Physical Therapy For Tennis Elbow

Tennis Elbow is a painful injury that causes pain in the muscles and tendons near your elbow. More specifically, Mayo Clinic says that tennis elbow “occurs when tendons in your elbow are overloaded, usually by repetitive motions of the wrist and arm; the pain of Tennis Elbow occurs primarily where the tendons of your forearm muscles attach to the bony bump on the outside of your elbow. Pain can also spread into your forearm and wrist.”

Tennis Elbow effects 1% – 3% of the population and roughly 10%-50% of tennis players experience Tennis Elbow during their athletic careers (Cleveland Clinic). Contrary to popular belief, athletes aren’t the only victims of Tennis Elbow. In fact, people who engage in careers that involve repetitive motion are also subject to developing Tennis Elbow which creates a wide range of situations in which Tennis Elbow may occur. A traumatic injury can cause tennis elbow as well.

Causes of Tennis Elbow

Tennis Elbow is caused by repetitive contractions of your forearm muscles that are used to straighten/raise your hand and wrist. These repetitive motions cause tiny tears in the tendons that connect your forearm muscles to the bone on the outside of your elbow. Common causes of Tennis Elbow include:

Sports
Manual work
Car accidents
Playing instruments
Repetitive movements such as typing

Will Tennis Elbow Heal On Its Own?

Tennis Elbow is not an easy injury to fix. Many victims of Tennis Elbow make the mistake of taking anti-inflammatory medicines or rubbing on anti-inflammatory creams. However, these will not help, for it simply masks the pain and the underlying issue. Additionally, some people will wear braces or straps to help with the pain; this just weakens the muscles and tendons, when you want to strengthen and heal them.

Tennis Elbow could eventually heal on its own, but only if you avoid the activity that caused your Tennis Elbow in the first place. However, this process can take up to 12 months, and many people can’t afford to wait a full year for an injury to heal on its own.

Treatment For Tennis Elbow

Treatment can help heal your Tennis Elbow by not only increasing your chances of a full recovery but also speeding up the recovery process. Injections, such as cortisone shots, may help by reducing inflammation and calming the nerves in the affected area. Ultrasonic tenotomy may also help by using ultrasonic wavelengths to identify and dissect the affected tissue. Surgery is also an option for treatment and could help by removing the damaged tendon without detaching the tendon from the bone.

However, if these treatment options don’t sound like a good fit for you, physical therapy is an easier and less expensive option. Physical therapy helps treat Tennis Elbow by improving the strength and flexibility of your forearm muscles, increasing blood flow to the tendons, and even changing the way in which you do the activities that have led to your Tennis Elbow.