Better Understanding Tennis Elbow and How Physiotherapy Can Help?

Jan 22

Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is a common injury that affects the outer part of the elbow. This condition can cause significant pain and weakness in the arm, making it difficult to perform even simple tasks. But, with the right treatment and rehabilitation, individuals with tennis elbow can make a full recovery and regain their strength. One of the most effective treatments for tennis elbow is physiotherapy. Tennis elbow is a painful condition that affects the outer part of the elbow, where the forearm tendons attach to the bone. This condition is caused by overuse and repetitive motions, such as playing tennis, using a computer mouse or even lifting heavy objects. The pain and weakness caused by tennis elbow can have a significant impact on an individual's quality of life, making it difficult to perform daily tasks and hobbies. However, with the right treatment and rehabilitation, individuals with tennis elbow can make a full recovery and regain their strength.

What is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow is a type of repetitive strain injury that affects the outer part of the elbow. It is caused by overuse and repetitive motions, such as playing tennis, using a computer mouse or even lifting heavy objects. The constant repetition of these motions can cause small tears in the tendons that attach the forearm to the elbow, resulting in pain and weakness. This repetitive micro-damage to the tendon can also cause a chronic inflammatory response, which can ache a lot at rest or in the morning and frequently improves through the day with movement.

Symptoms of Tennis Elbow

The symptoms of tennis elbow can vary from person to person, but some common symptoms include:

Pain and weakness in the outer part of the elbow
Stiffness in the elbow
A burning sensation in the forearm
Weakness in the wrist and hand, especially when gripping
Tenderness when touching the outer part of the elbow

Causes of Tennis Elbow

Every tendon in the body has what is know as a “load tolerance”. This is the amount of load the tendon can sustain repetitivly, before the tissue starts to break down under that load. The stronger or thicker the tendon is, usually the better it is at sustaining load. This is why exercise can be used to make the tendon more resilient to injury. If the tendon is regularly loaded beyond it’s physical capacity, small parts of the collagen fibers in the tendon will begin to micro-tear and breakdown, as this progresses, so do the symptoms associated with tennis elbow mentioned above.

How Physiotherapy Can Help with Tennis Elbow

Physiotherapy is an effective treatment option for individuals with tennis elbow. Physiotherapists are trained to diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions, including tennis elbow. They can provide individuals with a personalized treatment plan that includes exercises and stretches to help alleviate pain and improve strength.

Here are some ways physiotherapy can help with tennis elbow:

Reduce pain and swelling
Improve range of motion
Strengthen the muscles and tendons in the forearm
Increase flexibility and reduce stiffness
Improve overall function and quality of life

Benefits of Physiotherapy for Tennis Elbow

Physiotherapy has a range of benefits for individuals with tennis elbow. Here are some of the key benefits:

Non-invasive treatment option
Safe and effective
Personalized treatment plan
Can be used in combination with other treatments
Can help prevent future injuries

Will anti-inflammatories help with Tennis Elbow?

Yes, they will help but they will not fix the problem on their own. Anti-inflammatory drugs like Voltaren and Neurofen, simply act to reduce the inflammation and in so can reduce the pain and ache. This doesn’t however make the damaged collagen fibers repair. Time and a tailored program guided by your Physio will do this.

What are the benefits of Collagen supplementation with Tennis Elbow?

There is some really strong evidence to show how collagen supplementation can support tendon recovery and this has been covered in more detail HERE

Tennis elbow is a common condition that can cause significant pain and weakness in the arm. However, with the right treatment and rehabilitation, individuals with tennis elbow can make a full recovery and regain their strength. One of the most effective treatments for tennis elbow is physiotherapy. Physiotherapy can provide individuals with a personalized treatment plan that includes exercises and stretches to help alleviate pain and improve strength. If you are experiencing symptoms of tennis elbow, it is important to seek treatment from a trained professional, such as a physiotherapist, to ensure a successful recovery.

FAQs

What is tennis elbow?

Why tennis elbow happens?

Tennis elbow can occur when a task is done repetitively that is beyond the “load tolerance” of the tendons associated with tennis elbow. Over time, the small collagen fibers within the tendons begin to microtear and breakdown, progressively getting worse, as often indicated by an increase in pain as the injury becomes worse.

Who diagnose and who to see for tennis elbow?

Your physiotherapist should be your first point of contact. Physiotherapists are trained professionals for musculoskeletal injuries like this and likely would have seen the condition many times due to it being such a common injury. If needed, your physiotherapist can also send you for a scan to ascertain the severity of the injury.

What are the symptoms of tennis elbow?

The symptoms of tennis elbow can vary from person to person, but some common symptoms include pain and weakness in the outer part of the elbow, stiffness in the elbow, a burning sensation in the forearm, weakness in the wrist and hand, and tenderness when touching the outer part of the elbow.

What causes tennis elbow?

Tennis elbow is caused by overuse and repetitive motions, such as playing tennis, using a computer mouse or even lifting heavy objects. The constant repetition of these motions can cause small tears in the tendons that attach the forearm to the elbow, resulting in pain and weakness.

Can physiotherapy help with tennis elbow?

Yes, physiotherapy is an effective treatment option for individuals with tennis elbow. Physiotherapists are trained to diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions, including tennis elbow. They can provide individuals with a personalized treatment plan that includes exercises and stretches to help alleviate pain and improve strength.

Is physiotherapy safe for tennis elbow?

Yes, physiotherapy is a safe and effective treatment option for individuals with tennis elbow. Physiotherapists are trained professionals who will work with individuals to develop a safe and effective treatment plan.

Will tennis elbow go away?

Usually not. In certain circumstances, when the initial injury was minor and you were able to adequately rest after, the injury may improve on its own. However, this is unlikely, with the most common outcome being a gradual progression of the symptoms over time.

Aaron Babb