Tennis is a great sport that most people can play and enjoy many health benefits. It’s a sport that many continue to play for a very long time. However, over time, the elbow can start to feel fatigue and pain. In the sport, they call this “tennis elbow.”
Tennis elbow is a common injury for tennis players due to overuse. The name itself suggests a sports injury, however it’s not unique to the sport. It can occur if you have repetitive motion of the elbow at work or in another activity. It develops from a repetitive motion of the arm and wrist.
What is causing the pain, is that the tendons which connect the muscle in the forearm to the elbow joint become inflamed. To improve or help the condition pass, the elbow needs to rest or be treated by an orthopedic specialist. Sometimes, tennis elbow can improve on its own, but sometimes the condition is so bad and causes a lot of pain and needs to be treated by an orthopedic surgeon.
Treatment options for tennis elbow can include:
- Rest and ice: Resting the arm and applying ice can reduce inflammation.
- Medications: Anti-inflammatory medicines you can purchase over the counter, such as Ibuprofen, can provide some pain relief and reduce a little swelling but in the worst cases, it is ineffective.
- Splint: Wearing a wrist splint or a brace on the forearm can help reduce some of the stress of the impacted tendons, but is not the answer for permanent relief.
- Physical therapy: An orthopedic surgeon may provide you with a prescription for physical therapy. A trained therapist can help you with exercises to strengthen the elbow and forearm, relieving some stress and strain on the tendons that are causing you pain.
- Injections: The orrthopedic surgeons at Ortho El Paso might recommend using an injection to relieve the pain and symptoms associated with tennis elbow.
Depending on the severity of your inury, an orthopedic surgeon might suggest varying treatment options. Everyone is different. Therefore, a thorough examination is necessary to determine what treatment approach will work for you.
To schedule an appointment for symptoms of tennis elbow, call the orthopedic specialists at Ortho El Paso at 915-249-4000 or visit us at www.orthoep.com.
