ORTHOPEDICS/SHOULDER & ELBOW/ELBOW DISORDERS
Tennis elbow also called Lateral epicondylitis, is amid the elbow pain most frequent causes.
Tennis elbow is classically caused by factors other than only playing tennis.
This disorder is an overuse disease that leads to aching pains on the elbow joint outside.
Most of the tennis elbow symptoms: Pain over the elbow outside, Weakness, trouble grasping, and releasing objects, in addition to Pain outspreading down the forearm
Routine Changes
Altering the method of performing particular activities that intensify the elbow pain signs can be one of the successful steps with tennis elbow therapy.
Knowing how to avoid this pain, even sometimes with simple modifications, can lead to a huge decrease of the pain from tennis elbow.
Anti-Inflammatory Medicines
Anti-inflammatory medicines are frequently used to help controlling pain and inflammation.
While these medicines are probably not accelerating the healing procedure, they can help to providing relief.
It is important, to be careful of not overusing these medicines to mask the pain; it can worsen the problem.
Cortisone Injections
Cortisone injection is one of the most frequently used therapy for tennis elbow. it usually provides excellent temporary relief.
However be aware of the side effects that it may produce and may worsen results when it is overused as final therapy.
Elbow Brace
An elbow orthosis, called an elbow fastener, can be worn. Patients regularly find relief of pain when using the fastener during activities.
Tennis Elbow Trainings
Few simple movements can also be helpful in controlling the tennis elbow indications.
These movements should not cause pain, and those that do should be avoided.
Strengthening the muscles and tendons involved with tennis elbow, can help preventing the comeback of the problem.
A new tennis elbow therapy uses a strengthening tools called the Thera-Band FlexBar to relieve tennis elbow pain.
The Thera-Band FlexBar had shown better success than patients who did not use this particular tool.
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy
shockwave therapy is using sound waves to induce so-called ‘microtrauma’ to tissues.
This microtrauma stimulates a healing reaction to alleviate pain.
Autologous Blood Injection & PRP
A blood injection uses the patient own blood, drawn from a vein, and injected into the damaged tendon, in an effort to stimulate a healing response.
The Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a new therapy similar to the precedent (autologous blood injection).
PRP is a concentration of platelet cells taken from the patient blood, these platelets have growth issues that may help the healing process.. The difference with PRP is that it uses a concentration of the blood that is withdrawn from the patient body.
Tennis Elbow/Surgery
More than one surgical therapy are used.
These include:
Removal of a portion of the damaged tendon or releasing the attachment of the affected tendon.
Repair of the healthy portion of tendon.
Arthroscopic elbow surgery that has recently became an alternative for some patients with tennis elbow.
A Final Word
As said before, the best therapy for lateral epicondylitis is to know which activities may worsen the problem and find new methods to modify or avoid performing those activities.