Tennis elbow does not affect tennis players only. It’s a condition where elbow tendons are inflamed from recurring overuse or motions. Houston tennis elbow helps you find relief so that you can keep doing your daily activities. It would be best if you talked to your doctor about your past medical history to provide information so that your doctor can make a diagnosis.
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What are tennis elbow injuries?
Tennis elbow is a condition that appears when tendons in the elbow are overloaded, normally by a continuous movement of the arm and the wrist. People with jobs that feature motions can have tennis elbow. They include painters, butchers, plumbers, and carpenters.
The pain of tennis elbow appears where tendons of the arm muscles attach to a bump with bones outside the elbow. Over the counter pain relievers and rest can help relieve tennis elbow. Treatment
Tennis elbow heals on its own. But if over-the-counter medications and self-care measures are not helping, your doctor can recommend physical therapy, but serious elbow injuries may require surgery.
Therapy
If the symptoms are related to tennis, the doctors may direct you to experts to evaluate the tennis method or the movements involved with your job to determine the most appropriate steps to eliminate stress on the injured tissue.
A physical therapist teaches exercises to strengthen and stretch your muscles, mostly with the forearm muscles. Exercises that involve lowering the wrist slowly after raising it are helpful. A forearm brace or strap reduces stress on the injured part.
Surgical or other procedures
Injections. The doctors can suggest using platelet-rich plasma, some irritant, or Botox into the painful part. Dry needling, where a needle penetrates through the damaged tendon in many areas, can also be painful.
Ultrasonic tenotomy (TENEX procedure). Under ultrasound guidance, a doctor places a special needle on the damaged portion through the skin. The needle is vibrated swiftly through ultrasonic energy so that the damaged tissues can be sucked out.
Surgery. If the symptoms do not improve after 6-12 months of non-operative treatment, you can be advised to see a surgeon to remove damaged tissue. The types of procedures might be performed through a large cut or small incisions.
Causes
Research has shown that tennis elbow is caused by damage in a specific forearm muscle. The extensor Capri radials Brevis (ECRB) muscle stabilizes the wrist when the elbow is straight. This happens during a tennis groundstroke.
Microscopic tears form in tendons when ECRB is weakened by overuse. This can lead to pain and inflammation.
Activities. Tennis elbow is not only suffered by athletics. Most people with tennis elbow take part in recreational or work activities that need vigorous and repetitive use of the hand or wrist’s forearm repetitive extension or muscle.
Age. Most people get tennis elbow at the ages of 35 and 50, but anyone can get it if they are at risk of getting it. In sports like tennis, improper equipment and improper stroke technique can be risk factors.
You can prevent tennis elbows by using the wrong equipment, such as a tennis racket or a very heavy golf club. If the tennis elbow condition is severe, contact J. Michael Bennett, MD, PA, so that you can get the help you need and relieve pain.