Tennis Elbow Treatment Options

Tennis elbow is a term used to describe an injury that commonly occurs at the elbow. Repetitive motion of the arm that puts undue stress on the elbow, often results into this condition. This injury is marked by inflammation and acute pain on the outer portion of the elbow, and severely affects normal activities of the arm. Even moving a wrist produces a sharp shooting pain that spreads over the entire arm. Although people playing tennis are commonly diagnosed with this condition, the fact is that it can affect anybody.

Cure For Tennis Elbow

The doctor will first ascertain the severity of the injury and then decide the course of treatment. In order to restore normal movement of the arm, following are the different types of evolving treatment options for tennis elbow recommended by doctors.

Restrict Movement of the Joint: Giving rest to the injured tissues as much as possible can speed up healing, and the patient may not even need medications to recover from the injury. People suffering from tennis elbow need to avoid tasks that put strain on the joint. Lifting heavy objects can aggravate the pain and lead to further complications.

Ice: Application of ice on the affected joint that is a source of discomfort, can also help to decrease the pain.

Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs: This non-surgical treatment that is available in the form of tablets and creams are often used to relieve the pain. Although, oral tablets may cause mild stomach irritation, they are useful to ease the discomfort. However, if the patient experiences gastrointestinal side effects, these oral medications must be discontinued immediately.

Injections: In case, icing the affected portion or pain medications fail to provide relief, then the doctors may administer corticosteroid injections to reduce the inflammation of the tendon and the pain.

Exercises: One can take the help of a physical therapist to know the exercises that can help to heal and strengthen the damaged tendons. A point to note that these stretching exercises should be performed, only when the pain has reduced significantly. To be on the safer side, exercise is advised, only when the pain has stopped completely. Make sure you inform your doctor before starting any elbow tendonitis exercises. In case the pain returns back while doing exercises, the activity should be no longer practiced.

Braces: Wearing a brace or a strap provides support to the damaged tissues as well as accelerate the healing process. These braces protect the elbow from further damage. In many cases, it is prescribed to immobilize the elbow to provide complete rest. Doctors generally advise to use tennis braces for not more than one week.

Surgery: This is the last resort to treat this condition and is rarely prescribed. This is because conservative methods of treatment generally work to heal the problem. Before surgery, the doctor may also ask the patient to undergo laser light therapy and wave therapy to alleviate the pain. Surgical procedure involves removing the inflamed tissue that is causing pain.

Natural Tennis Elbow Treatment Options

Natural remedies for tennis elbow have found to be extremely effective to relieve the pain. Herbs that exhibit anti-inflammatory properties are a boon for tennis elbow sufferers. Following are the herbs that can be used to treat inflammatory conditions like tennis elbow.

Turmeric (Curcumin): It is time that people with tennis elbow start using this herb, as it is quite effective to significantly subside the pain, soreness and inflammation associated with tennis elbow. Curcumin (extract of turmeric) is a powerful painkiller used to treat this condition.

Ginger: One of the inexpensive treatment options is to use ginger. Drinking ginger tea from time to time is a good option as ginger has amazing healing properties. Another treatment option is to take fresh ginger root (handful) and put it in hot water. Let it steep for 10 - 15 minutes and then dip a clean towel into the solution . Now apply it on the affected portion to get relief.

St John's Wort: This herbal medicine reduces and soothes the pain and inflammation in the tennis elbow.

Fenugreek: A paste made from milk and fenugreek seeds is applied generously over the injured portion, as fenugreek has excellent anti-inflammatory properties.

Diet for Tennis Elbow
Including certain nutrients in sufficient amounts is very much essential to cure tennis elbow problem. Including vitamin C rich foods is critical as it promotes cellular growth, which help to repair the injury in less amount of time. Vitamin A, required for the production of collagen (a protein found in the tendon and other connective tissues) is also important to repair tissues. Foods high in vitamin E and zinc need to be included in the diet as they kill free radicals that arise due to swelling of tissues as well as decrease inflammation.

Along with the diet, glucosamine supplements can also benefit to restore damaged cartilage and tissues. These supplements are painkillers, and are often prescribed for chronic tennis elbow.