What Is Tennis Elbow?
- Posted on: Mar 29 2021
Many people have heard of tennis elbow, but few people really understand what it is. Many also assume you can only get it from playing tennis, but that is not true at all. In fact, many people who work in an office, in trade jobs, or even in supermarkets and other establishments are often diagnosed with tennis elbow. If you develop tennis elbow, you will feel pain when moving your forearm. This pain can spread and, if untreated, may result in feeling pain from your shoulder to your wrist.
What Causes Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow is caused by making repetitive motions with the elbow and arm. When you overuse the muscles in the forearm, they become strained. The tissue in the tendons can even tear, making it incredibly painful to move the arm. This condition gets its name because tennis requires players to move their elbow often. Certain movements, especially the backhand, place a lot of stress on the muscles and tendons in the forearm.
Who Is at Risk of Developing Tennis Elbow?
You can develop tennis elbow without ever playing tennis. All you need is a job that requires you to make similar types of movements. For example, plumbers may develop tennis elbow while performing maintenance on drains. The repeated use of a computer mouse can also cause tennis elbow, as can painting, chopping meat, and driving screws into components.
In addition to your occupation, there are a few different risk factors. While anyone can develop tennis elbow, it is more typically found in those over age 30. Another issue for those playing tennis and other sports is their technique. If you use sloppy or poor technique, you run the risk of injuring yourself more easily than if you use proper, well-developed techniques.
Treating Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow is typically treated with rest. Generally, once you rest the arm, it will heal up on its own. You may need to take some over-the-counter pain medication to deal with the ache, but you shouldn’t need anything more.
Advanced cases of tennis elbow can be treated by physical therapy. You will do some exercises to help strengthen the forearm muscles, and you may need to wear a brace to help reduce the amount of stress on your arm. In rare cases, surgery can be an option.
Want to learn more about physical therapy for tennis elbow? The team at Maximum Orthopedics can help you treat this condition and many others. Contact us today to learn more.
Posted in: Blog, Orthopedics, Work Injuries, Workers Compensation Benefits