What is Tennis Elbow: How to treat it?

Swelling of the tendons creates a tennis elbow, which affects the elbow and arm. Your lower arm muscles are in connection to your humerus by tendons, which are tight bands of tissue.

In such a case using the best tennis elbow braces can provide you with relief from time to time. Moreover, Elbow discomfort due to tennis elbow is the most prevalent cause for seeing a doctor. 

Even if you’ve never stepped foot on a tennis court, you might still suffer from tennis elbow. Any repeated clutching involving the thumb and the first two fingers may cause tennis elbow. It is most frequent around the age of 40, although it may occur at any age for people actively playing tennis.

How to treat tennis elbow at home?

Depending on the severity of the injury, the tennis elbow may be able to heal itself without any treatment at all. Recovering may take up to 18 months, though. Recovering after surgery may be sped up using proven non-surgical methods. Tennis elbow may be treated without surgery or using minimally invasive procedures such as:

• Rest Your Elbow

 Even though it may seem to be a basic therapy, it may be quite beneficial if the elbows are inflamed. Taking a break from the activities that caused the inflammation and discomfort can assist. 

As long as you avoid movements and actions that might further irritate the tendons, you should be able to go on with your normal activities. Slowly get back into the swing of things, and if you start to feel that old ache, stop immediately.

• Ice Your Elbow

An ice pack applied to your elbow might help relieve discomfort and inflammation. Don’t apply ice straight to your skin since this might damage it. 

Wrap the ice cubes with a cloth or towel. 3 to 4 times a day, hold the ice pack in place for roughly 15 to 20 minutes. Frozen peas, which some people store in the freezer just for this reason, are another option.

• Use your Elbow Straps

Tennis elbow discomfort may be alleviated by using braces to protect and support your elbow. You may want to see a physical therapist or your doctor before purchasing a brace in order to verify that you acquire the correct kind of brace and that you know how to wear it correctly.

• Consuming painkillers

Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve) are over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications that may help alleviate discomfort by lowering inflammation. 

To prevent unpleasant side effects, such as nausea, be careful to follow the directions exactly. Consult your doctor if the pain continues for more than a few days after using these over-the-counter drugs.

• RICE protocol

R stands for rest, I is for ice, C stands for compression, and E stands for elevation. Muscle tiredness may be relieved by compression. Compress your elbow by wrapping a bandage over it so tightly you can feel it. 

You should be able to move your fingers after putting on the bandage. There should be no noticeable difference in skin warmth or color between your lower and upper arms. 

Remove the bandage immediately if you find that your lower arm is colder than the rest of your arm or the skin.

• Moderate exercise and stretching

E in RICE is normally for elevation. However, it may be for light stretching. Your hand should be placed at the end of your arm as if you were performing a stop motion. 

For around 15 seconds, gently move your fingers back toward your arm. Remain calm and repeat. Keeping your arm straight, lower your hand below your wrist, palm towards your body to complete the reverse stretch. 

Gentle pressure on your hand can help as you bring it closer to you. Remain calm and repeat. A physical therapist or trainer may also help you strengthen your forearm with weights, but be sure you’re performing the exercises properly.

• Modify Your playing style

Altering your technique can help you reduce Tennis elbow discomfort. Check with a coach or sports trainer about your playing technique if you are an athlete. 

Different gear or a change in technique can help. Do some study on how to make your workplace more ergonomic and safe for you if the issue is a repeated activity. For example, a trackpad can be beneficial in place of a mouse.

How to treat tennis elbow if home remedies fail?

Joint pain and inflammation may be alleviated by injecting corticosteroids into the joint. Because these injections must be administered in the precise location, many clinicians use ultrasound guidance to perform these injections.

• Using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy for tennis elbow treatment

Platelets, which are microscopic cell fragments in your blood, are a key component in healing. Platelets can separate from other blood cells through a (PRP) treatment injection, which your physician does by drawing a tiny volume of blood.

Under ultrasound supervision, the platelets are injected into the damaged region. Using sound waves, scar tissue may be broken down using extracorporeal shock wave treatment. Damaged tissue receives a boost in blood flow after the procedure.

• Tenotomy for tennis elbow treatment

Your doctor may use a minimally invasive treatment to remove degenerative tendon tissue, such as a tenotomy. TenJet, a needle device containing high-pressure saline, can induce suction and hydro-resect the degenerative tendon tissue during this surgery. This can be an option rather than undergoing a more extensive surgical treatment.

Final Thoughts

In the event that non-surgical treatments fail to alleviate your symptoms, your doctor may propose surgery, such as an arthroscopic or open debridement of the tendon or a tendon repair. 

Doing the surgery then acts on the tendon and muscle. The injured tissue undergoes replacement with a healthy tendon and muscle from another region of your body by your healthcare expert. 

There is a possibility of a four- to six-month period of recovery. You may need to wear a brace if you’ve had tennis elbow in order to prevent recurrence of symptoms.

If you take good care from the beginning you might not need any surgical procedure. Use the home remedies listed above for relief.