o What is it
Tennis elbow, is a one of the more common injuries we see in the clinic. About 40% of people will experience the condition at some point in their life. It is most commonly seen in the 35-55 year age group. Tennis elbow usually occurs following extensive repetitive activity. It’s can cause long term pain and discomfort if not addressed.
o Signs and symptoms / Diagnosis
Tennis elbow can be diagnosed after an assessment with your physio. Scans are not necessary for diagnosis.
Pain is typically felt over the outside of the elbow, which can sometimes radiate towards the wrist. It’s often aggravated gripping activities.
Tennis elbow usually occurs after an overload to the forearm muscles by lifting or use of the hands or arms. Sometimes, it might show up out of the blue.
During the first visit, your physio will run through some assessments to test out the strength of your forearm muscles. We will also check the range of movement of your arm. The assessment may also include an evaluation of your neck and upper back.
o Treatments
Many different types of treatment have been proposed for tennis elbow. However, there is no clear evidence of one treatment being superior.
For short term relief, manual therapies such as massage and dry needling can help! Especially with reducing pain and discomfort levels, as well as improving function.
Because tennis elbow is a complex condition, there is more to the picture. Your physio will help you look at things like load management. We will also see if there are ways you can modify your work or home activities to help reduce discomfort.
Usually, long term management of tennis elbow will involve resistance training. This will help strengthen the muscles around the forearm, with the aim of improving capacity.
Unfortunately, if left untreated, tennis elbow can develop into a chronic issue. If this happens, it may take months and months to bring back under control. So, if you feel as though you’re starting feel the early onset of tennis elbow, come in and see us! We would love to work with you to get you back doing what you love as soon as possible!