Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Tennis elbow affects the majority of persons who do not play tennis. Tennis elbow affects fewer than 5% of persons who play the sport. Anyone who utilises their elbow, wrist, or hand repeatedly for their employment, sport, or pastime might develop tennis elbow.
Tennis elbow is a painful condition caused by misuse of your arm and forearm’s “extensor” muscles, especially where the tendons join to rounded projections of bone (epicondyles) on the outer or lateral face of the elbow. All of the muscles in your hand that grip, twist, and transport objects attach to the “lateral epicondyle” near the elbow. As a result, a movement of the wrist or hand can actually produce elbow pain.
Tennis elbow is caused by prolonged wrist and hand use, such as while using a computer or running machinery — and, of course, when playing tennis with an inappropriate grip or technique. Athletes, non-athletes, children, and adults are all susceptible. It affects adults between the ages of 30 and 50 and is more common in men than in women.
Signs and Symptoms
Tennis elbow symptoms might appear quickly as a result of using the wrist and hand excessively for activities that involve force, such as lifting, twisting, or pulling. Extensor muscle fibres can be injured by vigorous movements, such as pulling hard on a lawn mower starter cord, resulting in tennis elbow.
Tennis elbow symptoms usually appear gradually over a period of weeks or months as a result of repetitive or violent use of the wrist, hand, and elbow. If you work as a grocery store cashier, you may get tennis elbow as a result of repetitive (and frequently too forceful) typing, as well as constant lifting of food bags.
Among your symptoms could be:
- The pain spreads to your forearm and wrist.
- Difficulty performing everyday chores like twisting a doorknob or grasping a coffee cup.
- Gripping activities are difficult.
- When you use your wrist and hand to lift objects, open jars, or grip anything securely, such as a knife and fork, you may have more pain.
- Instability in the elbow.
- Weakness in the wrist, hand, or forearm.
Diagnosis
Tennis elbow is caused by repetitive movements. Other muscles and joints in this area of the body may be impacted as a result. Your physiotherapist at Alton Discomfort Clinic in Alton, Hampshire, will examine not only your elbow but also other parts of your body that could be affected and contributing to your pain. Your therapist will use unique manual tests to diagnose the problem and rule out disorders like muscle weakness that could have caused the issue in the first place. The therapist may, for example, ask you to gently tighten or stretch the uncomfortable muscles in order to pinpoint the specific site of the problem. An x-ray is rarely needed to diagnose this illness.
How a Physiotherapist at Physiocare Twyford can help?
The First 24 to 48 Hours
Treatment for the first 24 to 48 hours after the beginning of acute pain includes:
- Avoiding certain activities and altering the way you do others to give your arm a rest.
- Using cold treatments for 10-20 minutes.
- To relieve the pressure on the aching muscles, use elastic bandages or supports.
Your physiotherapist at Physiocare Twyford in Reading will determine whether you need to wear a brace or support to protect your muscles while they heal. Treatments such as cortisone injections or surgery may be required in some circumstances. Your physiotherapist can assist you in determining whether or not you require a referral to another medical professional.
Your physiotherapist can create a customised treatment plan to help you recover faster. You will very certainly be expected to conduct exercises and other treatments at home. Your physiotherapist may also employ manual therapy, customised exercises, and ice or heat treatments, or a combination of the two, to assist ease discomfort.
It’s critical to treat a “acute” instance of tennis elbow—one that has arisen within the last several weeks—as soon as possible. Tennis elbow, if left untreated, can become chronic and linger for months, if not years. This is especially true if your treatment focuses just on pain relief rather than addressing the muscle weakness and unhealthy habits that may have contributed to your illness in the first place.
Improve Your Ability to Move
Manual therapy may be used by your physiotherapist to help your joints and muscles move more easily and with less pain.
Improve Your Strength
Tennis elbow is caused by a lack of muscle strength. The muscles of the wrist and forearm can be weak at times. The difficulty is often caused by a lack of strength in the supporting postural, or “core,” muscles. In fact, you may find that improving your general fitness is required to assist manage your elbow ailment. Your physiotherapist in Twyford can select the type and number of exercises that are appropriate for you based on the results of the evaluation.
Physiotherapists recommend a variety of activities to help you heal from tennis elbow:
- Your therapist may offer passive exercises to move your wrist and elbow without using your muscles early in the treatment, when the discomfort is the worst.
- As your symptoms improve, you will be able to actively move your wrist and elbow without help.
- You will be able to use weights or resistance bands to further boost your strength as the muscles become stronger and the symptoms lessen. To ensure that you continue to progress and prevent re-injuring your muscles, the amount of weight you lift must be properly managed.
Use Your Muscles the Right Way
Your physiotherapist can assist you in retraining your muscles to ensure proper use. When lifting a large supermarket bag, for example, the muscles surrounding your shoulder blade and trunk should contract to give support for your arm muscles. This simple action, which can be taught to you by a physiotherapist, can help you return to your daily activities while avoiding re-injury by reducing the stress on the affected muscles.
Return to Your Activities
Your physiotherapist at Physiocare Twyford, Reading will educate you how to alter your daily routines to avoid pain and additional damage so that you can stay active. Changes are sometimes necessary at work, on the sporting field, or at home. To relieve the strain on your hand, wrist, and forearm, your physiotherapist can help you make easy changes to your work environment, computer setup, kitchen items, sports equipment, and even gardening tools. Your therapist will stress the need of stretching to give your muscles a break from repetitive actions and standing or sitting in the same position.
Injection Therapy For Tennis Elbow
How Do I Book Cortisone/Steriod Injection For Tennis Elbow?
To book for a steroid injection you can call our normal reception line, 0118 934 4055 or email direct to physio@physiocare.co.uk requesting an appointment for an injection. Please include your name, date of birth, your address and GP contact details. You will be sent a form to complete and forward back to us or bring along on the day which gives information about the injection.
Shockwave Therapy for Tennis Elbow in Twyford
Shockwave therapy is effective treatment for Tennis elbow recommended by NICE. Learn more at our shockwave page here.
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