Lateral epicondylitis, otherwise known as, “tennis elbow,” is a common injury to the elbow joint in racket sport players and overuse of the computer keyboard and mouse.
Chronic overuse of the wrist extensor muscles cause inflammation at the tendon (tendonitis) and causes pain to the outside of the elbow (lateral epicondyle). For this reason, it is an injury that affects many tennis players, and sometimes people that have never played tennis.
Symptoms of lateral epicondylitis include pain to the outside of the elbow joint with active movement of the wrist. As with any injury with increased inflammation, early treatment involves the RICE regimen; Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation of the elbow until acute pain subsides.
Conservative physical therapy treatment of this condition involves manual techniques, cold laser therapy, joint mobilizations, neuromuscular re-education, and therapeutic exercises.
Golfer’s elbow is pain on the medial aspect of the elbow. Both are repetitive strain injuries that cause inflammation of the muscles of the forearm. Symptoms of both tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow include pain, soreness, and weakness in those muscles of the forearm.
Most importantly, people with elbow pain should avoid the activities that cause forearm pain (e.g., playing tennis) until the injury heals.
Wearing an elbow and forearm brace can help rehabilitate the elbow and prevent recurrence once it has healed. We offer several different options for braces here at Cynergy Physical Therapy once a specific diagnosis is identified.