How to Treat Tennis Elbow

Even if you’re not a tennis player, you might have experienced the dreaded Tennis Elbow. It’s actually not the most accurate of names since only a small percentage of Tennis Elbow cases are caused by playing tennis. You can get Tennis Elbow from any activity that requires repetitive movement of the wrist and arm, like gardening, plumbing, and painting to name a few.

What Causes Tennis Elbow?

Tennis Elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is an overuse injury caused by repetitive wrist and arm movements. Repeating these movements over and over results in small tears in the tendons that attach your forearm muscles to your elbow bone. This puts additional strain on the muscles in your forearm and wrist, and the result is quite painful.

How Do I Know If I Have Tennis Elbow?

If you’re experiencing any of the following, it’s most likely Tennis Elbow:

• Pain on the outside of your upper forearm, right underneath your elbow

• Pain when gripping or turning objects (ex: writing, turning door knobs, using a screwdriver)

• Pain lifting or bending your arm

How Do I Treat Tennis Elbow?

1. Rest.

   As with all overuse injuries, rest is an integral part of recovery. We realize it’s hard to rest if your daily work is what’s causing it. It’s ideal to take time off, but even if you can’t, you can at least try to be mindful of resting your hands, wrists, and arms when you’re not working.

2. Ice.
   Ice can greatly help reduce inflammation and aid in pain relief and recovery. You definitely do not want to use heat for Tennis Elbow.

3. Use good form.
   It’s also very important that when taking part in activities that activate the arm muscle, you pay extra attention to using good form. For instance, make sure that if you are cutting hard foods, you are holding your knife properly. If your Tennis Elbow is actually from tennis, make sure you’re holding your racquet properly.

4. Strengthen the forearm muscles.
   Reinforcing the surrounding muscles can reduce strain on your elbow. Work with one of our physical therapists in Brooklyn to learn exercises to strengthen the forearm muscles without putting additional strain on your wrist and elbow. 

5. Take pain relievers, but use caution.
   You can absolutely get some relief with Advil or Tylenol, but first, a word of caution. Since you won’t feel the pain as acutely, it’s very easy to overdo it or to not notice when you’re using bad form. 

A final tip? Be patient. It can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months for Tennis Elbow to resolve. The more you rest, the quicker your recovery is likely to be. If you would like to work with one of our Sarrica PT physical therapists for Tennis Elbow at our location in Brooklyn or Manhattan, please call us at (347) 560-6920 to schedule an appointment.