What is tennis elbow?
The outside part of the elbow is the location of the attachment of the extensor muscles of the forearm. This muscle group is responsible for the movement of pushing the back of the hand towards the sky. This is the precise movement performed when a tennis player performs a backhand stroke. This is where the name comes from.
This painful condition produces pain when certain movements are performed. It can be very painful and debilitating to the person affected with this condition.
What causes Lateral epicondylitis to occur?
Tennis elbow is a condition which is part of a group of injuries caused by repetitive motion and overuse. These are call Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI).
This injury is caused when the muscle group is overused causing an inflammation at the attachment of the muscle in question. When the attachment gets irritated and inflamed, the pain pattern sets in. At times, micro tears can also occur in the muscle attachment contributing to the inflammatory process.
Often, these injuries are very stubborn. Since they are rooted in repetitive movement, it is sometimes difficult to stop the activity in question.
Treatment for Tennis elbow
Inflammatory based conditions like tennis elbow respond well to ice. This is aimed at decreasing the inflammatory response and decreasing pain. Other modalities such as ultrasound and acupuncture can also be quite helpful.
Having a chiropractic assessment is a very valuable tool to determine the function of the elbow, arm and cervical spine, as well as to rule out or rule in any other possible sources for this pain.
Proper alignment of the skeletal structure and proper nerve impulse to the area can enhance the treatment and lead to long lasting results. When a structure is properly aligned and functioning in the way that it was designed to function, it is less likely to breakdown and lead to inflammatory responses and painful conditions like tennis elbow.