Acing Tennis Elbow

If you are a tennis player your chances of becoming a pro are not as good as your chances of developing tennis elbow. Tennis elbow, or Lateral Epicondylitis, is a condition that is caused by damage to the muscles and tendons in the forearm. It can be caused by repetitive strain  such as swinging a tennis racket or by any other activity that places an unusually high load on the tendons near the elbow such as raking leaves, golfing, bowling or using a screwdriver. An incorrect backhand stroke in tennis where the elbow bends excessively or if the wrist bends too much can create greater force on the muscles surrounding the elbow. At first Tennis elbow may start as an ache or soreness near the outside of your elbow on the side opposite the palm. Eventually the pain may become so bad that everyday activities like shaking hands or picking up a cup may become difficult.

Treatment includes Rest for at least 2 weeks and possibly as much as 4-6 weeks if the pain persists. Ice the area at least twice per day for about 20 minutes for the first 5 days. Begin stretching and strengthening exercises after the fifth day.  A Tennis elbow strap may help to minimize the force on your elbow when you return to play. At Peak Performance we use a combination of therapy to treat Tennis Elbow. Active release therapy helps to break down the scar tissue along with Graston technique which is an instrument-based manual therapy. This is done for the first few weeks in conjunction with Kinesiotaping. Exercises to strengthen the forearm and upper arm muscles are incorporated after the first week. Most cases resolve within 4-6 weeks. If you have been suffering from Tennis elbow for many years then it may take longer to resolve. Seek treatment as soon as possible to reduce the risk of suffering from chronic pain.