At Home Tennis Elbow Therapy

 

 

Tennis Elbow Therapy

Many studies have been made regarding the best way to address the tennis elbow injury (see tennis elbow rehabilitation) and, the common conclusion is that therapy, although not the fastest way, is the best way to get rid of tennis elbow pain. Patients that go through tennis elbow therapy have a better chance of healing the affected tendons and muscles and a much minor rate of relapse.

Physical therapy for tennis elbow, because of its simple nature, can be performed at home without professional supervision; however if you have any questions or experience problems during your at home sessions, contact your doctor immediately.

When is it time for phisical therapy?

After resting and trying the tennis elbow relief methods, the pain should not be as strong as when the discomfort started. This is when physical therapy is needed recondition the affected tendons and muscles and to strengthen them in order to prevent a relapse.

Stretching exercises are very simple and should cause you only a mild discomfort, as they are performed only after the pain has started to give way. Strengthening exercises, on the other hand, are performed only when the pain has completely disappeared and are meant to strengthen the arm muscles to prevent a relapse.

Instructions for stretching & strengthening exercises

For stretching exercises (wrist range of motion, wrist stretch, pronation and supination of the forearm, elbow range of motion) hold the end positions for 4 to 6 seconds and repeat the exercises 4 to 6 times.

For strengthening exercises (wrist flexion, wrist extension, wrist radial deviation, forearm pronation and supination, wrist extension) perform 2 sets of 20 to 30 repetitions; Keep in mind that you don’t need a heavy weight for these exercises.

Below are some stretching exercises in addition to those in the tennis elbow exercises section.

 

What else can you do?

Other measures to consider are ice application, electrotherapy, ultrasound and laser. They should correct the bad postural habits, both in your sport and professional life. A series of exercises is also recommended to recondition the muscles of the elbow.

Using a tennis elbow brace, wrap, strap or band on your arm should help prevent chronic overloading of elbow’s musculature. Finally surgical treatmentshould only be considered if conservative and doctor treatment has failed and if the injury limits the patient’s life in a meaningful way.