly are prone to this type of tendonitis of the elbow.
Tennis Elbow Causes
Tennis Elbow is caused by the repetitive use of the forearm which puts constant pressure on the tendons near the elbow joint. This abuse of the lower arm brings about irritation and miniature tears in the elbow ligaments which are the connective tissues associated with the muscle and bone. An individual experiencing Tennis Elbow can battle to lift even the lightest of loads including a teacup when the injury is extremely serious. Even while sleeping, people with tennis elbows would feel discomfort because of the pain caused by bending their affected arm. When the injury is severe, the affected person may get a constant feeling of the elbow popping out from the hand!
Tennis Elbow Treatments
A qualified physiotherapist will give you the most effective treatment to help you recover from Tennis Elbow. The treatment can last a minimum of one week during which the physiotherapist will warm up the elbow region using a heating pad and then give electrotherapy and ultrasound therapy. If the elbow pain is still not manageable after the physiotherapy, the other options are to get a cortisone injection right on the affected region, and even if that doesn’t work, then surgery is the last option to remove the inflammation.
Tennis Elbow Treatment at Home
If you want to get rid of this process as soon as possible you should try Rice Treatment which is more easily and more convenient to reduce elbow aching. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Your elbow pain can come down to a manageable level if you stop the repetitive activity that caused it in the first place. Stop that activity for a few days and allow the affected elbow enough rest to help it recover on its own.
Regular massaging of the elbow using ice helps in numbing the area temporarily and helps in increasing the blood circulation which reduces tendon inflammation. Wear a compression band or an elbow brace that holds the hand together near the elbow and reduces the tension in the forearm muscle. Finally, elevate the affected hand above the heart level which increases the blood circulation and gradually helps in decreasing swelling.
Tennis Elbow Rehabilitation
Tennis elbow recovery time is highly variable from person to person. However, the pain can be effectively managed through physiotherapy and by incorporating slight changes in the techniques of moving and bending our hands. This means better ergonomics, wearing an elbow brace, and others. Tennis elbow recurrence is very common as most people fail to stop the activities that give them livelihood. It is therefore advisable to strengthen your forearm muscle through various tennis elbow exercises such as squeezing the ball, pulley exercise, and hand gripping exercises during the rehabilitation period.
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