Tennis Elbow Treatment

The cause of tennis elbow is an inflammation of the muscle attachments on the lateral epicondyle of the elbow and

Tennis Elbow Treatment

will be required. Is a variety of tendinitis. Lateral epicondylitis, also called “tennis elbow” is the term used when the muscle attachments on the side of the elbow are inflamed.  Medial epicondylitis, epitrocleitis or “golf elbow” refers to inflammation of muscle attachments on the inside of the elbow. In both types of epicondylitis pain may occur at the level of muscle insertion into the bone of the elbow or may radiate to the forearm muscles and occasionally to the wrist.

Epicondylitis is usually related to overuse or direct trauma to the area.  The pain is worse after a heavy or repetitive use of the limb. Activities that involve gripping or rotation of the forearm strong aggravating especially.

NON SURGICAL TENNIS ELBOW TREATMENT

Nonsurgical treatment has three main components: protection, reduction of inflammation and strengthening the muscles and tendons.

Protection: Includes

• Reduce activities that cause pain

• Modify activities that aggravate pain

• Reduce the time or intensity of activity

• Perform stretching breaks

Other protection methods include using an elastic elbow brace or splint wrist and occasionally cast immobilization.  A stretching program can be useful for reducing muscle tension on the tendon affection. The stretches include the affected arm and neck, upper back and shoulder, hand, wrist, forearm and triceps.

The second component of non-surgical treatment is aimed at decreasing inflammation of the tendon. This can be achieved with ice, physical therapy modalities (such as ultrasound or iontophoresis), anti-inflammatory medication and injections of corticosteroids.

You can apply these simple treatments at home:

Apply ice after exercise periods / work to reduce inflammation and get temporary relief from pain. For the application of ice surrounding the elbow and forearm with a damp cloth and place a bag of crushed ice on it. Keep ice for 15-20 minutes.

Friction massage and ice: Can be used to reduce inflammation and promote healing of the inflamed tendons. Ice causes constriction of the vessel surface, the friction dilators. To apply ice massage, fill a plastic cup with water and place in freezer. Cut the top half of the plastic cup. Gently massage the painful area with ice dunks every five minutes.

For friction massage, use the tips of the thumb or index. Rub the painful area. Start with light pressure and gradually go up to apply firm pressure. Continue the massage for 3-5 minutes.  Alternating ice and massage, always ending with the icing so that the affected area will not remain inflamed.  Repeat 2 or 3 times a day.

The third component of non-surgical treatment consists of stretching and strengthening exercises of the muscles and tendons affections.  This is usually done after the above steps have managed to decrease the pain.  In some cases, when pain does not improve with other measures, a strengthening program will lead to complete resolution of symptoms.

Your tennis elbow treatment should start with the exercises once you have been without pain for several days. The stretching and strengthening exercises are necessary for proper rehabilitation.  The stretching of the flexors and extensors of the forearm as described will help to prevent muscle imbalance.

Tennis Elbow Brace

Although tennis is not the only cause of tennis elbow, other sports can contribute to in and there will be a need to wear a

Tennis Elbow Brace

to help comfort your elbow.  The cause of this is the repetitious movement of the elbow leaving it sore.  Having tennis elbow will mean pain ranging from mild to acute.  The following are ways to identify the
signs and symptoms of ulnar nerve compression syndrome:

• Localized pain in the posterior-inferior area of ​​the medial epicondyle, which increases with local tenderness, extension and radial deviation of wrist flexion with passive and resisted ulnar deviation

• Pain starting in the inside of the elbow

• Pain in forearm

• Hand pain

• Numbness of the hand or the ring finger and little finger

• Clumsiness of the hand and thumb muscle weakness

Patients tend to let them drop objects from the hands because of:

• weakness

• numbness

• clumsiness

These sensations may occur with activity or rest and in severe cases, the small hand muscles can atrophy or lose power.  As you can see there are quite a few signs and symptoms that would require you to wear a tennis elbow brace.  The most effective treatment for cubital tunnel syndrome is the interruption of the activity causing the problem.  Treatment may include:

• Reducing or ceasing any activity, such as bending, that aggravates the elbow are useful to prevent hyperflexion of the elbow and also to relieve pressure on the nerve

• Use a splint or foam pad on the elbow during the night (to limit movement and reduce irritation)

• Use an elbow pad (to protect against chronic irritation from contact with hard surfaces)

• Keep the pressure-free side-by avoiding lying down on hard surfaces (this can relieve symptoms)

There are many causes that involve pressure on the ulnar nerve at the elbow.  Activities that involve prolonged elbow flexion also apply pressure on the nerve.  The most common cause of cubital tunnel syndrome is the constant rubbing of the nerve in the tunnel cubital happens mainly in cases in which patients repeatedly bend the arm causes the nerve to stretch and compress the cubital tunnel (tennis).  Some of the activities that can cause this are:

• The repeated stretching of the nerve in the cubital tunnel (baseball)

• Cyclist

• Carpenter

• In sports such as tennis, golf, baseball (forced hyperextension)

• The swelling of the tissues and bones contiguous cubital tunnel (as in the case of rheumatoid arthritis)

• Fractures of the arm-elbow

When you have injured your elbow, having a tennis elbow brace will help with your actives by helping your arm and help save if from further injury.  This important so that the elbow will heal.  The last thing anyone wants is to further aggravate the injury.