Tennis Elbow – Assess, Treat and Rehabilitate
When experiencing pain around the elbow the diagnosis tennis elbow is often given, so what does this mean?
There can be a few different causes for pain around the elbow, though most commonly it’s the tendons that connect to the elbow that are usually injured.
Although tennis players do get it,you don’t need to be a tennis play to experience elbow pain. The correct term is lateral epicondylitis, the injury is usually caused by prolonged repetitive activities involving gripping using tools or activities such as plastering,or sports that involve a lot of gripping.
The actual injury itself comes from damage to the muscles and tendons in the area, a similar condition but on the inside of the elbow is Golfers elbow, medial epicondylitis.
What to do if you have elbow pain.
1) Get a diagnosis, this is achieved with a musculature-skeletal assessment which will also rule out or in other conditions that may give you a painful elbow.
2) Visit you GP, whom may also diagnose the condition and possibly prescribe, pain killers and anti-inflammatories to reduce the symptoms, help you manage the injury and allow treatment.
3) Where possible reduce/stop the aggravating movement, try to take the pressure of the area to allow recovery.
4) Follow the self-help advice from your osteopath, this may include ice, stretches and rehabilitation exercises.
Tennis elbow has a reputation for being difficult to treat so if it isn’t settling down book an appointment with the clinic, a course of treatment is required in most cases. It’s vital to look at modifications of actions and use, and to follow the advice given.
An osteopathic approach to Tennis Elbow
As a rule an osteopaths will treat the injury directly itself but will assess your activities, sports, work and your body. Taking a global view of what you do, how you do it and why! whilst examining any other influencing factors.
Treatment from an osteopath will include deep tissue massage, joint mobilisation to the elbow, wrist and shoulder and surrounding muscles with a view to reduced tension being placed onto the elbow joint. Looking at overall posture and movement can highlight uneven tensions, modified techniques or compensations for old injuries.
After treatment exercises along with the self-help options are given to improve flexibility and joint mobility to increase function.
If your pain persists without improvement after a course of treatment, the GP may refer you to an orthopaedic consultant to examine the option of surgical intervention or the use of Corticosteroids injections. Corticosteroids, often known as steroids, are an anti-inflammatory medicine prescribed for a wide range of conditions.
IF in doubt check it out. book you appointment today;
Deansgate Osteopathic Clinic
