If you're having outside elbow or lateral elbow pain, often called tennis elbow, this can be a significant cause of pain.
There are many different causes for this condition, including:
- gripping a tennis racket too tight, and
- repetitive motions at work, such as with mechanics.
There are two kinds of lateral elbow pain.
- epicondylitis - inflammation of the tendon as it attaches
- tendonopathy/tendonosis - where the tendon has gone through many inflammatory processes that lead to degenerative changes.
Assessment
To best assess your lateral epicondyle pain, we will take you through some range of motion, looking at your neck, shoulder, thoracic spine, elbow and wrist. Once that's done, we do muscle testing to best assess any weakness or tightness. If the muscle tests do reveal weakness, then we can develop the best possible diagnosis to figure out how to best help you. Once we have a clear diagnosis, then we can start the treatment plan customized to you.
Treatment Plan
This will usually consist of some form of soft tissue work and adjustments of the neck, upper back and shoulder. Usually people have difficulties with extension of the thoracic spine, their upper back, and adjustments will help put your shoulder in a better position, which will put less stress on your elbow, whether you're doing racket sports or throwing sports. For rehabilitation, we will strengthen what's weak, loosen what's tight, and improve your technique.
So all of that together, working with your coach, soft tissue work, adjusting, rehab, all that together will give you the best possible chance of improving and getting out of pain as soon as possible.
If you'd like to get out of pain and stay out of pain, give us a call or schedule an appointment online.
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