Tennis elbow – Without Ever Playing Tennis!
Posted on October 19, 2008
Filed Under Tennis
Tennis elbow, medically named lateral epicondylitis, is an inflammatory condition affecting the outside of the elbow.
This elbow pain is due to tendonitis and periostitis (inflammation of the outer layer of the bone) where the tendon for the common wrist extensor muscles attaches to the humerus. This results in pain with any activity involving the contraction or moderate stretching of the wrist extensor muscles.
These activities would include writing, typing, lifting objects while the palm is turned down, or using a screwdriver. The pain usually has a gradual onset with no visible swelling. Stiffness or pain in the elbow is usually evident after prolonged periods of rest.
One of the tests for tennis elbow is to attempt to hold on to the top of a book with the palm turned downward. If this proves to be painful in the outside of the elbow, you likely have tennis elbow.
Thus tennis elbow is not so much a problem with the elbow joint, as with overuse of the muscles that are connected to the elbow – those same muscles which extend or straighten the wrist – as in the tennis backhand.
If this muscle group tightens too much, it will lead to a decrease in joint space in the elbow thereby resulting in an increase in pressure and inflammation in the joint. This results in pain in not only the epicondyle, but the radial-humeral joint as well.
Conventional treatment of this condition may involve the use of anti-inflammatory medication and muscle relaxants along with temporary lifestyle modification. Physiotherapy modalities that may be employed include laser therapy, TENS, interferential current, or ultrasound.
Chiropractic treatments are also helpful. These include soft-tissue techniques such as Graston, active release, or cross-fiber friction massage. Chiropractic adjustment of the elbow joint, can also bring relief.
By doing a chiropractic adjustment, pressure is taken of the joint by briefly separarting the joint surfaces by just a couple of millimeters. Easing that pressure eases the pain. Sometimes some manipulation of the wrist can also help.
As we have seen, it is tight muscles that cause the elbow pain. But if the wrist tightens up, the muscles have to work harder, thus putting more tension on that lateral epicondyle. So keeping the wrist supple and flexible should help to ease the condition.
The use of a tennis elbow band may also prove effective in decreasing symptoms. This works by forming an artificial origin for the muscle before it crosses the elbow. This allows a decrease in tension of the wrist extensor muscles as they cross the elbow which eases tension on the lateral epicondyle and decreases pressure on the elbow.
Rest would, of course, be ideal. But sometimes some lifting has to be done. In that case , be careful to make sure that you only lift with the palm of the hand turned upward. This causes the wrist flexors to be used more than the wrist extensors.
Two things that have been found to help is to limit salt intake to help reduce water resorption in the body and to supplement with Vitamin B6.
It is best to check with your medical doctor or chiropractic professional if you feel that you have this condition for with proper assessment, a treatment plan can be initiated will help with accelerated recovery.
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