Tennis Elbow Therapy
Treatment for Elbow Dislocation and Tennis Elbow Physical Therapy
What is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is defined as soreness or pain on the outer edge of the elbow resulting from repeated or overuse of the elbow. If left untreated, the pain may worsen and radiate down the arm to the hand, causing pain while performing simple actions like turning a key in a lock.
Despite the term “tennis elbow,” tennis players only account for about 5% of cases of this disorder. The condition is generally successfully treated with rest, icing, and tennis elbow physical therapy.
Causes of Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow is most often caused by overuse during activities where the joint is twisted repeatedly (such as swinging a tennis racket). Eventually, this repetitive twisting leads to small tears in the tendons, which causes the pain associated with the condition.
While tennis elbow is common among tennis players, most people with this painful condition get it from doing ordinary tasks, often while using equipment which is too large or too heavy – like swinging a hammer with a grip that is too big for the hand holding it.
Tennis elbow physical therapy is often useful in strengthening the muscles of the elbow and increasing range of motion, preventing the injury from recurring, and can also be effective in treating elbow dislocation.
Symptoms of Tennis Elbow
Symptoms of tennis elbow consist of pain on the upper forearm near the bend of the elbow. The pain may radiate downward toward the wrist and hand, and it may cause discomfort even when picking up a small object. Individuals with tennis elbow may experience pain when extending the arm, or they may not be able to extend the arm completely.
With rest and tennis elbow physical therapy, most patients are able to make a full recovery and resume normal activity.
Treatment Options for Tennis Elbow
When you first begin to experience symptoms of tennis elbow, rest and treatment with ice packs can help to relieve the pain. Pain relievers such as ibuprofen can reduce inflammation and ease the painful sensation of tennis elbow.
Once the elbow begins to feel better, your doctor may prescribe exercise and tennis elbow physical therapy to prevent further injury to the joint.
Elbow dislocation injuries also benefit from tennis elbow physical therapy once they have healed.
The Benefits of Tennis Elbow Physical Therapy
When you undertake a program of tennis elbow physical therapy, there are several forms treatment may take. Your tennis elbow physical therapy instructor may have you participate in several of the following activities, which are also helpful for elbow dislocation injuries:
* Tennis elbow physical therapy exercises which teach proper techniques for using the joint to prevent injury;
* Ultrasound treatment of the joint, where ultrasound is applied to the area to gently heat muscles and improve blood flow to the area in order to promote healing;
* Massage, both before and after exercise. This also improves blood flow to the area and helps to prevent scar tissue from forming;
* Manipulation of the joint to reduce pain and increase flexibility.
With tennis elbow physical therapy, most patients experience improvement within several weeks.