Whether you’re a pro tennis player or a business professional at your computer all day long, you may suffer from lateral elbow pain or epicondylitis, which is commonly referred to as tennis elbow. It is caused by repetitive motion over a period of time. For athletes, it may be a result of swinging a racquet, club, or bat or even lifting weights for a number of reps. For everyone else, tennis elbow is a side effect of hours upon hours of computer work, sitting at a desk with arms bent over a keyboard.
The pain associated with tennis elbow is from small tears in the tendons surrounding the elbow. These tendons support the elbow when bent, so when they have tears, the whole system breaks down. The result can be pain in the elbow and forearm, as well as a weakened grip.
There are many ways to deal with tennis elbow, from just resting and stretching the arms to a more invasive surgical approach, depending on the severity of the pain and the amount of damage that has occurred.
Immediate Treatments for Tennis Elbow
It is important to notice and attend to tennis elbow quickly before more damage occurs. Most medical professionals will suggest icing the area and taking anti-inflammatory medication (such as ibuprofen) to reduce both the pain and inflammation.
Splints can be used to keep the elbow stationary, and undergoing physical or occupational therapy can provide specific exercises to help strengthen the affected area. Corticosteroid injections are sometimes used to aid in pain relief, and in severe cases, surgery may be an option to repair the damaged tendons.
These more traditional methods for treatment of tennis elbow are quite effective in minimizing pain, but they don’t always get to the root of the problem and fix the original issue: the damage to the tendons. One option that has been proven to do just that is acupuncture. Because acupuncture can go directly to the areas that are damaged and causing pain, the tightening of the muscles is immediately affected. A study completed by Peter Dorscher, M.D., L.Ac. discovered that acupuncture was effective with nearly all of the participants who were treated. Even those patients who had suffered with tennis elbow for years and had tried various other treatments were effectively cured with acupuncture.
Acupuncture helps to eliminate the pain associated with tennis elbow because it goes right to the point of pain and releases the tightness in the muscles. The “magic” behind those little needles is that they allow Qi to flow exactly where the body needs it, and in this case, the needed area can be quickly reached, leading to near-immediate results.
Long-Term Care of Tennis Elbow
While acupuncture and perhaps a little rest can help take care of the issues now, what about in the future? According to Dr. Dorscher’s study, those who use acupuncture for tennis elbow often have no issue of recurrence. However, if you’d like to be sure that you don’t have more pain in the future, you can certainly continue with maintenance acupuncture as needed.
[tweet_box]If you’re an athlete, speak to your coach or trainer about your technique. Many find that it was an improper stance that led to the initial challenges of tennis elbow.[/tweet_box] Some ideas to improve your form may be just what you need to avoid any future issues.For the weekend warriors who got injured on the job, it might be time to look at the ergonomics of your workspace. Are you sitting up properly at your desk with great back support? Is your chair at the right height to have your arms resting comfortably over your keyboard? Is your monitor at eye level? All of these components can contribute to issues, not only in the elbow but also in the back and neck. Some slight modifications could mean a world of difference moving forward.
If you’re suffering from lateral elbow pain, acupuncture could be the next step to get you back on the court or at the computer. Call us at 602-955-5444.
