OUCH, this can be extremely painful and life delimitating and is no laughing matter.
It often occurs after strenuous overuse of the muscles and tendons of the forearm near the elbow joint. You might then notice it when you carry heavy bags, try to twist open a jar lid or even have difficulty fully extending your arm.
Also known as washer women’s elbow, which helps further to understand how repetitive movement causes the condition.
Pain that occurs on the inner side of the elbow is often known as golfer’s elbow, and again you don’t need to be a golfer to experience it.
While playing racquet sports increases the risk of developing tennis elbow. So does, working in the garden and those jobs that require repetitive movement, such as painting, bricklaying or using scissors, all putting you at risk.
Simply avoiding repetitive action is not always possible but, in all honestly, necessary to improve the condition. Tennis elbow can improve on its own, and a cold press on the area can help, as will mild pain relief and anti-inflammatory drugs.
In some cases, treatment is necessary, as the condition can last for weeks or even months, and reoccurrence is very common. Treatment by physiotherapy aims to restore movement and function and plays a vital role in the relief of pain and healing. A physiotherapist can also provide exercises to strengthen your forearm and guide you on the use of orthosis, such as a brace or strapping. Plus provide you with information on prevention going forward.
Left untreated, tennis elbow can become chronic, quite simply meaning ongoing. Getting advice early on is extremely important for this condition.
Thankfully, there is no waiting list to access physiotherapy at Sarum Physio, and we will provide a multi-disciplinary approach to your treatment, which might include acupuncture.
