Tennis elbow / Golfer’s elbow
Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow are the common names for lateral and medial epicondylitis. They are overuse injuries of the muscles of the forearm resulting from repetitive wrist movement.
What causes tennis or golfer’s elbow?
Many people who suffer from tennis or golfer’s elbow have never even played tennis or golf.
The injury may occur after activities involving repetitive wrist movements such as gardening, house work, driving screws, weight lifting, brick-laying or playing musical instruments.
You may have performed such activities above and beyond what you are accustomed to, resulting in pain experienced in the inside (golfer’s) or outside (tennis) of your elbow/forearm muscles.
What are the symptoms of tennis or golfer’s elbow?
Many people who suffer from tennis or golfer’s elbow report a history of pain that has existed for some time. Typical symptoms include aching, throbbing or tenderness on the outer (tennis) or inner (golfer’s) elbow that may worsen during seemingly trivial movements such as typing, chopping food and turning door knobs.
How can osteopathy help with the management of tennis or golfer’s elbow?
Not all pain felt in the elbow region is necessarily due to either of these conditions. Osteopaths consider a wider range of soft tissue and joint injuries in their diagnosis. Osteopaths also consider how other areas such as wrist malfunction or shoulder/neck stiffness can influence elbow injuries and treat accordingly.
Osteopathic management may involve:
- ‘hands on’ treatment techniques to help loosen and stretch the muscles involved and to reduce the amount of inflammation in the elbow
- checking and treating other areas that may be affected, such as the shoulder or upper back and neck
- dry needling of trigger points in the forearm and elbow
- advise on stretches you can do to reduce tension in the forearm muscles
- advise on exercises you can do to strengthen the forearm muscles
Call St Kilda Osteopathy if you are experiencing any elbow pain.
