Tennis Elbow

Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)

Do you ever feel like your elbow is throwing in the towel after a few too many backhands? That’s tennis elbow for you! It’s the most common tennis condition that brings stiffness and pain to the outer part of your elbow, thanks to overworked tendons connecting your forearm muscles to that little bony bump on the outside (the lateral epicondyle). Repeated wrist and forearm action, especially during backhand strokes, can wear those tendons down—leaving your elbow begging for a break!

The bad news is that having a break from tennis alone will not remedy the issue. The good news is, you can be proactive or seek treatment right here at Heron.

Be Proactive

Most importantly, take steps to protect yourself before an injury arises and to prevent a pre-existing injury from becoming more serious. Preventing tennis injuries requires a combination of proper technique, conditioning, and injury prevention strategies:

1. Tennis Technique

   The backhand stroke is often seen as a key factor. Many players struggle with less-than-ideal technique, but this can be improved. In particular, if you use a one-handed backhand, speaking to the Heron coaches to arrange a coaching session could help you fine-tune both your grip and overall technique.

2. Consider Racket Adjustments

   Grip size, racket balance, and string tension all influence the strain on elbow tendons. For players with tennis elbow, double-wrapping the racket handle can be helpful, as it allows for a gentler grip while shifting the racket's balance closer to the hand, reducing tendon strain. String tension also plays a role in the forces applied to the elbow—a higher tension may be preferable for certain playing styles but this increases the load on the tendons. You might consider lowering your string tension slightly to alleviate some of this pressure.

   The Heron coaching team will be happy to check your racket set-up.

3. Strengthen the Forearm Muscles*

4. Warm-up

   Gradually increase playing intensity and duration to avoid sudden overuse. Or carry out range of movement exercises and technique specific movements prior to playing.

*Prehab and Rehab for Tennis Elbow:

1. Wrist Curls:

   Use reasonably challenging dumbbells or resistance bands to perform wrist curls in both directions to strengthen the forearm muscles.

2. Eccentric Exercise:

   Slowly lower a weight or resistance band with your wrist extended to target the muscles involved in tennis elbow.

3. Wrist Range of Motion

   Check you have full range of motion and compare one side to the other. If there is an imbalance or tightness get stretching!

Do Support Straps Work?

Yes and No. Yes there is some evidence that they offload the effected tendons and thus reduce pain. However, this is all they do, they are not allowing the tendons to heal or remedying the condition and thus they are actually perpetuating it. Regular use will be tightening associated muscles and putting more stress on the effected tendons, over-time worsening the condition.

Are Cortisone (Corticosteroid) Injections a Good Option?

Not really no.

A Cortisone injection can provide temporary pain relief (in most cases) as it is a strong anti-inflammatory. However, research has revealed several concerning long-term effects such as a weakening of the tendon structure, increasing the risk of tendon rupture or prolonging the healing process. Patients who receive cortisone injections have been shown to have worse outcomes compared to those who undergo treatment and rehabilitation. They may experience delayed overall recovery as the injection can mask symptoms while underlying damage persists, potentially leading to more serious issues over time.

I would only recommend Cortisone injections for patients who have to complete tasks that persistently irritate their condition and do not have time to receive regular treatment and follow a rehab programme - which typically takes 5-10 min/day - there are some busy people out there!

Still Suffering? What next?

If you can’t seem to break out of the cycle of pain during play or everyday tasks, professional treatment may be your best option. With a tailored combination of treatments including breaking down built up scar tissue, electrotherapy to optimise healing and personalised rehabilitation, you can be on your way to recovery. Conveniently located in Heron, you can easily book an appointment today.