Have you ever experienced pain or weakness in your elbow radiating into your lower arm, your hand and fingers? Then you may have experienced Tennis Elbow.
Despite its name, most people who are diagnosed with tennis elbow are not tennis players.
What is Tennis Elbow?
Your elbow is a joint made up of three bones: your humerus (upper arm bone) and your radius and ulna (forearm bones). There are bony bumps at the bottom of the humerus where several muscles of the forearm start called epicondyles. The bony bump on the outside of your elbow is called the lateral epicondyle.
Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis is a condition that occurs when there is inflammation or, in some cases, micro-tearing of the tendons that join the forearm muscles on the outside of the elbow.
Tennis elbow is not to be confused with Golfer’s Elbow which relates to the tendons on the inside of the elbow.
What are the symptoms of Tennis Elbow?
The most common complaint of tennis elbow is pain or a burning sensation radiating from the outside of your elbow into your forearm and wrist.
The pain associated with tennis elbow may become noticeable and worsen when you grip objects like a pen, shake hands, turn a doorknob or open a jar, hold a cup of tea/coffee, lift or bend your arm. You may also find it difficult to fully extend your arm.
Some people also report swelling and/or tenderness in the elbow.
What causes Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow is a repetitive strain injury (RSI) often due to damage of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) muscle that helps to stabilise the wrist when the elbow is straight. When the muscle is overused, it gets weak and micro-tears can occur in the tendon where it attached to the elbow. This leads to inflammation and pain.
Our experience tells us that in most of the cases we see, the painful area is not the problem but is a compensation for another area in the body. A twist or misalignment elsewhere causes the body to use the elbow and wrist to compensate by overworking and over time that leads to inflammation and pain.
Athletes are not the only ones at risk of getting tennis elbow. If you are using your forearm muscle repeatedly and vigorously or repeatedly extending the wrist and hand, there is potential for you to get tennis elbow. Activities such as carpentry, typing, painting, knitting and raking all involve repetitive movements or gripping that could lead to tennis elbow.
It can also sometimes occur after banging or knocking your elbow and in some cases occur without knowing why.
What is the solution?
They path to rapid relief and long-term resolution is to identify what the ‘problem behind the problem’ is and to address that, allowing your body to stop compensating and to resolve the inflammation in your elbow.
Ignoring the pain of tennis elbow won’t make it go away. Once pain in your elbow starts to appear, your body may start to compensate in the way that you use your arm which can lead to dis-function in other areas of your body too.
While icing, strapping of the elbow, taking anti-inflammatories or pain killers, shock-wave therapy, exercises or steroid injections may help with some temporary relief, they do not address the root cause of the problem.
Surgery to remove the damaged tendon would be an extreme option and should only be considered after all other non-surgical treatment options have been considered. As with all surgeries, there are risks with tennis elbow surgery. These include infection, nerve and blood vessel damage, possible prolonged rehab, loss of flexibility and the need for further surgery.
A Chiropractor will consider the many factors that may be contributing to your pain. They will do a thorough medical history, perform a series of Chiropractic, neurological and orthopaedic testing, digital posture scans, and (when necessary) X-ray imaging, to examine reasons for your pain and present a non-surgical, drug-free solution.
Everything in your body is controlled by your nervous system so Chiropractic adjustments may help to correct the underlying problem, reduce the stress on the muscles and tendons, provide effective pain management and reduce the risk of further injuries.
The key to preventing tennis elbow is to avoid overuse. Seeking help from a professional to have your equipment checked for proper fit and to correct your form when playing sports can be of great benefit and often improve your game!
Your Chiropractor will also be able to advise on any changes to your workstation, sitting, sleeping or standing habits and any other lifestyle factors that could be contributing to your pain.
