Understanding Tennis Elbow : Symptoms to Management

You don’t need to be a great tennis player to have Tennis Elbow.  In fact you don’t even need to be a tennis player.  Many people who have this condition have never picked up a tennis racquet in their life!  It is a condition that affects anybody who has an active lifestyle and makes repetitive movements with their arms, wrists or elbows. Known as Lateral Epicondylitis, Tennis Elbow is the result of inflammation of the muscle in your forearm which is attached to the outside of your elbow.  Repetitive motions and stress caused by the overuse or repetitive movements of the elbow and/or wrist results in inflammation of the forearm muscle tendons that attach to the outside of the elbow. Repetitive motions and stress can cause tiny tears in the tendons, leading to pain and tenderness.

Common Complaints

The primary symptom of Tennis Elbow is pain and tenderness that can be felt into the forearm and wrist.  This can affect you in your daily life because you will have: 

Weak grip strength – it will be difficult to hold a cup or squeeze a sponge 

Pain when lifting or bending your arm

Discomfort when turning the forearm, much as you would do when opening a door using a doorknob

Pain that worsens with repetitive wrist or elbow movements (typing, using a mouse)

Difficulty when playing sports or doing manual labor

Sharp pain when walking your dog, especially if they pull on the lead

Who Suffers with it?

Age: It is most common among 30-50 year olds 

Repetitive activities: Carpentry, painting, sculpting, DIY or even knitting. 

Athletes: Racquet sports like tennis, badminton, and squash and people who use bad technique when at the gym.

Manual workers: People who frequently use tools like screwdrivers, hammers, or plumbing tools.

Office workers: Long hours typing or using a computer mouse.

Household tasks: Activities such as washing clothes, cooking, or lifting heavy objects

Self-Management

Rest and Ice (15-20 minutes, several times a day).

Pain Relief: Over-the-counter pain medication can help reduce pain and inflammation.

Brace: Wearing an elbow brace can provide support and reduce strain on the tendons.

Exercises: Gentle stretching and strengthening exercises can improve flexibility and muscle strength.

 

What treatment is available?

 

• Physiotherapy

Massage: Using our expert Manual Therapy, we can help reduce muscle tension and increase blood flow to the elbow. 

Joint Mobilisation: Using the latest techniques, we can improve the movement in your elbow and decrease any stiffness that you might feel. 

• Corticosteroid Injections

This is an anti-inflammatory medication that is injected directly into the elbow using an UItrasound Guided Injection, and it reduces both pain and inflammation in especially severe or persistent cases.  This therapy is administered by a trained professional and can offer fast relief. It is best used in conjunction with other treatments, so that we can get to the root cause of the problem and solve your Elbow Pain. Using Injection Therapy in conjunction with Physiotherapy can really help you improve quickly.  If the elbow is too painful to move or touch, then the Injection Therapy helps with the pain and swelling, and allows your skilled Relive Physiotherapist to work on the elbow, improving mobility and strength. 

• Ultrasound and Shockwave Therapy

Ultrasound Therapy uses high-frequency soft sound waves which will be applied on your elbow, and this will help increase blood flow, reduce your pain and accelerate the body’s natural healing process. 

Shockwave Therapy delivers high-energy pressure sound waves to your elbow, stimulating healing and thereby reducing pain. It's particularly useful for chronic cases where the pain is bad.

• Exercise Therapy: 

This is an essential part of the recovery and prevention of Tennis Elbow and involves:

Stretching Exercises: Gentle stretching of the forearm muscles to improve your flexibility.

Strengthening Exercises: Targeted graded exercises to strengthen the forearm and wrist muscles, reducing the strain on the tendons.

Functional Exercises: Activities that mimic daily tasks to improve your movement and prevent the problem reoccurring.

If you are suffering from Elbow Pain and are not sure what it could be, then your first port of call should be Chester’s Best Sports Injury Clinic, Relive Physiotherapy.  Our skilled Physiotherapists will be able to examine you properly, give you a confirmed diagnosis and then talk to you about the different strategies and treatment plans you can follow, meaning your treatment plan will be customised and tailored to your needs and your abilities.  

Tennis Elbow can be painful and disrupt your daily life, but with the right management strategies and treatment plan, you can improve your symptoms and return to your regular activities, things that you were able to do without even thinking about them before the pain struck.  

There are a number of different treatment paths that we can offer and these will depend on you and your needs.  However, one thing is for certain, leaving an injury such as Tennis Elbow and just resting will not improve your condition.  In fact it might just make it worse!