Tennis elbow is the inflammation of the tendon and bony protuberance at the outer part of the elbow caused by overuse injury. Tennis elbow is a very disabling condition for some people. Some sufferers find it difficult to perform simple tasks like writing, spreading butter on a sandwich or holding a cup of tea.

What are the causes of Tennis Elbow？
1. Subluxation of the spine and upper limbs.
2. Playing tennis may be one of the causes, but many other sport- and work-related activities can cause the same problem.
3. Repetitive and forceful movements at the wrist lead to overuse injuries.
4. Inadequate flexibility in the soft tissues of elbow and wrist.
5. Lack of exercises cause soft tissues to be injured easily.

What are the symptoms？
1. Pain over the outside of the elbow, which may travel up or down the arm.
2. Wrist weakness.
3. Tenderness over the outside of the elbow.

What are the treatments？
Initially, it is important to reduce the inflammation and to rest the elbow as much as possible. The use of ice is very effective in the first two or three days but sometimes has to be used for a longer period. Sometimes a tennis elbow brace may be needed, particularly if the problem is persistent.

Obviously, any faulty techniques in the game must be corrected. The chiropractor and the physiotherapist will also examine any areas relating to the function of your elbow and muscles of the forearm, such as the wrist shoulder and more importantly the neck.

The second part of the treatment involves increasing the blood circulation to the tissues. This can be done by alternating hot and cold, or the use of infrared (Figure 1) and shockwave (Figure 2).


When the pain has subsided, it is possible to undertake a rehabilitation programme of power and stretching exercises for the elbow and the affected muscles, taking care that the exercises are done slowly and carefully so as not to make the condition recur.

Most injuries occur either at the beginning or the end of the game. Often, at the beginning of the game, proper warm up techniques haven’t been used whilst towards the end of the game, injuries may occur when the people are fatigued.

Don’t forget that a tennis ball travelling at 30 miles per hour is equivalent to lifting 55lbs!


What is the prevention?

To reduce your risk of getting tennis elbow:
．Keep your arm muscles strong so they can absorb the energy of sudden physical stress.
．After a short warm-up period, stretch out your arm muscles before physical activity.Learn the proper technique for activities that require forearm motion.
．If you play tennis, ask a tennis specialist to check your:
    - technique for hitting a forehand
    - racket size and tension of racket strings