Serving Up Relief for Tennis Elbow
Even though the name is associated with tennis, most people who develop lateral epicondylitis (or tennis elbow) don’t even play the sport. Surprisingly, experts say that less than five percent of patients with tennis elbow pick up a racket regularly. Tennis elbow is a repetitive motion injury caused by overuse at the gym or in front of a keyboard. But no matter how it begins, it ends up causing excruciating pain to sufferers.
Symptoms of Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow is a type of tendonitis, which means that the main symptom is pain. If you have tennis elbow you probably feel discomfort when you:
- Make a fist
- Grip an object
- Shake hands
- Lift something
- Raise your hand
In order to diagnose tennis elbow, your chiropractor will have to perform a thorough examination. He or she will ask you to flex your elbow, arm and wrist to find out where the pain is coming from and to decide upon a course of treatment.
Treating Tennis Elbow
Patients with tennis elbow typically find that the body is able to heal on its own. However, the recuperation period can be reduced by incorporating the following treatments:
- Ice to reduce the swelling
- Performing range of motion exercises
- Giving the injured area a rest
Tennis elbow also responds well to chiropractic care. Your doctor of chiropractic is able to examine the problem and diagnose any irregularities in the elbow or in the muscles of the wrist or arm. Frequently, a misalignment in the shoulders, back, or even neck can lead to a compensation injury in the elbow. In some cases, adjusting these areas may be enough to fix the problem.
Recovering From Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow can take a long time to heal. You can speed the process up by wearing a counterforce brace. This brace is meant to be worn just below the elbow to spread pressure along the entire arm, instead of placing it all on the injured tendon.
Your chiropractor will want to know how you injured your elbow so that you can work together on a plan to prevent the area from being reinjured. If your tennis elbow occurred while on the job, you may want to talk with your chiropractic team about how to incorporate proper ergonomics to avoid further pain. Your doctor of chiropractic can also provide you with exercises that you can do at home to strengthen the muscles in your arms.
Tennis elbow is a painful condition that can strike anyone, despite its sporty name. If you’d like to learn more about how to reduce your risk of developing this condition, or if you think you’ve already developed tennis elbow, talk to your chiropractic team. They’ll be able to help you correct the problem and come back swinging.
Always consult your chiropractor or primary care physician for all your health related advice.