If your elbow is extremely sensitive to touch on the outside and the pain is greater when you lift or carry heavy things, you may have tennis elbow. Tennis elbow, properly known as lateral epicondylitis, can come from playing tennis, but overuse of the area for any reason can lead to this injury.
The pain you experience from this condition mainly radiates from the area where the tendons of your forearm attach to the bone on the outside of your elbow. Over time, the pain can sometimes be felt down your forearm and to your wrist.
Other symptoms may include:
- Pain caused by touching or bumping the outside of your elbow;
- Pain when you extend, or cock, your wrist;
- A weakened grip; and
- Pain from gripping activities, such as shaking hands or turning doorknobs.
If left untreated, the pain from tennis elbow can worsen over time, and you may even feel painful symptoms when the area is at rest.
We can be an excellent resource in treating any kind of pain in your elbow, employing exercises and stretches that will strengthen the area and alleviate the painful symptoms. We may also recommend wearing a strap or brace to reduce stress on the injury while it heals.
Self-care, the initial treatment for tennis elbow, includes rest, icing the area, anti- inflammatory medications (such as ibuprofen and naproxen) may be prescribed by your physician and exercises prescribed by us. More severe cases may require additional treatment options.
If you suspect your pain might be tennis elbow, call us today at (650) 947-8500 or sign-up for a Discovery Session here.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kim Gladfelter, MPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
Women's Health Physical Therapy Specialist at PhysioFit Physical Therapy & Wellness
Kim Gladfelter is a physical therapist, Pilates instructor, educator, author, and co-founder of PhysioFit Physical Therapy & Wellness. She is known as a keen, well-rounded expert of healing through movement and women’s health specialist in the Silicon Valley area.
Kim has helped men and women of all ages to stay active and feel their best. She also writes about managing pain in her health columns, blogs and the local Los Altos Town Crier newspaper as well as reaches out to the local community, support groups, schools, libraries, and sports centers to advise and educate on body awareness and therapeutic exercise.
