Corpo Bene'

Tennis Elbow Facts

Introduction

Tennis elbow is a common complaint of athletes involved in racket and throwing sports. It involves pain on and around the outside (or lateral) part of the elbow. The formal name for the elbow is the epicondyle. If there is tendonitis around the lateral elbow, it becomes known as tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis . When there is tendonitis on the inside (or medial) part of the elbow, the condition is known as golfer’s elbow , or medial epicondylitis . Young boys also can develop little league elbow from pitching too much or hard without enough rest or recovery time.

People with tennis elbow frequently complain of pinpoint pain around the lateral elbow. The pain may travel around the elbow, down the forearm to the wrist, or up the arm to the shoulder. The pain is made worse during continued activities like practicing a backhand stroke in tennis, throwing a soft ball, or practicing handstands in gymnastics. Repetitive tasks, such as painting, hammering, inputting on a computer keyboard, or using a screwdriver also increase pain. As symptoms worsen, people complain of difficulty holding up a cup of coffee, turning keys in locks, shaking hands, doing needlework, or playing musical instruments.

Typically tennis elbow begins slowly over time due to repetitive movements using incorrect body mechanics. Continuing the activity after the initial injury occurs, overloads the tissues, causes inflammation, and complicates the injury.

When should you see a Neuromuscular Therapist (NMT)?

Even though lateral epicondylitis may be caused by a wide variety of conditions, usually it can be treated conservatively without surgical intervention. If your pain is so severe that you have difficulty with your normal activities, you should see an NMT. The provider you select will help you with ways to better control your pain and to improve your ability to perform desired activities.

Rehabilitation

An NMT will perform a functional examination to rule out serious conditions, discover functional weaknesses, and help you identify specific goals of treatment. There may be restrictions in your foot, hip or shoulder, which cause you to put unnecessary stresses on the elbow to complete your task. When striking a tennis ball 90% of the power is generated from your legs not your arms! Your rehab exam will uncover these hidden causes to your problem.

Once your pain is under control, and your doctor has ruled out serious conditions, there are simple exercises, which may help you to stabilize your elbow. By increasing your function, these exercises become the key to your healing.

Along with rehabilitation exercises, the NMT may perform gentle mobilizations to the restricted muscles, myofascial release, as well as recommend simple changes to your work or play activities. The goal of treatment is to relieve your pain and increase your function. Remember try not to focus on pain. Throughout the treatments, try to focus on your functional improvements. It is these improvements in what you can do and how long you can do it, which allow you to increase your activity level, and return you to your normal activities.