Tennis elbow doesn’t just affect tennis players. It can affect anyone doing repetitive arm movements. The medical name is Lateral Epicondylitis (L.E.) and it can last for 3 months or beyond.

What is Tennis Elbow?

It is small micro-tears of a muscle going from your elbow to your wrist. Patients often tell me that L.E. comes on slowly, causing pain and tenderness on the outer bony part of your elbow. This area is called the epicondyle and it can often be painful to press.

Taking it Easy with R.I.C.E.

When it comes to early relief, think R.I.C.E.: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. These simple steps can do wonders to ease the pain, reduce inflammation, and give your elbow the rest it needs.

Can Osteopathy help tennis elbow?

Osteopathy CAN help tennis elbow. I often use therapeutic ultrasound, dry needling, stretching and massage techniques to treat L.E. I also give my patients stretches and strengthening exercises for the wrist extensors and flexors.

Things to avoid when you have tennis elbow

Prevention is the best medicine. Try to avoid repetitive movements of the wrist and elbow, for example playing tennis or golf, using screwdrivers or manual tools.

Don’t forget the shoulder.

Often L.E is related to issues with the shoulder, so I will look at the mechanics of the shoulder and give strengthening exercises for the rotator cuff. These will put the shoulder in a mechanically advantageous position and will help the elbow too.

When Things Get Tough: Medical Help

In rare cases, you might need corticosteroid injections or surgery. But don’t worry, these are typically rare and reserved for situations where simpler treatments haven’t done the trick.

Conclusion:

L.E. is a painful injury to the elbow. It is caused by micro trauma and inflammation to an elbow muscle. It can take 3 months+ to get better. But with Osteopathy, exercises and avoiding certain activities it can often heal up quicker.

To book an appointment with me or one of our Osteopaths contact 0208-394-0393 or book online here