Tennis elbow is a very common disorder of the elbow and forearm. It can effect anybody who places excessive or repetitive stress onto the wrist and elbow.

Traditionally, tennis elbow was so called due to the higher impact movements of hitting a tennis ball with a racquet as in tennis. This action pulls on the muscles and tendons causing injury and inflammation.

However, this condition is far from limited to racquet sports.  Activities such as typing, painting and decorating, repetitive gardening can also be a common cause. As the demands of desk based work and long hours at a computer are on the rise, so too are sufferers of this type of elbow pain.

There are two types of tennis elbow:

Muscular tennis elbow:

This is the most common form and a result of tightness in muscles of the forearm that are responsible for lifting the fingers and extending the wrist. Just like the repetitive movement of typing.

Tendonitis tennis elbow:

This normally follows a high impact movements, such as racquet sports. Pain is more located at the elbow and the area will be tender to touch on activity and often at rest. There may also be weakness in the elbow and wrist.

In the case of low impact, repetitive movements then fatiguing of the muscles could be the main cause.

Common signs and symptoms:

1. Pain emanating from the outside of the elbow.
2. The pain may be triggered day to day when lifting or bending the arm, gripping small objects and twisting the forearm.

How Sports Massage can help?

Sports Massage can be very effective in the treatment of tennis elbow.  It can help:

1. Reduce the pain.
2. Improve recovery and enhance rehabilitation.
3. Improve muscle balance in the forearm.
4. Increase the circulation which aids healing and removes metabolic waste.
5. Create physical relaxation of the muscles and improved range of movement.
6. Induce connective tissue repair (tendinitis tennis elbow)

Ultimately prevention is better than cure.  Symptoms can sometimes act suddenly or creep up on us over time making day to day activity painful. So acting quickly can prevent a chronic episode occurring.

Regular Sports/Soft Tissue massages can keep the musculoskeletal system in good working order and help to prevent tennis elbow from becoming a problem.