Time to put an end to that painful & ‘niggly’ tennis elbow?
The physios at Lane Cove Physio are here to help.
Tennis elbow (otherwise known as lateral epicondylalgia) is a common condition that affects roughly 1-3% of the population. It affects both athletes as well as the general population with varying degrees of severity. The typical symptoms include pain, reduced grip and wrist strength, tenderness over the lateral elbow joint and tight musculature throughout the forearm. The causes of this condition include repetitive gripping and manipulative loads through the forearm and wrist which can cause degeneration through the wrist extensor tendons.
Populations such as tennis players, labourers and even nurses and admin staff can experience this condition. Tennis elbow can occur traumatically, however is more common from insidious onset, or having just started a new task (for example painting a house, starting up at the gym or playing regular tennis for the first time!). Whilst symptoms can improve drastically with initial treatment, the prognosis of tennis elbow usually lasts at least 8-12 weeks with some cases progressing up to one year. As the cervical spine, shoulder, elbow and hand share a close relationship it is vital to screen these joints to see if there are any contributions coming from somewhere in the kinetic chain to allow for a more effective treatment.
Strong evidence suggests that physiotherapy treatment significantly improves the symptoms of tennis elbow. Our physiotherapists are experts in treating conditions such as tennis elbow. Treatments that Lane Cove Physiotherapy provides include:
- Advice and education regarding pathology and management
- Soft tissue release
- Specific tailored exercise program to the individual
- Load management and modification
- Progressive and functional strengthening program
- Gradual stretching program
- Shockwave therapy
- Dry needling technique (acupuncture)
- Taping and bracing techniques
Your physiotherapist will assess your elbow pain and use the best technique to help you achieve your goals, have a pain free and strong elbow and get yo back to tennis, to sport, to function and to a healthy pain free lifestyle.
