You may think that athletes are the only ones at risk of developing overuse injuries in their elbows. But anyone can develop elbow tendonitis, a leading cause of discomfort in this part of the body. If you’re dealing with this type of pain, you should determine its source and cause so that you can learn how to treat elbow tendonitis appropriately.
What Is Elbow Tendonitis?
Although the official term for elbow tendonitis is epicondylitis, most people call it tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow. These refer to the two types of elbow tendonitis.
Tennis elbow is lateral epicondylitis. It involves the tendons on the outer side of the elbow. This condition affects tennis and racquetball players, but individuals who perform similar motions repeatedly can develop it as well.
Golfer’s elbow is medial epicondylitis. It involves the tendons on the inner side of the elbow. Tennis players can also get a golfer’s elbow, so can anyone who regularly uses forceful wrist or finger motions, such as construction workers, warehouse employees, plumbers, and weight lifters. Even seemingly harmless activities, such as typing and knitting, can lead to elbow tendonitis with overuse.
The tendons near the joints get a great deal of use. Over time and with repetitive motions, the tendons can develop tears and fray, causing pain, inflammation, and stiffness in and near the affected area. If you don’t treat the condition properly, you will likely experience chronic pain, limited mobility, impaired function, and damage to the joint.
Should You See a Chiropractor for Elbow Tendonitis Symptoms?
Understanding elbow tendonitis symptoms can help you identify your injury and select the best options for treating tendonitis elbow. Several elbow disorders can cause pain and reduced function, including bursitis, osteoarthritis, dislocation, fracture, and ligament strains and sprains. Regardless of your medical issue, the professionals at Bergen Chiropractic, our chiropractic care center, can diagnose your condition and offer guidance in your path towards healing.
If you haven’t seen a chiropractor yet, you might be able to categorize your elbow tendonitis symptoms based on the following characteristics:
- Tennis elbow: Pain along the outer side of your elbow that begins just below the crease and may extend to the wrist.
- Golfer’s elbow: Pain from the inner elbow that may extend down the forearm to the wrist.
The following symptoms occur with both types of elbow tendonitis:
- Tenderness when you touch the affected area of the elbow
- Weakness in the wrists and hands
- Difficulty and pain when grasping objects, making fists, turning doorknobs or shaking hands
- Numbness and tingling in the fingers, hands, wrists and forearms
- Trouble extending the arm completely
How to Treat Elbow Tendonitis
Your elbow tendonitis treatment cannot commence without first resting the affected area. You should consider the motions that you make throughout the day and limit those contributing to the condition. Any activities that cause immediate pain should be avoided until you visit a chiropractic care center and learn how to treat tendonitis elbow.
Physical Therapy for Elbow Tendonitis
Elbow tendonitis physical therapy not only relieves pain and enhances range of motion but also addresses the source of the problem. In addition, it teaches you how to move correctly to strengthen muscles and ensure correct function in the interconnected soft tissue and joints.
Some of the techniques that we use at our chiropractic care center include the following:
- Elbow tendonitis strap: An elbow tendonitis band or sleeve is a non-invasive treatment option. Elbow tendonitis braces are typically placed just under the elbow crease on the forearm. A tendonitis elbow brace will reduce unnecessary movement, helping you heal and protecting your elbow in the future when you perform strenuous activities.
- Elbow tendonitis stretches: Address the muscles in your forearms, ease pain, and enhance flexibility. A basic stretch involves holding your arm straight out in front of you and bending your wrist. Next, use the opposite fingers to apply gentle pressure to the outstretched hand. Finally, stretch the hand up, down, to the left, and to the right. Our chiropractic specialists will show you how to do elbow tendonitis stretches correctly so that you can do them at home.
- Elbow tendonitis exercises: Our chiropractic care center offers exercise rehabilitation to improve strength, mobility, and range of motion. Elbow tendonitis exercises such as the fist squeeze and Tyler twist restore grip strength and resilience without straining the muscle.
- KT tape elbow tendonitis: KT tape for elbow tendonitis must be precisely applied using a tab technique to be effective. Our chiropractic care center uses a specific type of tape that maximizes efficacy.
- Elbow tendonitis massage: Deep friction elbow tendonitis massage has been found to be more effective than cortisone injections, splinting, and stretching alone for reducing pain and improving function. But that’s not the only type of massage that works for this condition. Other types of elbow tendonitis massage, including ice and compression therapy, promote healing and relieve inflammation.
- Soft tissue techniques: Healing the tears in the tendon is vital to prevent the injury from worsening or returning. Soft tissue techniques, such as the Graston technique and shock wave therapy, boost cell regrowth, improve blood flow and optimize healing. At our chiropractic care center, we customize our treatments for your specific injury.
We’re Looking Forward to Helping You at Our Chiropractic Offices in NJ!
At the Bergen Chiropractic and Sports Rehabilitation Center, our chiropractic team, led by Dr. Gregory Doerr, follows the highest and most professional medical standards to provide superior chiropractic help. After all, our mission is to provide unparalleled patient care and services in a comfortable healing atmosphere. Contact us to learn more about our chiropractic services! Our chiropractic offices in Cliffside Park, NJ, and Hackensack, NJ, are ready to welcome you!
