Tennis Elbow is a condition of pain on the outside (aka: lateral) of the elbow. It’s a common ailment with individuals who play tennis – thus the name. Yet, tennis elbow can affect anyone – office workers to painters.
The primary cause of the condition comes from repetitive movements placing improper stress on the extensor muscles. The extensor muscles of the elbow allow you to extend your forearm out – as in reaching for glass of water. The extensor muscles play a part in wrist movement – as in flicking the wrist in serving a ball back in tennis or moving the mouse on your computer. These muscles attach to the bony outside part of your elbow.
Injury Can Come From:
- Pain comes from over use – you’re probably involved in an activity that requires repetitive extension of wrist or use of forearm muscles – playing a racket sport, lifting weights, throwing a baseball.
- Common in non-athletes – painters, construction workers, gardeners, officer workers.
- Poor posture – causing muscle imbalances (weakening of upper arm, shoulder) that result in the elbow not being properly stabilized.
- Over gripping a racket, tool, mouse.
Symptoms:
- Pain on the outside of the elbow.
- Pain can vary intensity depending on the severity of condition: – burning, dull achy sensation, radiating down the arm, and pain when touching the elbow.
- Tennis elbow can involve problems with grip, lifting and grasping. Pain can occur with twisting motions – shaking hands, turning a door knob or screw driver.
The Cause of Tennis Elbow:
- Repetitive activities resulting in localized stress in the lateral elbow.
- Localized stress can cause inflammation.
- If untreated, the continuation of the activity can result in micro tears in the extensor muscle.
- With micro tears the tendon of the extensor muscle will thicken.
- If micro tears go untreated, the tendon of the extensor muscles will degenerate. The body responds to this degeneration by replacing normal tissue with scar tissue. Scar tissue will not allow the extensor muscle to move correctly.
I approach treating your elbow pain to your presentation, which involves:
- Analyzing your posture – is a slumped shoulder playing into the elbow pain?
- Discussing potential lifestyle dynamics impacting the effected elbow.
- Understanding how other factors such as arthritis can aggravate the problem.
- Muscle testing the muscles comprising the elbow for weakness and pain.
- Targeting effected muscles, releasing motor points, trigger points and relaxing the fascia
Providing exercises to continue treatment success between acupuncture treatments.
Call (914) 572-5137 today or click here to schedule an appointment & learn more about how we can help you.