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Tennis Elbow
- Tennis elbow is stubborn to treat but almost always curable. The two bases of treatment are: rest (avoiding the cause, e.g. stop playing tennis), exercise (to strengthen the forearm muscles, which bend the wrist)
- Your general practitioner might recommend a cortisone injection to speed recovery. Sometimes it can take 1 year to heal.
- Use a dumbbell or similar type of weight such as a bucket of water. Start with 0.5 kg (1 lb) and build up gradually to 5 kg.
1.Sit in a chair beside a table. 2.Rest your arm on the table so that the wrist is over the edge. 3.With your palm facing downwards, grasp the weight. 4.Slowly raise and lower the weight 12 times. Rest for 1 minute. 5.Repeat twice. Do the exercise every day until you can play tennis, work or use your forearm without pain.
- The towel-wringing exercise: This hurts at first, but usually cures the problem by 6 weeks. Roll up a handtowel and, with your arms straight, grasp the towel, then wring it slowly so that your wrist is fully bent forwards. Hold for 10 seconds, then reverse the wringing action to extend your wrist; hold for 10 seconds.
Gradually, increase the time by 5 seconds until you can hold for 60 seconds. Do this twice a day, twice in each direction.
- Tennis: Do not use a tightly strung, heavy racquet or heavy tennis balls. Keep your strokes smooth and try not to bend the elbow. Start the game quietly, taking time to warm up to it.
- The 'other' tennis elbow: Medial epicondylitis ('forehand tennis elbow', 'golfers' elbow' or 'pitchers' elbow') is less common and usually less severe. The treatment is the same, but the palm must face upwards for the dumbbell exercise.
- Armbands: Some tennis players use a non-stretch band or brace around the arm, about 7.5 cm (3 inches) below the elbow. You might not find it helpful, but it is worth trying. Bands are available from (some) pharmacists, tennis shops and orthopaedic appliance firms.
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