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Treatment for tennis elbow is not simple and following a protocol will most likely give no benefits to a patient. There are many treatments for tennis elbow, but its precise etiology or root cause is not yet determined. That is why there is no specific drug to permanently cure this ailment. However, several treatment options for tennis elbow have been medically adopted to manage its tennis elbow symptoms. Usually, Treatment for tennis elbow starts with simpler and more conservative measures then move on to more complex procedures.
Lifestyle Change
Since tennis elbow is most common among manual laborers and sports athletes, then it is believed that modification of lifestyle is key in preventing its recurrence. If a person’s right hand is his dominant hand, he can switch to using his left hand more when doing work. For athletes, especially tennis players, using properly sized racquets is recommended. Passive exercise to improve blood circulation is also advised.
Anti-inflammatory Drugs and Steroids
Medications with anti-inflammatory action are given to patients to control pain and inflammation. For a lot of patients, elbow pain responds well to anti-inflammatory drugs. Cortisone or Steroid injections are given if changing lifestyle and taking anti-inflammatory drugs are insufficient to improve this condition. It is a powerful drug that inhibits the inflammatory process.
Elbow Brace
An Elbow Brace is also one of the treatments for tennis elbow, it is a device worn on the forearm directly beneath the elbow. This works by redirecting the pull of the irritated muscles and transferring the pressure directly under the brace, instead of the pressure being exerted on the worn-out tendons.
Surgery
Removing a section of the damaged tendon, or releasing its attachment, are among several surgical interventions for Tennis Elbow that have been done successfully. However, the need for surgery is usually not common, as most patients improve without difficulty while using the more conventional types of treatment.
Shock Wave treatment
This is a new type of treatment for tennis elbow. It works by breaking up scar tissue and dead cells that have accumulated around the elbow joints. This is done by sending shock waves to the affected area. It is noninvasive, and an alternative to surgery.
However, the best treatment for tennis elbow is a natural treatment that focuses on the cause of the problem and uses different exercises you can do at home without too much difficulty to not only take away the pain but also prevent tennis elbow pain from reoccurring.
What is a tennis elbow?
Tennis Elbow also referred to as Lateral Epicondylitis, or pain in the lateral elbow is a common condition that spans in severity from inflammation of the elbow tendons to an actual tear within the tendon.
Caused by repetitive use that places strain on the two elbow tendons which extend to the wrist, people with tennis elbow have pain during wrist extension. Certain activities which include lifting a coffee mug or jug of milk can cause the elbow pain associated with lateral epicondylitis.
The lateral epicondylitis region of the elbow has two tendons, the ECRL and the ECRB. These tendons go down the arm and attach to two bones in the wrist and hand. The ECRL and the ECRB work to pull the wrist and hand upward for an extension. When a person has a tennis elbow, there is a limited blood supply where the two tendons attach at the elbow. This makes it harder for the body to heal or recover from tendonitis once it begins. It also helps to explain the chronic nature of this condition.
Tennis elbow is frequently resulting from an overuse injury of the epicondyles of the elbow joint. It happens when the muscles, ligaments, and tendons around the elbow joint are strained due to repetitive or enormous activity. Tennis elbow can as well happen after hitting or bashing an elbow.
What causes tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow is caused by activities that put a constant strain on the muscles around your elbow can cause tennis elbow. In tennis, hitting a backhand puts a little strain on the muscles in your forearm that contract when you hit the ball. When your technique is poor or you grip the racket too tightly, the tendons that connect the muscles in your forearm to your elbow become more stressful. This can lead to small tears in the tendons.
Other tennis elbow causes are:
- You can get tennis elbow by playing other racket sports like squash or racquetball.
- Cutting down trees with a chain saw
- Painting
- Carpentry
- Playing some types of musical instruments
- Kitchen work, such as cutting with a knife
- Plumbing
- Working on cars
- Working on an assembly line
- Another tennis elbow cause is a direct blow to your elbow can also make the tendons swell.
Who is at high risk to develop tennis elbow?
Based on the occupation/sports that a person is engaged in there are two major groups of people that are susceptible to tennis elbow:
People engaged in everyday physical work.
There is a strong correlation between the type of activity a person engages in and tennis elbow, since manual labor involves lifting heavy weights, or involves more than normal stress on the wrist, arm, and elbow, people like laborers, carpenters, plumbers are usually a high-risk category for tennis elbow. Tasks that involve long durations of wrist and elbow movement like painting also can lead to tennis elbow.
Apart from manual laborers, there are also weight lifters that are a part of this high-risk category, especially professional weight lifters that have been lifting weights since a very young age, make themselves susceptible to tennis elbow.
Athletes
Tennis elbow is called so because tennis players were one of the first group of people who reported the problem, this does not mean that only tennis players are afflicted by tennis elbow, however, people who are engaged in racquet sports like badminton are also equally susceptible to tennis elbow. Athletes like golfers and those competing in more weight oriented sports like the shot put and the discus throw have also been known to be affected by tennis elbow.
Since certain activities are more likely to affect a particular part of the elbow or arm, the symptoms experienced by people suffering from tennis elbow also vary, whereas pain on the outside of the elbow is a common symptom other than that the symptoms can vary from shooting pain in the forearm, to pain while lifting weights or pain during simple activities like using a wrench.
Depending on the particular tendon group that is damaged and other deciding factors, differential diagnosis of tennis elbow is divided into categories like anconeus compartment syndrome, bursitis, cervical radiculopathy, radio-humeral joint dysfunction, lateral epicondyle avulsion, musculocutaneous nerve entrapment, non-union of a radial neck fracture, osteoarthritis, posterior interosseous syndrome, posterolateral rotatory instability, radial nerve tension, radial tunnel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, strained lateral collateral ligaments and snapping plicae syndrome
The only thing to remember is that tennis elbow is curable and when diagnosed on time, the time taken to recover is less.
What are tennis elbow symptoms?
The most common tennis elbow symptoms is an ache on the outside of your elbow. Over time from a few weeks to a few months, the ache turns into constant pain. The outside of your elbow may be too painful to touch.
Other tennis elbow symptoms are:
- Pain located outside of your elbow that could extend into your forearm and wrist
- Loss of strength in your forearm
- The offset of pain when you extend your wrist
- Pain during specific movements that call for contracting the muscles in your hand (shaking hands, opening jars)
- Not being able to lift or hold small objects
Tennis elbow symptoms can get worse over the following weeks and in some cases even months and if you don´t take the appropriate steps to deal with your problem, you will find that even after being cleared of it, the tennis elbow symptoms will return at some point or another. If you have been suffering from this for weeks it is advisable to go to your doctor and get his professional advice
Natural Treatment for tennis elbow
Natural Treatment for tennis elbow involves exercises, Acupuncture, home remedies that can be easily achieved. These natural treatments for tennis elbow have been proven to be more effective than other treatments for tennis elbow and what is more important, any form of natural treatment for tennis elbow is safe and causing no side effects.
Listed below are different Natural treatments for tennis elbow
Exercises for tennis elbow one of the most essential parts of the natural treatment for tennis elbow
Exercises for tennis elbow is one of the natural remedies for tennis elbow. Below are 3 simple exercises for tennis elbow you can perform to help increase the range of motion, decrease stiffness, improve mobility and strength of your injured muscles and tendons.
Wrist Extension
- To achieve this exercise for tennis elbow, you will need a can of soup or a 1 liter of soda. Place a soup can or 1 liter of soda in your hand with your palm facing downwards toward the floor. Support your forearm at the edge of a table or on your knee so that only your hand can move. Let the wrist down slowly go past parallel to almost 90 degrees with your forearm and then slowly come back up to parallel with the floor.
Forearm Pronation/Supination
- To achieve this exercise for tennis elbow, I recommend you use a hammer, wrench, something that you can get a nice grip on. Once you have something in your hand with your forearm supported by the arm of a chair, your knee, or coffee table. Rotate hand to palm down position, return to start position (hammer perpendicular to the floor), rotate to palm-up position, repeat.
Finger Extension
- To achieve this exercise for tennis elbow, interweave a thick rubber band around all five fingers. Keeping your elbow as straight as possible [but if you feel pain when you completely straighten your arm only straighten as far as you can without pain], try to straighten and spread your fingers outwards as if you were going to catch a softball. Hold for three seconds, then let your fingers relax naturally; do not close your hand completely. For added resistance, use a second rubber band. Repeat for 25 repetitions for 3 sets.
Home remedies for tennis elbow – most popular approach to natural Treatment for tennis elbow
Home remedies for tennis elbow are easy to achieve at home, listed below are home remedies for tennis elbow you can try today:
- It may seem like a simple treatment, but it’s one of the most effective home remedies for tennis elbow if there is too much irritation or inflammation in the elbow area. Resting your arm and not subjecting it to the movements that triggered the inflammation and pain will help. You can still do your daily activities as long as you avoid movements and motions that could further irritate the tendons. When you resume your activity, do so slowly, and stop if you start to feel that familiar pain.
- Ice packs on your elbow are one of the treatments for tennis elbow at home that can help reduce inflammation and pain. Don’t apply ice directly to your skin as this can damage it. Wrap the ice in a cloth or towel. Hold the ice pack in place for about 15 to 20 minutes at a time, 3 to 4 times a day.
- Massage for tennis elbow is a natural remedy for tennis elbow that has been practiced and proven to be effective to relieve symptoms of tennis elbow. Massage for tennis elbow properly done will improve blood flow and reduce inflammation, which are keys to reducing pain associated with severe tennis elbow.
Consume a lot of fruits
- Fruits like pineapple are high in vitamins which can help speed up recovery.
Note: Learning proper technique when performing activities is also important for treating tennis elbow and ensuring it does not come back.
Acupuncture for tennis elbow – traditional oriental natural Treatment for tennis elbow
Acupuncture for tennis elbow is one of the natural remedies for tennis elbow that effectively treats and reduces symptoms of tennis elbow by allowing for a more natural energy (Qi) flow throughout the body.
Acupuncture is a popular treatment for tennis elbow. It involves the use of fine needles to correct the flow of qi or energy in the body. It is a painless treatment for tennis elbow and many people find it very relaxing.
Acupuncture for tennis elbow is used largely to provide pain relief. Studies have shown that acupuncture relieves tennis elbow pain for significantly longer than other treatments for tennis elbow and also an overall improvement in the level of pain felt. If you don’t like the thought of needles, laser acupuncture is an excellent alternative to traditional acupuncture.
Acupuncture for tennis elbow in combination with massage therapy is effective for the cure of tennis elbow aka lateral epicondylitis. Recent clinical studies were performed on ninety participants at the Science and Experiment Center of Guangzhou Physical Education Institute.
The group of athletes that received acupuncture combined with massage treatment exposed the best improvement compare to the groups that received physical therapy and anti-inflammation medicines. No adverse symptoms or side effects occurred. The trial determined that acupuncture and meridian massage are safe and highly effective for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis.
Classic acupuncture, ear acupuncture, and electric acupuncture in combination with TCM massage have a historic record for the efficacious treatment of lateral epicondylitis.
For acupuncture treatment of tennis elbow, we recommend starting therapy as soon as the first symptoms manifest so that we can resolve the problem fast. When patients come for treatment in the earlier stages of the tennis elbow we are often able to cure them just in a few procedures. Our success rate is high even when the condition is in the chronic stage, but the earlier you start treatment the less you suffer. We typically insert several needles all over the affected ligament and also use acupoints on the distant parts of the body to reduce pain and inflammation systemically. Also, for a better result, we supply our patients with the traditional Chinese cream Zheng Gu Shui – effective topical cream for tendonitis.
Acupuncture for tennis elbow works, even when all other medical interventions have failed.
Conclusion on natural treatment for tennis elbow
Holistic natural treatment for tennis elbow is effective, safe, and affordable. In the majority of cases patients that receive lateral tendinitis treatment recover fast and are able to continue their sport and work activities.
If you suffer from tennis elbow, don’t wait and contact our clinic for an appointment and treatment.
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