Have you been dealing with an annoying ache in your forearm and elbow? Are you frustrated now that your elbow hurts just lifting a cup or even holding a pencil or pen? The pain you are experiencing is likely tennis elbow.
Despite the name, tennis elbow can affect anyone, regardless of whether they play tennis or not. Fortunately, at Synergy Therapeutic Group in Carbondale, our physical therapists are highly skilled at identifying the root cause of your condition and addressing all the factors contributing to your pain and difficulties using your arm.
Pain and injuries are a part of life, but getting to a physical therapist when they are small, leads to a faster recovery so you can get back to doing what you love. This is especially true with a tendon injury like tennis elbow (i.e., lateral epicondylitis).
Our team of physical therapy will use the most advanced strategies to resolve your pain and restore your function. We will identify the likely cause of your tendon problems and give you the tools to get back to doing what you’ve been avoiding.
Request an appointment at Synergy Therapeutic Group in Carbondale today!
What is tennis elbow, and how does it start?
Tennis elbow is one of the most frequent causes of elbow pain. The pain starts when the forearm muscles/tendons become damaged from overuse or excessive strain. As this condition advances, it becomes an injury resulting in inflammation or micro-tearing of the tendons in the forearm.
Tennis elbow is the more common term that refers to an overuse injury known as lateral epicondylitis. The word lateral refers to the outside, and epicondyle is a bony bump located on the upper arm bone (humerus). Tendons attached to this spot travel to the forearm, wrist, and hand.
It was once thought that the leading cause of pain in this area was the result of inflammation of the tendons in the forearm. Although inflammation can cause pain, the majority of cases involve micro-tearing due to repetitive use and/or accumulation of traumas over time.
Tennis elbow pain typically consists of uncomfortable tenderness where the injured tendons are connected to the bone. The pain can extend into your forearm, hand, upper arm, and shoulder.
The irritated or injured tendon makes lifting and moving the arm difficult. While the sport of tennis commonly causes it, it can also be caused by other sports and activities, including softball, baseball, raking leaves, and even excessive typing on a computer.
Any activity, such as gripping or repeated grasping, can strain the tendon attachment to the lateral epicondyle. The most common age group to develop this condition is between 30-60 years of age.
What to expect at your physical therapy appointments
At Synergy Therapeutic Group in Carbondale, our therapists will conduct a thorough evaluation to identify how long you have been dealing with your pain or injury. In addition, we will perform a physical assessment to help us determine the most appropriate plan for your specific condition.
We will tailor our program to resolve your condition and restore your function effectively. Our team will use any modality and manual therapy technique to help with pain relief and increase blood flow to assist the healing process in the early stages.
Next, our team will focus on restoring your joint and tissue mobility to set the stage for strengthening exercises. We want to build strength by “loading the injured area. Loading means the cumulative amount of activity you’re doing in a given period and is the key to lasting relief.
The goal of tendon rehabilitation is to gradually progress the exercises to challenge the tendon without irritating it further. We can progress loading by adding repetitions, sets, resistance, duration, and speed. As your tendon gets stronger, it can handle the forces needed to resume your typical activities.
No matter how your condition started or your type of limitations, our physical therapy team are here to help you find relief once and for all!
Request an appointment today!
At Synergy Therapeutic Group in Carbondale, our physical therapists are experts at treating tennis elbow. We use the most advanced techniques and have proven success resolving acute and chronic conditions!
Call Synergy Therapeutic Group today to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists!
