Tennis Elbow what causes it and how to fix it

Tennis elbow – what causes it and how to fix it

Tennis Elbow is also called Lateral epicondylitis and is a pain & tenderness on the outside of the elbow and in the back of the forearm.

It is caused by inflammation of the extensor tendon that attaches the forearm muscles to the humorous. Inflammation can be as a result of overuse of the muscles and tendons near the elbow joint. It can be caused by tennis as the name tennis elbow suggests, but is more often caused by repetitive activities such as gardening and decorating, but also in occupations such as hairdressing.

What are the symptoms of tennis elbow?

You will feel a pain on the outside of the forearm just below the elbow which can be made worse by simple tasks such as griping a pen and holding small objects or movements that twist the forearm such as hoovering and ironing, opening a jar or twisting a door handle.

How to treat Tennis Elbow?

Your doctor will probably tell you to rest your arm, ice the area and take anti-inflammatory such as Ibuprofen and stop doing the activity that caused the pain in the elbow to start – which is ok unless it is your profession or a loved hobby that you want to get back to as soon as possible – we know how missing something you love can make you feel.

We would recommend that in addition Tennis Elbow can be treated by gentle manipulation of the forearm muscles and channels within the arm. Pain relief can be gained quickly via acupuncture as the extensor tendon can be directly stimulated to reduce the sensitivity. As an experienced therapist we can offer both solutions to give you as fast an outcome as possible – sometimes in just one session.

We hope that this short article has helped you to understand Tennis Elbow what causes it and how to fix it.

If you are in pain with Tennis Elbow get in touch and we will arrange an appointment to help reduce the pain you are feeling and let you get back to normal day to day living.