What is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow is a common injury that elicits pain and weakness in the elbow and arm. The tendons in the forearm are overloaded due to repetitive use and improper mechanics. Since it’s a repetitive stress injury, Tennis Elbow usually occurs on a person’s dominant hand.

It’s layman name comes from it’s common association with tennis players, who develop this condition due to repeated improper backhand strokes, but often appear with occupations or hobbies that involve using tools like plumbers, gardeners, and chefs. The medical name, Lateral Epicondylitis, refers to the structure in the elbow that becomes inflamed from strain and overuse.

Elbow pain can be a nuisance and disrupt our daily lives as it can impact lifting and holding objects. There are various types of elbow pains and knowing which type you are experiencing can help you find the right treatments to manage your symptoms.

What Causes Tennis Elbow:

● Loaded backhand motions in racquet sports
● Vibrations from work tools (ex. drills, jackhammers)
● Using hand tools (ex. screwdrivers, garden shears)
● Repetitive activities (ex: using the mouse continuously)

What does Tennis Elbow Feel Like?

● Pain on the outside of elbow or back of the forearm and hand
● Weakness when holding a cup or turning door knobs
● Stiffness when you straighten your hand
● Swollen and warm to the touch around the outside of the elbow

How We Take Care of Your Tennis Elbow

With an integrated team of Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Registered Massage Therapists, and Kinesiologists, we have you covered for your elbow-related problems.

Seeing different practitioners can be helpful as there may be various reasons for your elbow pains.Treatments in a multidisciplinary clinic can help address underlying issues from multiple aspects.

A combination of different treatments can include:
● Soft tissue manipulation to address muscle tightness and trigger points
● Stretching and exercise to manage between treatments
● Chiropractic adjustments to help with stiff joints in the elbow, wrist and shoulder
● Acupuncture and massage therapy to decrease stress in the elbow area
● Ergonomic changes to your work setting to decrease stress on your elbow

If your condition does require further testing or treatment, we can refer you to one of the trusted specialists that we have in our network.


You don’t have to live with elbow pain

To summarize, elbow pain is common but manageable. Despite there being various reasons why someone can have elbow pain, finding the right modalities and practitioners can help you address the underlying problem and decrease symptoms.

If you resonate with any of these points, give Baseline a call or go online and book an appointment with one of our practitioners.