Tennis elbow - Without Ever Playing Tennis!
Medically known as lateral epicondylitis, tennis elbow is the inflammation of the ouside of the elbow.
This elbow pain is due to tendonitis and periostitis (inflammation of the outer layer of the bone) where the tendon for the common wrist extensor muscles attaches to the humerus. This results in pain with any activity involving the contraction or moderate stretching of the wrist extensor muscles.
It is not just tennis backhands that put a stress on the muscles of the forearm and their attached tendon. Activities such as using a screwdriver, typing, or writing can all cause the typical tennis elbow pain.
Since tennis elbow affects the straightening of the wrist, you can test for it by lifting a weight, such as a book, with your palm facing down. Any pain in the outside of the elbow suggests you have tennis elbow.
Thus tennis elbow is not so much a problem with the elbow joint, as with overuse of the muscles that are connected to the elbow - those same muscles which extend or straighten the wrist - as in the tennis backhand.
Too much tension in the muscle group can also cause a decrease in the joint space in the elbow and actual inflammation of the joint. In time this can cause not just the typical pain from the epicondylitis, but also from the elbow joint itself.
Conventional treatment of this condition may involve the use of anti-inflammatory medication and muscle relaxants along with temporary lifestyle modification. Physiotherapy modalities that may be employed include laser therapy, TENS, interferential current, or ultrasound.
Chiropractic treatments are also helpful. These include soft-tissue techniques such as Graston, active release, or cross-fiber friction massage. Chiropractic adjustment of the elbow joint, can also bring relief.
With adjusting, the two joint surfaces are spread apart an estimated one to three millimeters momentarily. This leads to an increase in volume and decrease in pressure in the joint. This will assist in the decrease in pain from the pressure built up in the joint from the condition of lateral epicondylitis. Adjusting of the wrist may be of some benefit as well.
As we have seen, it is tight muscles that cause the elbow pain. But if the wrist tightens up, the muscles have to work harder, thus putting more tension on that lateral epicondyle. So keeping the wrist supple and flexible should help to ease the condition.
The use of a tennis elbow band may also prove effective in decreasing symptoms. This works by forming an artificial origin for the muscle before it crosses the elbow. This allows a decrease in tension of the wrist extensor muscles as they cross the elbow which eases tension on the lateral epicondyle and decreases pressure on the elbow.
Also, though rest would be ideal, there may be times when lifting is needed to be done. In this case, one should only attempt to lift with the palm of the hand turned upward. This uses the wrist flexors more than the wrist extensors.
You can also try supplementing with Vitamin B6 and limiting your salt intake as it helps to reduce the amount of water taken in by the body.
Overall, if you suspect you may have this condition, it is best to have it assessed by your chiropractor and/or medical doctor in order to have the proper treatment plan started that will assist in accelerated recovery.