At least half of tennis players experience tennis elbow, also called lateral epicondylitis in medical parlance, once in the course of their playing careers. Still, it can happen to anyone, hence it is important to know what causes and how to treat tennis elbow.
What causes it?
On record, tennis players only comprise 5% of those who develop tennis elbow. The remaining 95% are manual workers and individuals who performed motions they were unaccustomed to. The inflammation results from micro-tears that happen in the tendon attaching the forearm to the elbow due to repetitive or poorly executed movements. Delaying treatment can lead to hemorrhage and chronic pain which can affect quality of living significantly. This highlights further the importance of learning how to cure tennis elbow.
What are its signs and symptoms?
Pain is the most common and earliest presentation of this particular lateral elbow syndrome. The pain is characterized as being on the outer part of the elbow which often radiates to the forearm and wrist. Gripping movements like when shaking hands or turning the doorknob is often painful. Activities that involve flicking the wrists like pouring the contents of a pitcher can also trigger the same pain response.
There are several approaches on how to treat tennis elbow. Primarily, it involves temporarily discontinuing whatever activity has lead to it in order to allow the arm to rest and recuperate. While surgery is one method how to cure tennis elbow, doctors rarely prescribe it as non-invasive procedures are usually sufficient. Instead management is geared towards pain reduction and to increase strength and flexibility of the affected area. This is usually done by administering anti-inflammatory medications and doing simple stretching exercises, respectively. Orthotic braces and physical therapy may also be prescribed accordingly. Often it is not enough to simply inquire how do you cure tennis elbow , that is, learning how to prevent it is much more important.
Are there ways to prevent it?
Prevention is always better than cure. Stretching prior to a game, observing proper body mechanics or playing techniques and use of equipment appropriate to your body size and strength can help stave off tennis elbow as well as potential economic losses.
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