Tennis Elbow
What is it?
Lateral epicondylitis, AKA “tennis elbow,” is a common presentation that we see at Thrive.
It’s often caused by overuse of the wrist extensors, or forearm muscles, and. despite the name, it isn’t necessarily caused by playing tennis.
Any activity that causes the excessive use of these muscles (for example using a keyboard, tools, carrying heavy bags or making a fist) can cause tennis elbow. Symptoms can last between 2 weeks to over 1 year if not managed appropriately.
Tennis elbow can be managed conservatively by a physiotherapist. A normal assessment and rehabilitation plan would include :
Conducting a physical examination using specific tests to diagnose your condition.
Treating your condition using a variety of techniques such as; soft tissue work, joint mobilisations, dry needling, and strengthening of targeted muscles.
Education on the condition and how you can help your recovery (ice, use of straps, load management etc) and a specific individualized home exercise program.
The recovery time of tennis elbow can vary greatly depending on the extent of the injury and external factors. This is why it’s important to be properly assessed by a health professional to ensure further damage does not occur.
