Who can get a tennis elbow?

Despite the name, tennis elbow is not just a tennis-related injury. It can be a consequence of repetitive movements and gripping actions. As such, tennis elbow can be caused by a simple everyday activity like cutting, gardening, and carrying a heavier load, such as grocery bags. It is also common among plumbers and construction workers.

How do I know if I have a tennis elbow?

Tennis elbow pain primarily occurs where the tendons of your forearm muscles attach to a bony bump on the outside of your elbow. Pain can also spread into your forearm and wrist. Other symptoms you may notice are:

When should I worry?

When you notice the first symptoms, make sure to rest the arm as much as possible, ice it and resort to over the counter pain medication. If the problem persists and you are unable to ease the pain and weakness, contact Vitalis Physiotherapy on 0410 559 856. We will tailor our treatment exercises to help reduce pain and restore strength in your arm.

How to treat tennis elbow?

While resting is the first advice you will receive, it is rarely effective and patients do not feel any relief until they undergo a personalised tennis elbow treatment that involves loading the elbow in the correct way.

At Vitalis Physiotherapy, we first perform detailed examination and testing to provide diagnosis and determine the potential source of the problem. During the exam, we assess the entire upper limb biomechanics with special attention to your neck to see whether it may be the cause of the problem.  Based on the information we collect, we will propose the best tennis elbow treatment exercises that we believe will be the optimal road to recovery.

Some of the most effective tennis elbow treatment and prevention methods that we have tested over the years include:

We also provide advice regarding the equipment you use on an everyday basis and can prescribe a specific set of tennis elbow treatment exercises to restore muscle strength and recruitment pattern.

• Weakness in grip strength
• Pain or burning radiating from the outside of elbow to the forearm and wrist
• Pain with completing everyday tasks, such as holding or gripping any kind of object, even turning a doorknob.
• Hands shaking without any apparent cause
• Sometime pain at night
• Manual therapy which effectively mobilises joints in the elbow
• Soft tissue mobilisation intended to ease muscle spasms and thus improve your mobility
• Shockwave therapy
• Kinesio tapingto take the load of the muscles
• Dry needlingwhich helps to relieve pain
• Isometric exercises
• Load Management Plan