Tennis Elbow in Madison, OH

Advances in chiropractic care now give people a safe and effective alternative treatment for tennis elbow. Located in Madison, French Chiropractic and Wellness Center offers the most advanced tennis elbow treatments to the residents of Painesville, Mentor and surrounding towns in Ohio.

What is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow is a painful condition that affects thousands of people each year. It consists of pain around the outside of the elbow, sometimes stretching up the arm towards the hand. The cause of this pain comes from inflammation of the lateral epicondyle, which is a small bulge in the elbow where several different muscles and tendons attach. The official name of tennis elbow is lateral epicondylitis, which indicates the location of the pain.

Inflammation arises due to overuse of a certain tendon that attaches to the lateral epicondyle. This tendon is called the common extensor tendon, and it controls the motion of the wrist bending back and forth.

Symptoms of Tennis Elbow

The primary symptom of tennis elbow is pain around the outside of the elbow, but the pain can move up the arm towards the shoulder or down towards the wrist. Other symptoms include:

• Weakness in the wrist
• Tenderness or sensitivity to touch in the affected area of the elbow
• Pain when using the arm to carry or lift objects
• Pain when moving the arm or stretching it out straight
• Stiffness that makes it hard to extend the forearm

These symptoms can last for anywhere from a few weeks to a few years depending on severity and treatment.

Causes of Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow develops due to a certain kind of overuse. When you raise the knuckles of your fingers up and push them down, you are using the common extensor. Performing that motion with too much force or in an abrupt manner stresses the tendon, and too much stress leads to tennis elbow. The motion of using a tennis racquet to hit a ball, especially a backhand shot, is a typical example of a motion that causes overuse of the common extensor. This is far from the only motion that stresses the tendon, though, and only five percent of sufferers from tennis elbow can actually trace their injury to tennis or a similar sport. Other examples include using tools and gardening, which have repetitive gripping and swinging motions.

Treatment of Tennis Elbow

During treatment, the key is to get the inflammation down, and that necessities resting the wrist to prevent aggravating the problem. In the first few days, ice the area regularly. In the short term, active and passive stretching, gentle manipulation of the elbow and cross-friction massage can help heal the tendon and any scar tissue. Don’t use a standard elbow brace for tennis elbow, because it does not offer the right kind of support. Get a specific tennis elbow strap. Our chiropractor will thoroughly check not only the elbow and arm but the areas with supporting and connective muscles, especially the neck and shoulders. Neck problems can lead to re-injury of the tendon if left untreated, so it is important to investigate potential root causes of the tendon’s weakness.

How Do You Prevent Tennis Elbow?

One of the major causes of tennis elbow is improper stretching, warm up, and cool down for sports such as tennis, which involve strenuous use of the common extensor. Other common environments for tennis elbow include the garden and the office, so carefully review what you do in those areas to see if any motions involve the extensor. If so, be careful during those motions and stop anytime you feel any pain. It is also a good idea to have our chiropractor examine your neck to see if any muscular problems are affecting the common extensor.

Isn’t it time you tried chiropractic care for you and your family? If you are experiencing any of the common symptoms of tennis elbow, please contact our office now to schedule an appointment.