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Chiropractic Care for Tennis Elbow

First and foremost, thank you to all of our practice members and friends in the community who helped celebrate our 25 years as an office. We were beyond humbled by the gifts and kind words we received. We hope to continue our promise to provide quality care for another 25 years!

Over our summer months especially, we commonly come across practice members complaining of pain located in the elbow region. This description we hear about is commonly diagnosed as Lateral Epicondylitis or Tennis Elbow after we conduct a proper examination.

Practice members will state that they did not even play tennis before their condition started. It is helpful to note that not everyone who experiences tennis elbow has ever played tennis. Repetitive movements can cause pain and inflammation in the elbow and even affect the wrist and other parts of the arm. If you are experiencing pain in your elbow due to repetitive arm movements or overuse, then chiropractic care is definitely the solution to this condition. Chiropractic treatment for tennis elbow offers non-invasive and all-natural techniques to help alleviate pain and swelling in the area.

Common Causes of Tennis Elbow

The common causes of tennis elbow all involve repetitive movements and overuse of the elbow joint, forearm, hand, and wrist. Here are some examples of common causes of tennis elbow:

1. Tennis and Other Sports

One of the most common injuries for athletes is tennis elbow. Tennis and other sports that require you to move your arm in a repetitive movement can cause this overuse injury. Other racket sports and sports like baseball involve repeated movements that engage all the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your arm for the activity.

2. Computer Usage and Poor Sleep Posture

If you work at a desk all day, then you might be surprised to hear you have developed something called tennis elbow. However, computer usage, like repetitively moving a computer mouse around, can actually strain the muscles in your arm that provide support to your elbow joint.  Additionally, sleeping with the wrists tucked into your body can also be a common aggravator.

3. Home Improvement

Home improvement tasks like painting, driving screws, or using other tools can lead to this type of overuse injury. Whether you are working on a fixer-upper or simply doing your own renovations, you might experience elbow pain after repetitive arm movements.

Symptoms of Tennis Elbow

Common symptoms of tennis elbow include pain that starts in the elbow and may radiate along the outside of your arm into the forearm and wrist. Tennis elbow can also cause weakness and pain in the wrist joint, making daily routine tasks like turning a doorknob or holding a coffee cup more difficult. Tennis elbow can also cause inflammation in the soft tissues that support the elbow joint, which can become aggravated with continued movements. The muscles along the forearm that connect to the outside of the elbow can end up causing pain and weakness along the forearm and into your wrist and hand.

Treatment Options for Tennis Elbow

We recommend adjusting the elbow with chiropractic treatment, wearing a brace if needed, muscle work such as Active Release Technique (A.R.T) and traditional Chinese acupuncture. Rest and ice are also crucial to manage symptoms and any inflammation within the area. We see success with consistent care from our patients to get them over the pain episode. With any treatment protocol, time is of the essence and one treatment will not solve everything instantly. We are here to help!

The Van Ness Chiropractic Difference

At Van Ness Chiropractic, we realize that maintaining optimal health is not one size fits all. Our doctors have the clinical knowledge to offer advice and treatment that is both effective and empowering.  Call us today at 847-842-8070 to set up an appointment for a comprehensive examination and get on the road to health today.  You can also visit us at vannesschiro.com to find out more.