Cork Tennis Blog

Welcome to the Cork Tennis Blog.

This blog will keep you up to date on the tennis scene in Cork, both socially and competitively. Whether you are new to the game or an experienced player I hope you find the information and posts here, useful and interesting.

You can contact me by email at rob@racketrestringing.ie

Rob's Racketrestringing

Monday, November 24, 2014

Tennis Elbow and how to treat it - Michael Greaney


Tennis Elbow Pain 
By the term itself you would think this is a condition that affects only Tennis players but it can also affect anybody male or female.  The condition affects the outside of the elbow.
Many a person who has been diagnosed with Tennis Elbow were surprised because they never played Tennis. It is called Tennis Elbow because it is a very common condition among Tennis players. The condition is also called Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) (Repetitive means overused) or Lateral Epicondylitis. Lateral means the outside, epi means upon, condyle refers to that part of the bone, &  aitis. means inflammation.
Every muscle has an origin & an insertion.  The origin is on the bone itself, the insertion is via a tendon that crosses the joint & joins into the other bone.  When the muscle contracts (shortens), the insertion moves towards the origin.

Example of the Elbow:
The muscles collectively called the wrist extensor muscles originate at the elbow & cross the wrist via tendons on the dorsal aspect (the outside) & extends the wrist.  This movement is known as the backhand stroke whilst playing Tennis.
When these muscles tire, we are inclined to continue playing on or working on & minor micro tears occur exactly at the point where the muscle originates at the elbow.  The body s cells lay down new tissue growth to try & repair the damage called scar tissue but we continue to use the injured muscle whilst it is trying to repair itself (heal) & cause further tears therefore it never gets time to heal properly & continual repetitive use causes the muscle to inflame at the bone or origin known as Lateral Epicondylitis or Tennis Elbow.
The symptoms can be varied but weakness at the elbow e.g lifting a kettle or using the backhand movement is very common therefore loss of power on that movement.  Painters & Plasterers along with Tennis players suffer frequently with Tennis Elbow.  It was very common one time for Electricians to suffer this condition due to the tightening of screws with screwdrivers on a daily basis but not as common now due to the use of battery or electrically operated screwdrivers.  Other symptoms are radiating pain that spreads into the forearm with pain & tenderness at the elbow, worse on activity like lifting & grasping objects

                                                              The Treatment
A detailed case history is taken along with various physical tests to determine the diagnosis and cause of the condition

The treatment at my Clinic is first to encourage you to rest from the activity that causes the pain.

Ultrasound:
In the acute (early) stage we treat using ultrasound which has many benefits.  It works via ultrasound waves that penetrate through the tissue.  The ultrasound waves speed up the rate of odema (swelling) therefore it resolves quicker by increasing the number of blood capillaries around the damaged tissue, this results in an increase in blood flow and the removal of debri and carrying the vitamins & minerals to the damaged tissue. It also increases collagen secretion, that’s the white protein that lays down new tissue growth by up to 30%. The ultrasound waves cause a vibration which helps break down the old scar tissue that has not healed properly so that new scar tissue can form.



Laser:
The Laser treatment is used which is excellent in reducing swelling & pain & improves the condition immediately thus allowing you to reduce the dependency on medication.  Low intensity Laser Therapy is an advanced system used for treating & accelerating recovery from a wide range of soft tissue injuries like Tennis Elbow, Achilles Tendonitis, Shin Splints, Bursitis, Plantar Fascialitis, Rotator Cuff Strains etc.  I will write more on these conditions later.

Massage of the muscles is carried out once the inflammation and pain have eased this work helps to loosen the muscle fibres and break down the scar tissue and drain off any lactic acid build up.
Electric faradic stimulation
Faradic pads are placed on the muscle, this is similar to a tens machine, this method is used to passively contract and relax the muscle on its own without any active effort by you,  this regains full range of movement to those muscles.



Rehabilitation:
The final part of the treatment is preparing you to return to your work or sport, therefore stretching & strengthening exercises are given so that you regain the full range of movement and power and to act as a preventative.  If the condition was caused through playing Tennis then we suggest you speak with your Tennis Coach who will check the type of racket you are using, is  the width of the racked correct for your hand size & the technique you are using & also the type of ball in use.
The recovery time for Tennis Elbow can vary depending on how long it was before you sought treatment but my findings at my Clinic is an average of three to four weeks.
Conclusion:
There is no need to be suffering from any condition that is treatable & curable & preventing you from working or playing the sport you love, so call me.

This article was written by Michael Greaney for the Cork Tennis Blog.

R.I.P Michael and Valerie.


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