Tennis Elbow Home Cures

June 23rd, 2010

Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is a condition in which the elbow’s outer section becomes painful as well as tender. Even though this medical condition is mostly associated with people who play tennis and other racquet sports, it can affect anyone who works with their hands like fencers, golfers, and manual laborers including carpenters, gardeners, painters, and plumbers. It is estimated that five out of every 1,000 people suffer from this condition. Tennis elbow occurs when the tendons, ligaments, and muscles around the forearm and the elbow joints are damaged as a result of neuro-biomechanical stress or overuse of muscles due to recurring movements like wrist turning as in the case of tennis.

As the condition progresses, small tears in the form of micro tears get built up in the tendons and muscles, which regulate the movement of the forearm. The result is pain and inflammation accompanied by constraints in movement. Eventually, it can become severe when micro tears form calcium deposits and scar tissue. If not treated quickly, the calcium deposits and scar tissue may put increased pressure on the muscles as well as nerves thus pinching the nerves that help for the easy functioning of muscles in the forearm. The symptoms of this disease develop gradually. Tennis elbow starts with a dull ache and gradually gets worse over weeks and months. A burning sensation and pain on the elbow’s outer part and frail grip strength are some of the symptoms of tennis elbow.

Tennis Elbow Treatment

Depending upon the severity of the disease, the doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medications, cortisone injections, Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy or Autologous Blood Injections. If it is in the initial stage, the doctor may advise you to perform some exercises and to make some alterations in your lifestyle by stopping the activity that caused you pain in the elbows. On the other hand, if it is in a secondary stage, the physician may recommend you take anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and aspirin. If it is severe, you may sometimes require cortisone injections. There are also extreme situations in which a patient suffering from tennis elbow has to undergo surgery.

Tennis Elbow Home Cures and Exercises

Tennis Balls Since the treatment as well as recovery of tennis elbow can be a lengthy process (sometimes years), its prevention is undoubtedly the best strategy. If you are a tennis player, then you can prevent the onset of this disease with the help of some equipment adjustments like choosing a racket with a racket head of not more than 90 – 100 square inches. Equally important for the prevention of tennis elbow is the strengthening of muscles around the elbow. Some of the exercises that are considered effective to strengthen your elbow are ball and sock squeezes, wrist deviation, wrist curls, and biceps curls. Stretching exercises in the form of wrist flexor stretches and wrist extensor stretches are also helpful for the prevention of tennis elbow. It is even more beneficial if you perform warm up exercises like thumb and finger opposition, wrist circles, and hand flips. All of these exercise can be performed at home on your own time and don't require an expensive physiotherapist.

However, making alterations in gaming techniques and strengthening your elbow muscles may not prevent or reduce the chances of developing tennis elbow. Other ways to prevent tennis elbow are:

To use the right movements as well as techniques while performing activities, such as lifting the weights properly while weight lifting
To use appropriate exercise equipment that suit your capability, body weight, and strength
To alternate hands when performing activities
Change or stop activities that cause pain and strain to your tendons
To give adequate rest (by waiting until any discomfort is gone before beginning another exercise)
To strengthen the muscles of the arms, upper back, and shoulders
To wear a counterforce brace – a kind of strap – around the forearm for arm movements that require twisting
To thoroughly learn the proper techniques of your favorite sports like golf and tennis
To educate yourself about techniques that will not stress your elbows while doing daily routines or hobbies like playing musical instruments and cooking

Above all, if you feel that certain activities involved in your job cause pain or strain to your elbow, then talk to your human resources personnel in order to help you to contribute to a healthy working environment.

In short, following appropriate preventative measures can help you to reduce the chances of developing this debilitating and painful disease.