4. Tennis Elbow
Elbow injuries account for 7% of all sports injuries. Tennis elbow consists of tendon damage in the elbow due to repeated gripping or doing an activity that involves locking of the wrist.
Tennis Elbow or Golfer’s Elbow
For tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow we use gold-standard Shockwave Therapy, one of the most advanced non-surgical and non-invasive treatment available for a wide range of stubborn conditions that are difficult to treat using a conventional treatment approach. Shockwave Therapy will preclude the need for steroid injections and invasive surgeries and enable rapid relief from your pain.
Tennis elbow is correctly termed ‘lateral epicondylitis’. The lateral epicondyle is a small bony bump on the outside of your forearm where one of the most important muscle tendons that helps lock your wrist inserts (the forearm extensors).
Damage is the consequence of an overuse injury, or repetitive activity, which creates small tears in the tendon. This occurs where the tendon inserts into the surface of the bone (or periosteum) as it attaches to the lateral epicondyle in the elbow joint.
Bending and locking the wrist is typical when you grip something like a golf club or a tennis racket. It is literally, therefore, an overuse injury and a repetitive activity will lead to small tears in the tendon where it inserts into periosteum (or surface) of the bone on the lateral epicondyle. Activities at home like DIY or gardening can precipitate an issue, as grip strength is required to operate most tools; it is no surprise that this condition is frequent in most tradesmen such as builders and carpenters. The resulting pain can become obvious even when undertaking the simplest of tasks such as turning a door handle or opening a jar.
Golfer’s elbow is a condition that causes pain on the inside of your elbow. This is where your flexor tendons for your wrist attach to a bony bump called a medial epicondyle on the inside of your elbow. This is the tendon responsible for bending and locking your wrist in a forward or flexed position.
This condition is not limited to golfers but to people who repeatedly use their wrists in any activity that involves constant wrist flexion. This an overuse injury and a repetitive activity will lead to small tears in the tendon as it inserts into periosteum (or surface) of the bone on the medial epicondyle on the inside of your elbow.
We use soft tissue techniques and ultrasound to give pain relief. We also administer basic stretching exercises and recommend an epicondylitis strap to help relieve tension on the tendon. For most people this is all that they will require and pain will last from anything up to twelve weeks.