With the warmer season, we mainly want to enjoy outdoor activities like tennis, climbing or simply painting the garden fence.
Unfortunately, sometimes a combination of poor physical preparation, overzealous repetitive movements or overload can spoil the fun. Result: we end up with annoying and sometimes debilitating pain in the outside of or elbow: could this be a “tennis elbow”?
We might just wait till it gets better but that can take up to several months to improve. Here some more information and what Swissphysio can do for you:
1. Tennis elbow: what is it
2. Tennis elbow symptoms
3. Causes
4. Treatment
5. Prevention
1. Tennis elbow: what is it?
Lateral epicondylitis or lateral epicondylalgia, known colloquially as tennis elbow, among other names, is a condition where the outer part of the elbow becomes sore and tender.
While the name “tennis elbow” suggests a strong link to racquet sports, this condition is most commonly seen in:
People who work with their hands :
Jobs that may require repetitive movements, like working at the computer, but also painters, gardeners, waiters, carpenters, plumbers, and even musicians like guitar players.
Athletes
Sports participants with incorrect technique or inadequate muscle training, In addition to racquet sports, tennis elbow is seen in golfers, fencers, swimmers and climbers to mention a few.
- Pain over the outside of the elbow (lateral epicondyle)
- Pain when lifting objects and cocking back the wrist.
- Pain from gripping and grasping objects and movements of the wrist
- Pain from activities that use the muscles that extend the wrist (backhand shot, pouring a container of liquid, lifting with the palm down as well as activities of daily living)
- Painful grip while shaking hands or turning a doorknob
- Pain radiating down the forearm
- The weakness of the forearm
3. Causes
Tennis elbow is often an overuse injury. The pain associated with this condition usually has a gradual onset, but it may also come on suddenly as a consequence of a trauma such as a direct blow to the elbow, a sudden forceful pull, or forceful extension. The acute pain that a person might feel occurs when they fully extend their arm.
Disorders of the rotator cuff, bicipital tendinitis, or carpal tunnel syndrome may increase chances of tennis elbow.
That means that the onset of a “tennis elbow” can be the result of a combination of various factors like:
- Repetitive movements with either high intensity or poor technique, poor equipment or a combination of those
- Poor shoulder stability/ control often resulting from poor posture at work and/ or during activities. This also includes restrictions of movement resulting from old scar tissue and adhesions in other parts of the body.
- Irritation off the Radial nerve due to problems at the cervical spine (often posture related)
Treatments given at Swissphysio always aim to solve the problems from the root. For this reason, an experienced chartered physiotherapist will first thoroughly. The assessment will be focusing not only on your elbow but also the whole body and the biomechanics of neck, trunk and arm in relation to your daily activities and your actual and past medical history.
Treatment usually includes:
- mobilisation and manipulation of soft tissue and joints
- shockwave therapy
- Kinesio taping
- strengthening and stretching exercises for the arm, shoulder, neck and core.
We create an exercise program specific to the need of the patient. If requested we can assess the workstation or the position of the car seat.
In some cases, the severity of tennis elbow symptoms mend without any treatment within six to twenty-four months. However, Tennis elbow left untreated can lead to chronic pain and movement adaptations that can degrade quality of daily living.
- Improve the stability of the shoulder and your posture
- Strengthen the muscles of the forearm, upper arm, and the shoulder and upper back Increased muscular strength increases the stability of joints such as the elbow. Stay in overall good physical shape.
- Make sure your working station is well assessed and take enough breaks during a repetitive task.
- Warm up before sport, DIY and painting jobs https://swissphysio.co.uk/videos/pain-free-diy-part-1-warming-up-routine/ and cool down https://swissphysio.co.uk/videos/pain-free-diy-part-2-cooling-down-routine/
- Like other sports, use equipment appropriate to your ability, body size, and muscular strength.
- If already injured or feeling pain in the outside part of the elbow, decrease the amount of playing time. Gradually increase the intensity of activity.