Tennis Elbow: Tennis elbow – a painful condition involving tendons that annex to the bone on the lateral part of the elbow. Muscle involved in this condition, extensor carpi radialis brevis, avails to elongate elbow and stabilize the wrist. With lateral epicondylitis, degeneration of the tendon’s affixment, enervating this anchor site and placing a more preponderant accentuate on the area. This can lead to pain associated with activities in which muscle is active, such as lifting, gripping and grasping.
Sports such as tennis are commonly injured with this, but the problem can occur with many variants of activities, athletic and otherwise.
Causes of Tennis Elbow
Overuse
The cause can be both non-work and work cognate (related). An activity that places stress on the tendon attachment, through stress on the muscle-tendon unit, increases the strain on the tendon. These stresses can be from holding too small or large a racquet grip or from “repetitive” gripping and grasping activities, i.e.plumbing, painting, meat-cutting, and weaving etc.
Trauma
A direct blow to the elbow can result in swelling of the tendon that can lead to degeneration. A sudden extreme action, force, or activity could additionally injure the tendon.
Heredity
Some people may be born with tendons which are less durable. In this case, symptoms may occur at an earlier age or occur at multiple sites of both elbows.
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Who Gets Tennis Elbow/ Lateral Epicondylitis?
The most mundane age group that this condition affects between 30 to 50 years of old, but it may occur in younger and older age groups, and in both women and men.
Tennis Elbow Symptoms
The symptoms of tennis elbow develop gradually. In most cases, the pain commences as mild and gradually worsens over weeks and months. There is customarily no categorical injury associated with the commencement of symptoms.
- Customarily gradual onset
- Recurring Pain may radiate from the elbow down the forearm
- Elongating or straightening the elbow may increase the pain
- Pain caused by lifting or grasping
- Reduce ache at rest
- Sharp pain during or after activity
- Pain cognate to activities the wrist
- Numbness or tingling in the fingers may be a problem
Tennis Elbow Treatment
Nonsurgical Treatment
Approximately 80% to 95% have success with nonsurgical treatment.
Active Rest
While rest enhances the healing process.”Absolute rest is rust”. All tissues, categorically injured tendons, require tension and kineticism (movement) to maintain health. Total immobilization is conspicuously contra-indicated as it results in muscle atrophy, weakness, and decremented blood vessel supply. More specifically, immobilization at the elbow results in limited mobility, joint stiffness and can lead to loss of kineticism (motion) and function.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines- Drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen reduce pain and swelling.
Physical Therapy
A Categorical and gradual exercise program is a help to increase blood supply and strengthening muscles of the forearm, wrist, and shoulder. Your therapist may additionally perform the ultrasound, massage, or muscle-stimulating techniques to improve muscle function. These modalities avail increase blood supply to the tendon thus incrementing healing and decreasing swelling and discomfort.
Functional Bracing (Tennis Elbow Brace/ Band)- It is often used for the patient to reduce pain in provoking activities. Your physicians may decide to inject your damaged muscle with a steroid to relieve your symptoms. It is paramount to note that steroid (cortisone) injections cannot be used long-term as extravagant cortisone can emasculate. Research has shown that multiple cortisone injections degrade and enervate the tissues. Over 3 cortisone injections in one area are not recommended.
Surgical Treatment
If your symptoms do not respond after 6 to 12 months of nonsurgical treatments, your physicians may recommend surgery. Most surgical procedures for tennis elbow involve removing pain-producing tendons while protecting healthy tendons.
Rehabilitation Programme
Following surgery, your arm may be immobilized with a splint. About 1 week later, the sutures and splint are removed. After removing the splint, exercises are commenced to move the elbow and renovate flexibility. Light, gradual reinforcing exercises are commenced about 3-4 weeks after surgery.
Your physicians will tell you when you can return to athletic activity. As an example, easy tennis could commence as early as 4-6 weeks. Play-to-win takes longer (4-6 months).
