How To Fix Tennis Elbow
Pain in the elbow can be annoying.
But if you know how to fix tennis elbow, it doesn’t have to stop your game.
Even if you don’t play tennis, you’re probably familiar with the pain, weakness, and discomfort of tennis elbow.
People who get tennis elbow may treat it with an ibuprofen and an ice pack, but is this really the best way to treat your sports injury?
In this article, we’ll show you how to fix tennis elbow using a non-invasive—but effective—technique: chiropractic care.
What Is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow occurs when the tendons that connect your arm muscles to the bone in your elbow become inflamed. The particular tendon involved in tennis elbow is called the extensor carpi radialis brevis and connects the muscles in your forearm to the lateral epicondyle, the bony “bump” on the outside of your elbow.
It is called tennis elbow because the repetitive motion of a backhand swing is a common culprit of this condition. When a tightly strung racquet or heavy ball bends your wrist backward, away from the palm, this can create tiny tears in this tendon, leading to inflammation and pain.
However, it isn’t just tennis players and athletes that can get tennis elbow. Plumbers, painters, carpenters, butchers, are also susceptible.
Symptoms of Tennis Elbow
Although this condition is caused by wrist movement, symptoms are typically felt in the muscles and tendons of the elbow joint.
People with tennis elbow often feel pain in the elbow at the lateral epicondyle as well as weakness when gripping or moving the wrist. Pain may also radiate along the forearm and wrist.
How To Fix Tennis Elbow
For many medical providers, a physical examination and a list of your symptoms is enough to diagnose carpal tunnel.
However, some may use an X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine the severity of your condition. In some cases, your doctor may recommend an electromyography (EMG) to rule out the possibility of a compressed or pinched nerve.
Common treatment of tennis elbow includes:
- Activity modification to relieve stress to the tendons,
- Applying ice to the affected area,
- Anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) to reduce swelling and pain,
- Stretching,
- Wearing a brace to stabilize the area,
- Physical therapy,
- Medical massage, and
- Steroid or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections.
However, there is a better way to treat tennis elbow.
Chiropractic Treatment For Tennis Elbow
Contrary to popular belief, chiropractic care can treat more than just the spine.
In fact, because it is a holistic approach, chiropractic adjustments may be more effective at treating the source of your pain, because chiropractors look at the body as a whole. During your adjustments, your chiropractor doesn’t just look at your wrist and elbow, but how your elbow connects to your upper arm and how your arm connects to your shoulder.
By bringing the joints in your arm back to their proper alignment, chiropractors allow your body to heal itself. In addition to reduced pain, you may even find that your range of motion has improved! Chiropractic is also helpful at preventing sports injury.
Tennis Elbow? You’ll Love Oviedo Chiropractic!
Our favorite sports can cause occasional injury, but you don’t have to let pain stop you from doing what you love.
At Oviedo Chiropractic, we pride ourselves on providing state-of-the-art chiropractic care. We offer on-site X-rays to aid in diagnosis and perform adjustments and medical massage at our office, conveniently located off 417 in Oviedo.
Schedule an appointment today to see how we can help you get back on the court.
