Treating Tennis Elbow - How to Treat Tennis Elbow

What is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow, referred to in medical terminology as 'lateral epicondylitis', is a stress injury where the tendons on the outside of the elbow are damaged. Stress injuries emanate from overuse or exertion of an affected body part. The injured tendons in a tennis elbow injury are the ones that connect some of the muscles from the hand and forearm to the arm. Tennis elbow causes pain that starts from the outside of your elbow, and carries to your forearm and wrist. A person may also experience pain when they extend their wrist, and may also suffer from forearm weakness. Certain activities, such as shaking hands or turning a doorknob, may be fraught with pain.

Causes of Tennis Elbow

As stated earlier, tennis elbow is caused by overuse. Repeated contraction of the forearm muscles that are used to straighten and raise your hand and wrist, often results in inflammation or a series of tiny tears in the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the bone at the outside of the elbow. As its name indicates, playing tennis can cause this injury, especially the use of the backhand stroke with poor technique. But it is not caused only by playing tennis, and other repetitive motions, including using plumbing tools, painting, raking and weaving, can also cause this painful affliction.

How to Treat Tennis Elbow

If the pain from a tennis elbow isn't debilitating, you can wait it out as in several cases it gets better on its own in six months to two years. Most people use ice packs to treat the area and take painkillers and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.) or naproxen (Aleve) before they seek formal treatment. The best tennis elbow treatment is to give it rest.

Treating Tennis Elbow

When you visit a doctor for treating tennis elbow, he/she is likely to first analyze the way you use your arm. You may need to be evaluated by an expert, who would suggest the best steps to reduce stress on the injured tissue. One way this is done is by keeping your wrist rigid during tennis strokes, lifting or weight training, or any other activity, thus using the larger muscles in the upper arm, which are better able to handle stress.

Treating tennis elbow may also be done through exercises that stretch and strengthen your muscles, especially those in your forearm. Once your doctor or physical therapist shows you these exercises, you have to continue doing them at home. The physical therapy, in conjunction with wearing a strap or brace (which reduces stress on the injured tissue) may help improve the condition.

Another way of treating tennis elbow where the patient is experiencing severe and persistent pain, is by injecting a corticosteroid medication. Corticosteroids assist in reducing pain, swelling and inflammation. While they rarely cause serious side effects, they don't offer a long term solution either. There are also topical corticosteroids that may be used. If all else fails, the last option is surgery. Surgery is usually only recommended if other treatments have not worked for longer than six months. Surgery involves either trimming the inflamed tendon, or surgically releasing and then reattaching the tendon to relieve pain.

The answer to how to treat tennis elbow lies in the acronym PRICE, which translates into - protection, rest, ice, compression, elevation. Most people have found it the most effective way to treat tennis elbow.