ELBOW Archives - Physio Asia

What is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis Elbow or Lateral Epicondylitis is defined as pain experienced in the outer side of elbow and/or in the forearm due to inflamed muscle tendons. It is an overuse injury which typically occurs due to repetitive wrist and arm motions including gripping or twisting motions. In this condition, the wrist extensor muscle group located close to the outer side of the elbow gets irritated and show signs of inflammation.

It does not necessarily affect only tennis players. Any person engaged in repetitive wrist motions can experience this pain. Females are more prone to this condition than males.

Physiotherapy for Tennis Elbow

Physiotherapy Management can include:

Pain relieving modalities like Tens and IFT,
Manual deep tendon release,
Graduated flexibility and strengthening protocol,
Joint mobilization,
Taping to facilitate/inhibit muscles,
Cryotherapy.

How can you self-manage Tennis Elbow?

Avoid aggravating wrist activities and apply ice and compression to your elbow,
Self-release the muscles on the outer side of elbow and forearm with a tennis ball. Slowly roll the ball (in transverse and circular motion) across the muscle belly on the outer side of elbow for 3-5mins. Repeat 2-3 times everyday

Wear a tennis elbow brace to protect and offload the tendons,

Follow a dedicated forearm and wrist muscle strengthening program designed by a physiotherapist,

Modify daily activities to limit condition progression

Some useful exercises to help relieve tennis elbow pain:

Simple elbow and hand exercises

2. Active Elbow extensor stretch

3. Strengthening exercises

Elbow flexion: Begin with holding your arm close to body and later progress with shoulder in 90deg (as demonstrated)

Finger grip strengthening with a rubber band or hair tie.

Wrist flexion and extension with light resistance. Sit on a chair and support your arm on a table so that the wrist is hanging out. Hold the weight in your hand and slowly move it up and down. At home, instead of weights, you can use 0.5ml-1L water bottle as well.

Forearm supination and pronation with light resistance- Bend your elbow to 90^oand rotate your lower arm towards your waist and away from it while keeping the wrist steady.

Disclaimer:

These exercises are just a few examples and should be performed with caution.

Consult us today to get a thorough assessment and specialized treatment plan devised according to your needs.

Tennis elbow or pain on outer side elbow of the elbow is the most common overuse injury in the elbow. Tennis elbow is also known as lateral epicondylitis. However the condition is not restricted to tennis players. It can occur in anyone who does repeated movements leading to overuse of extensor tendon, such as people who spend considerable amount of time typing and using the mouse without proper positioning of the wrist.

Self management includes stretching of the forearm extensor muscles within the pain free range. Some of the simple stretches that can be done for tennis elbow are given here:

Forearm stretch using your other hand:

Make a closed fist with the thumb placed inside the fist.
Extend the wrist and place the other hand on the fist to apply overpressure.
Feel the stretch on the forearm muscles.
Hold for 5-10 seconds (as per tolerance), repeat 10 times in the day.

Forearm stretch:
Place both hands together as shown in the picture.
Try to bring the outer part of the hand together as much as possible, all the way from the wrist to the fingers.
Hold for 5-10 seconds (as per tolerance), repeat 10 times in the day.

Forearm stretch against the wall:
Place the back of your hand against the wall, such that it is at right angles to the wall.
Feel the stretch on the forearm muscles.
Hold for 5-10 seconds (as per tolerance), repeat 10 times in the day.

Forearm rotation:

Place your forearm at right angle to the arm.
Start with your palm facing upwards.

Turn the forearm such that the palm is facing downwards

Triceps stretch:

This stretch is done if you can feel the pain from the elbow going up into the back of the arm (into the triceps).
Keeping your elbow bent try to touch your upper back with the hand.
Use the other hand to apply additional stretch to the triceps.
Hold for 5-10 seconds (as per tolerance), repeat 10 times in the day.

Some other tips that can help to ease the pain and discomfort from tennis elbow are given below:

A good posture is vital to maintain the joints in neutral so that there is no excessive pressure on the joints. If you spend a considerable amount of time working on a computer, then use a mouse pad or ergonomic mouse so that your wrist is in neutral position (not bent upwards) while using a mouse.

Elbow brace can be used to alleviate pain by providing support to the muscles to stabilize the area.

Cold packs to settle the inflammation. Ice packs can help to minimize swelling around the elbow and reduce muscle spasm and pain.

If you participate in a racquet sport, check your racquet for a proper fit. Stiffer racquets and looser-strung racquets often can reduce the stress on the forearm, which means that the forearm muscles do not have to work as hard. Check the width of the racquet handle. If it is too thin it will lead to overgripping, leading to overuse of the extensor muscles.

Adequate warm up before and after exercise by gently stretching your elbow and arm muscles.

Our physiotherapists can help you to manage your tennis elbow and assist you with exercises to take care of any pain or complications arising from your tennis elbow. Call us for an appointment or send your queries to: info@physioasia.com

Tennis Elbow

Category: ELBOW

Tennis Elbow

Tips to manage tennis elbow