Tennis elbow: what it is, symptoms and natural treatment

Despite its name, the tennis elbow It is not something that affects only those who play with the racket, it is something quite common in people who perform repetitive arm movements. Tennis elbow can cause pain when bending or straightening your arms or when grasping or lifting objects. In most cases, the pain can be relieved without having to resort to invasive treatments.

Tennis elbow: what it is and why it happens

He tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) It is an injury to the tendons and muscles in the elbow area, normally caused by excessive use.

The bones that make up the upper arm (humerus, radius, and ulna) join together at the elbow joint. The tendons hold these bones together muscles that allow us to stretch and flex the arm, rotate the wrist or move the fingers of the hands.

Repeatedly moving the elbow joint or carry weight can make them appear tears in the muscles or one inflammation in the tendons.

Practice certain sports (such as tennis, bowling, or baseball) or perform certain jobs (for example, hairdressers, cooks or musicians) or tasks (carrying the children, using the computer for a long time) are the most common causes of tennis elbowa pathology that tends to affect more people between 30 and 50 years old. Normally, tennis elbow affects the dominant arm.

Tennis elbow: symptoms

Some symptoms can alert us that we have tennis elbow.

elbow pain. The first symptom of tennis elbow is usually recurring pain on the outside of the elbow that appears when performing everyday actions (for example, turning a doorknob or opening a bottle) or lifting something. may also appear stiffness or pain when extending the arm.swelling in the elbow. Over time, the pain may worsen and may spread to the arm and forearm and the elbow joint may be swollen and tender to the touch.Loss of grip strength. You can also notice a lack of grip strength or holding objects such as a pen or a key, or simply shaking hands with someone.

Tennis elbow: treatment and natural remedies

The main thing so that the pain does not become chronic is to avoid, as far as possible, the repetitive movements that have caused the tennis elbow and use a proper technique to take weight or do your activities.

When the pain is sharp, treatment is aimed at reducing pain and inflammation. For this, it is recommended:

Repose: Decreasing or stopping activity for a while to give tissues time to recover.Ice on the outside of the elbow to reduce inflammation (you should not apply it directly to the skin, use a cloth to wrap it). One option is to apply it for 20-30 minutes every 3-4 hours for 2-3 days or until the pain is gone.Compression: Wearing a forearm bandage can reduce stress on the injured tissue.

The plants with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties They can help you reduce pain. Some of the most useful for muscle pains They are arnica, viburnum, devil’s claw or cayenne.

When you are not in an acute phase, perform massage or stretching (supervised by a professional) will help you to facilitate the arrival of blood to the injured muscles and tendons and, with it, the oxygen and nutrients necessary to repair the tissues.

When there is no pain, the strength exercises They help strengthen muscles and tendons. To do this, you can use light dumbbells or elastic bands.

Acupuncture and dry needling (a technique that involves inserting a needle into the muscle through the skin) are also effective for many people with tennis elbow.

On the other hand, the shock waves(similar to those used to dissolve kidney stones) are micro-trauma sound waves that support the body’s natural healing processes.

The vast majority of cases (between 85% and 95%) usually remit with the appropriate measures. In some cases, however, more invasive treatments (such as injections or platelet-rich plasma) or even surgery may be considered.