Maybe the best way to discuss Tennis Elbow is to share a story with you.

I had a patient come in recently complaining of pain on her outside forearm and elbow. She said it had been sore for awhile but didn't think too much of it until it got to the point where turning a door knob, brushing her teeth or even picking up a cup of coffee was painful and hard to do.

When she first came in we chit chatted for a few minutes and she was telling me with a great deal of pride how their house renovation was going and about how relieved she was that she had finally finished painting "every single room in the house". But now she was getting really frustrated because she had so much left to do but this elbow, arm, hand, etc. pain thing was getting in the way and she was really worried that it was something really serious and even permanent.

I examined her arm and elbow, asked her to move her arm and wrist to do some muscle testing, and talked about exactly where the pain was. I took an x-ray just to make sure there was nothing structural going on and then

I gave her my diagnosis...Tennis Elbow.

She gave me a rather skeptical look and said,

"With all the work I'm doing do you think I have time to put on a cute little tennis skirt and fritter away my hours on the tennis court? Wish I could but, no way!"

"Well", I said, "if you had told me your elbow hurt on the INSIDE of your elbow I would have said you had Golfers Elbow."

Now she just laughed and said, "Oh, good one Dr. Alexander. Alright, what's really the problem?"

"Technically you have a condition called lateral epicondylitis."

I could tell by the look on her face that that sounded serious and now she was concerned. All she said was, "Oh. Can you fix it?"

First, let me explain...

Lateral epicondylitis is commonly referred to as Tennis Elbow. That's because it is a common injury in tennis players, in fact over 50% of tennis players eventually suffer from tennis elbow. Mainly from:

• One-handed backhand especially with poor form

• A late forehand swing resulting in bending the wrist significantly

• Snapping and turning the wrist while serving with full power

• Using a new steel racket

But in reality, tennis players make up only about 5% of the total number of people who suffer with "tennis elbow". It can be caused by such diverse activities as:

• excessive use of a hammer, screwdriver, or other hand tools

• painting,

• bowling,

• raking

• house or office cleaning (because of vacuuming, sweeping and scrubbing).

It affects

• Mechanics

• assembly-line workers

• baseball player

• even golfers.

Basically any activity that requires excessive constant gripping or squeezing can cause "tennis elbow".

With the constant repetitive movement you start to get tiny tears in the muscles or tendons. If you continue the same activity, the tears do not have time to heal. This can lead to inflammation and pain. It also destabilizes the elbow which can allow the elbow joint to move from its correct position causing more pain and a vicious cycle begins.

Here's something you would never think would contribute to "tennis elbow" and that is neck problems. The nerves that run to your elbow pass through your neck. If your neck bones, or vertebrae, are not in the correct position they can press on the nerve. That in itself doesn't cause tennis elbow but can lead to muscle weakness which makes you more susceptible to injury.

Back to your question...

CAN YOU FIX IT?

As a chiropractor, here is what I do, and why, to "fix" tennis elbow.

1. If your neck vertebra are not in the correct position, I will adjust your neck and put them back in their proper place. This will help relieve the pressure on the nerve leading to your arm.

2. I will adjust your elbow so that the bones and joint are in their proper position. This helps relieve some of the stress on the muscles and tendons.

3. To aid in the healing process I will use ultrasound. What ultrasound does is help improve blood circulation to the affected area.

4. Cold laser therapy is also used because it is very effective in stimulating new growth and healing of the cells in the muscles and/or tendons.

5. In some cases, electric muscle stimulation is used to help build up the muscle strength.

Here is what you will need to do

1. Apply ice to the area to reduce any swelling.

2. Stop the activity that caused the problem, usually for several weeks.

3. In some cases you may need to wear a brace.

Can't I just get a shot to fix it?

"Tennis elbow" is a painful and frustrating condition. It requires patience to heal. It is sometimes tempting to get steroid injections because they offer quick relief but studies have shown that while the initial relief is quicker, it is usually only a temporary fix. Chiropractic adjustments and therapies offer a more effective long term solution because they address the cause of the pain and not just the symptom.

Prevention is the best approach.

To help avoid tennis elbow follow these guidelines.

1. Do exercises that strengthen the muscles of the wrist and forearm.

2. Stretch those muscles before and periodically during a repetitive activity.

3. Take 10-15 minute breaks every couple hours to give your arm a rest.

4. Learn the proper technique for whatever activity you are engaged in.