For the most part, tennis players are competitive and they are determined to keep playing despite how they feel. Tennis is a highly demanding sport and we could imagine how much strain it has on hands and arms just watching Rafael Nadal, who could barely hold his trophy because his hands were gripped by cramp after winning the French open tournament at the beginning of this month.
However, you do not need to be a tennis player to suffer from tennis elbow. In fact only 5% of people affected by this condition are tennis players. The other 95% are office workers, surfers, weight lifters and construction workers, where repetitive, forceful movements of the wrist can lead to this injury.
Tennis elbow or epicondylitis is an inflammation of the tendon that inserts in a bony protuberance at the outer part of the elbow called epicondyle. It is caused by an overuse of the hands, wrists and elbow muscles.
Usually, pain is very specific at the bony part of the elbow or it may travel up or down the arm and can be felt in the belly of the muscle in the forearm. It can cause acute pain, hand weakness, pain while lifting or gripping, and it often causes the person to drop things when the weakened muscle is solicited.
The best thing to do if you believe you suffer from epicondylitis is to see a chiropractor. It is usually a lot easier to deal with a health problem when it is at the beginning than to wait until it gets into a chronic condition.
The chiropractor is trained to do all the tests to find out if this is the condition you have or if it is something else that is causing your pain.
After a complete evaluation, the chiropractor will adjust the elbow joint or the wrist or even the neck area, since the nerves that control the muscles of the arm run through the cervical spine in your neck.
Having a neck problem may predispose you to have tennis elbow, especially if you are a chronic and recurrent sufferer. It is important to look at all causes and correct them. Some muscle work can be performed on the extensor muscles of your forearm and you will be taught how to stretch these muscles and how to apply ice to heal better.
Since the best way to go with any health problems after you get better is to prevent it from coming back, we recommend the following:
▪ For most racket players, tennis elbow injuries occur either at the beginning of a game of tennis (as a result of poor warm up techniques) or at the end of a game (when you are fatigued). It is recommended to always warm up and stretch muscles before exercising and cool down and stretch at the end.
▪ Another important part of injury prevention if you do not play racket sports but work at a desk, you should also include a review of your technique and equipment used in your office environment. For example, make sure that your elbow is supported when you need to work with the mouse at the computer so you don’t have to hold the whole weight of your arm.
▪ Whether you suffer from tennis elbow or other joint pain, remember that feeling pain is always a signal your body gives you that something is wrong. It is very important not to ignore the pain but to find the cause or the causes. That is how your chiropractor will always check your spine, whether you have neck or arm pain. Nothing is overlooked.
Chiropractic spinal adjustments help to remove the interference in your body that is causing your symptoms. This way your spine aligns into its proper position, boosting your entire body’s function and healing. Adjusting the peripheral joints is also part of chiropractic care so you can happily return to your activities and enjoy your life.
By Sandra Genest-Boudreau | Christophe O. Alves
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Sandra Genest-Boudreau is French-Canadian, who graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 1990 before coming to the Algarve in 2002. She is passionate about adjusting all her patients, particularly children. Christophe Alves graduated from the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic (AECC) UK, and has a special interest in Sport Chiropractic. Algarve Quiroprática clinic: EN125 in Pêra | 282 312 853
969 397 375
