Elbow epicondylitis happens whenever there is a strain on the tendons of the forearm.
It is a condition usually experienced by tennis players, but this is no indication that you can’t suffer from it unless you are a tennis player.
Depending on the nature of your day-to-day activity, it is possible to suffer from the condition even if you have never held a tennis ball in your life.
With a strain and some pain in your elbow, a doctor may apply pressure to the specific affected areas and ask you to move your wrist, elbow, and fingers in various ways during the diagnosis.
Sometimes, an x-ray image or an MRI scan of your elbow may be needed to help the doctor determine the best course of action.
Once the doctor is positive of the situation, various treatments may be settled upon depending on its severity.
Below is a brief look at some of the possible tennis elbow treatments.
Therapy as a treatment
If you are suffering from the condition because you play tennis regularly, then expert advice from a physical therapist may be all you need to get relief from the condition.
Physiotherapy may offer guidance on how you should stretch and strengthen the muscles of your forearm. In some cases, they may suggest elbow epicondylitis braces to help reduce stress on the injured tissues.
Wrist extension with weight
Wrist extension with weight is principally a strengthening exercise. With this exercise, you will need a vegetable can or very light weights.
Begin by placing your arm on some reliable support like a table or a chair handle with the wrist hanging freely on the other end. With your palm facing down on the floor, move your wrist with very gentle up and down motions.
Do this continuously exercising the full range of motion for better results.
Surgical procedures
If you don’t see any improvement in the symptoms after the above intervention after about 12 months, a surgical procedure may be recommended.
Several interventions may be explored, with most of them seeking to remove the damaged tissues to allow new ones to grow.
The techniques are usually performed by making several small incisions or a large incision on the affected areas.
After the surgery, it is crucial to have rehabilitation exercises to help with the recovery.
There are also instances when platelet-rich plasma or Botox are injected into the affected tendon. A needle may also be used to piece the affected tendon into very many pieces in a dry needling procedure.
