Elbow Pain / Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow, clinically known as lateral epicondylitis, is a common condition nowadays. Many patients may find tennis elbow hard to heal even after receiving certain treatments. Although tennis elbow has a specific trigger point which is on the outside of the elbow joint, the cause of the pain could be complex – it could be due to damages to the tendons, ligaments, cartilages, or nerves. Recovery is not easy without identifying the root and appropriate management.
Apart from direct trauma, the common cause of tennis elbow is overusing the forearm due to repetitive movements or strenuous activities, such as sports. Not only athletes are prone to tennis elbow, but people who use their wrists heavily, such as production workers, computer users, chefs, or even housewives, could also suffer from tennis elbow.
When tennis elbow is not being treated properly, tendon may degenerate due to long-term inflammation. Pain may continue to occur even with rest.
Symptoms
Noticeable pain and tenderness at the outside of the elbow when twisting a towel or gripping an object. Or feeling pain and stiffness when extending the arm.
Suggestions
When pain occurs, some self-care measures might be helpful, for example, applying heat pack to promote blood circulation and relieve pain; or ice pack to relieve swelling and pain. If first-line remedies are not helping, electrotherapy, ultrasound or shockwave therapy help to reduce inflammation and swelling, and help to promote healing. Post-treatment stretching exercise is also important to reduce the chance of soft tissue fibrosis. Different types of strength training can be carried out depending on recovery.
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