Tennis elbow is a painful condition whereby the tendons that join the muscles of the forearm to the outside of the elbow are overused and inflamed.
Pain usually occurs on the outside of the upper forearm, slightly below the bend of the elbow. This pain may spread down the arm towards the wrist. This condition typically develops overtime following repetitive movements.
Tennis Elbow is Not Exclusive to Tennis Players!
Risk Factors include:
- Age: it is most common in adults between 30-50 years old
- Occupation: jobs involving manual labour and repetitive motions of the wrist and arm may increase risk of tennis elbow
- Certain sports: participating in racket sports, especially with poor technique, can increase risk of tennis elbow
Daily Activities may also cause tennis elbow:
- Computer work
- Gardening
- Swimming
- Sporting activities
- Using scissors
- Manual work
How to Treat Tennis Elbow:
- RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation)
- Anti-inflammatory drugs
- Tapping or strapping the forearm
- Physical therapy
- Steroid injections (if recommended by your physician)
Goals of Physiotherapy:
- Decrease and eliminate pain
- Reduce inflammation
- Speed up recovery time
- Minimise further damage
- Restore function
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