Tennis Elbow, it’s not just in athletes!

Have you started to notice that when you grab your coffee cup in the morning or open a door knob you are experiencing pain on the outside of your elbow? Have you noticed your grip strength seems weaker? If you have thought, YES, to these, you might be experiencing something that is called lateral epicondylitis, better known as “Tennis Elbow”. And NO, it is not only seen in athletes!

What exactly is Tennis Elbow, or Lateral epicondylitis? It is described as inflammation of the outside part of your elbow. This is where the tendons of the muscles that extend your wrist and fingers backwards attach. Having inflammation here will over time cause pain which can even be felt down the back part of your forearm. 

Tennis Elbow is not typically a sudden injury, but rather something that happens over time, which is what we call an overuse injury. Overuse injuries are caused by repeated use of muscles with improper body mechanics, causing stress which leads to inflammation and pain. In Tennis Elbow, it is repetitive use of the muscles that extend your wrist and fingers back, like typing, using a computer mouse, using a hammer, or small tools. 

Now that we know what it is, how do we treat it?

Aside from there being pain and inflammation, the muscles in the forearm are also going to be shortened and weak. So, treatment will include soft tissue techniques, manual therapy and modalities to both decrease pain and inflammation, as well as lengthen the muscles. A really effective tool to accomplish this is dry needling. Aside from that, exercises will include a lot of stretching. 

Once we start to see a decrease in pain and inflammation, as well as lengthening of the muscles we can add in strengthening the weak muscles with a specific exercise program that is tailored to the patients daily activities. The last thing, which is a BIG component, will be prevention of reinjury through postural modifications so that you don’t cause reinjury down the road. 

If any of this sounds like you, or someone you know, physiotherapy can help. Don’t let this pain linger, get in for your appointment and get feeling better today!