Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylosis)?

Tennis elbow is the most common cause of all elbow symptoms. It affects 1-3% of the population It is more common in individuals older than 40 years of age. It is pain on outside of the elbow which affects tennis players but also weight lifters, office workers, builders, gardeners, and people taking up new and repetitive activities such as decorating or playing the violin. Most people with this problem have some pain when gripping, lifting pans, opening jars, bending their arm, shaking someone’s hand firmly or holding a cup.

What is tennis elbow?

Tennis elbow is an overuse injury which occurs where the tendon which extends the wrist attaches to the outside of the elbow.

Treatments

The best treatment for tennis elbow is frictions, massage, joint mobilisations combined with exercises. Acupuncture is another effective treatment for tennis elbow too; we offer this at all of our physiotherapy clinics at Havant and Rowlands Castle, Hampshire.

Please be aware of your body and take advice from your GP before exercising or send an email to enquiries@physio-logical.net for advice and guidance.

Elbow Flexion / Extension

Extend your arm with your palm facing up then bend and straighten at your elbow Repeat 10 times, 3 times a day

Wrist Extensor Strengthening (eccentric loading)

Support your forearm on a table with palm facing down Hold a weight in the hand of your injured side Use your other hand to bend your wrist up Then let go of your wrist and use just your injured side to lower the weight slowly back to the starting position Repeat 3 sets of 15, 2 times a day

Wrist Extensor Stretch

Straighten your arm out in front of you Bend your wrist down towards the floor Use your other hand to apply gentle pressure to stretch out the muscles on the top of your forearm Hold for 30 seconds x 2, 2 times a day

Tennis elbow responds really well to treatment with a physiotherapist, sports therapist or sports massage therapist, so if you are suffering from an on-going niggling elbow pain then please get in contact with us via enquiries@physio-logical.net, 07835 712306 or book online as we can help you improve your strengthen and release off the tight muscles to help ease your elbow pain.

Please also see our YouTube channel where we demonstrate some of these exercises, please subscribe to our channel as we are always adding new videos for different injuries.

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