Tennis elbow occurs when elbow tendons are damaged from overuse, typically from a repetitive motion that strains the forearm muscles used to move your wrist. Microscopic tears form in the tissue, leading to inflammation. In some cases, chiropractic care may offer lasting relief to those suffering from tennis elbow.
Causes and Symptoms of Tennis Elbow
Despite being named for the sport, most people who develop tennis elbow do not do so from playing tennis. Any repetitive activity that strains the forearm muscle in the same way can lead to tennis elbow, such as sports like javelin, discus, golfing, and badminton. Jobs and hobbies, like butchering, painting, typing, and cooking, can have the same effect.
Pain is the most common and obvious symptom, beginning gradually and worsening over time. It usually radiates outward from the bony protrusion on the outside of the elbow and spreads to the wrist and forearm. You may have difficulty straightening your arm and could experience some muscle weakness when trying to grip, turn, or carry objects, even if they’re not particularly heavy. Depending on your case, your pain may worsen at night.
Tennis Elbow Treatment
Tennis elbow heals best in six to 12 weeks with proper use of the RICE method:
- Rest. Take a break from the activity that caused your injury, and immediately stop any others that worsen your pain.
- Ice. With a towel to protect your skin, use ice to reduce swelling and pain in your elbow, forearm, and wrist.
- Compression. Using an elastic bandage to wrap your elbow decreases swelling and provides stabilization. Take care not to wrap so tight that you restrict your circulation.
- Elevation. Whenever possible, especially while icing, keep your arm above or at heart level to further reduce swelling.
If unaddressed, the pain can last much longer. See a doctor if the RICE method doesn’t improve your condition, in which case physical therapy may be suggested.
In order to regain full muscle control and prevent it from developing again, the root cause of tennis elbow should be addressed. This could mean correcting your golfing form or investing in some ergonomic assistance for the office. Certain exercises can also help strengthen your elbows.
Often, tennis elbow is a symptom of a larger problem involving poorly functioning joints or misaligned bones in the hand, wrist, elbow, or neck. As such, chiropractic care is a popular treatment. After correcting the issue, massage and release techniques are used to increase blood flow to the area. With a chiropractor’s help, full range of mobility can be recovered and the chances of a relapse can decrease.
Tennis elbow can bring a grinding halt to an important job or favorite hobby—don’t let it keep you from doing what you love longer than it has to. For further questions or to request an appointment, visit Crossroads Chiropractic online.
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