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Tackling the Tennis Elbow Serve Tennis elbow is the result of a particular kind of repetitive movement affecting the outer elbow. But it isn’t something only tennis players deal with.
Tennis elbow is basically pain in the outer elbow accompanied by tenderness and soreness. It is the result of strain or overuse of the elbow. Tennis is not the only cause of this condition. It came to be known as “tennis elbow” since this condition is caused by the kind of repetitive movements commonly performed while playing tennis. Repetitive movements of the kind performed in golf result in golfer’s elbow which is pain in the inside of the elbow.
More about Tennis Elbow Tennis elbow strikes the region where the forearm tendons and muscles get attached to the bony region on the outside of the elbow called lateral epicondyle. This condition is also called lateral epicondylitis or epicondylosis. Tennis http://www.hqbk.com/
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elbow is a tear in the tendon in this region of the elbow. This results not only in outer elbow pain, but also wrist weakness, making it difficult to shake hands or open door handles. Wrist pain could also occur when extending the arm or reaching out for something, and increases when performing tasks involving forceful wrist movement such as opening a jar or brushing teeth.
Diagnosing Tennis Elbow Tennis elbow could be diagnosed by various methods. Firstly the doctor listens to the patient’s description of the symptoms before conducting some simple manual tests. One of these is the resisted wrist extension procedure where the patient will be asked to extend the wrist or bend it back against the doctor’s or therapist’s physical restraint. If it is painful, it could be an indication of tennis elbow. Another procedure is palpating the region around the outer elbow which helps the doctor to assess the presence of tenderness, pain or muscle tension. The therapist may also ask the patient to extend the middle finger as he applies physical resistance. Other scans may be conducted to rule out other issues since outer elbow pain could be caused by other factors as well. X-rays are performed to rule out arthritis or fracture. MRI
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scans can help detect the presence of swelling or excess fluid in the outer elbow where it joins the forearm bone.
Getting Tennis Elbow Treated Treatment options are mostly non-surgical and include physical therapy, anti-inflammatory gels to be applied on the region of the pain, and NSAIDs. Cortisone gels and injections are also sometimes used depending on the overall physical health and medical history. The aim of the treatment is to reduce the pain, inflammation and physical stress faced by the injury, and also to facilitate better natural healing. The most important treatment is obviously resting from activity, and this does not apply to tennis players alone. Try to avoid gripping any object tightly, and opening doors that are heavy. Wearing a tennis elbow brace is very useful as it protects the elbow from further injury. The brace helps reduce the strain on the hurting part by redirecting the forces exerted through the tendon. A heat retainer is crucial in the initial stages of the injury and can stimulate the blood flow, facilitating better healing.
Effectiveness of Cold Therapy Something else that must be done in the initial one or two days is applying cold therapy. This should be done before the aforementioned procedures, even before wearing a heat retainer. While the latter stimulates blood flow, cold can http://www.hqbk.com/
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help bring down the swelling which enables the heat retainer to perform its job of improving blood flow better. A multispecialty healthcare center will give you the right cold therapy product which would provide better results.
Physical Therapy Physical therapy will facilitate better rehabilitation. As the pain keeps subsiding during treatment, stretching exercises must be started gradually. They can be done gently during the treatment process when the condition is acute – stretches can be held for around 15 seconds at this stage and for nearly 40 seconds in the later rehabilitation stage. Along with the stretching, strengthening exercises should also be carried out a few days following the stretching exercises. These exercises must only be performed if your elbow does not hurt. If it hurts, you must wait for a few more days for the pain to subside.
Preventing Tennis Elbow Once you’ve been healed from your tennis elbow condition, you need to take preventive measures so that it does not occur again. The most basic precaution to keep in mind at this stage is to not overuse your elbow. It is important not to start heavy activities before your body recovers fully. Recollect which particular action caused the pain and tennis elbow injury in the first place and try to avoid the action or do it a better way. If you’re a tennis player, discuss with your coach and improve upon your http://www.hqbk.com/
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strokes. You must also ensure that you’re using the right racket size.
Tips for Amateur Tennis Players If you are an amateur tennis player, the following tips could help you prevent tennis elbow. •
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Practice and master the right technique to return the ball. It is important to realize that a tennis ball makes contact with the racket at a speed of more than 80 miles an hour, and if you use the wrong technique all that force will get focused directly on the outer elbow. This could be all it takes for injury to set in. Secondly, a poor backhand stroke is one of the other major causes of tennis elbow. The wrist should not be bent while hitting the ball. This could increase the risk of injury. Keeping the wrist firm ensures that the energy released by the ball approaching at high speed is dispersed all through the arm rather than being focused on the outer elbow. To prevent tennis elbow in the final stages of your rehabilitation, it is better to wear a brace which helps to disperse the forces involved in hitting the ball all through the forearm. Amateur tennis players returning from a tennis elbow injury should remember to return to regular play gradually to prevent the injury from getting worse. http://www.hqbk.com/
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Stretching and strengthening exercises must be continued even after the return to full fitness. Professional tennis players are well trained and usually do not succumb easily to tennis elbow. But amateurs and the others out there involved in their daily activities are susceptible. The customized and effective treatment provided by an advanced and multispecialty healthcare center could go a long way in ensuring pleasant and quicker relief from tennis elbow. Posted by HealthQuest.com http://www.hqbk.com/
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