Tennis elbow is a painful condition affecting the outside part of the elbow. This area is called the lateral epicondyle and so the medical term for this condition is lateral epicondylitis. Tennis elbow is usually caused by overuse of the forearm. Many forearm muscles attach at or around the lateral epicondyle so when they are overused they pull too much on the elbow and make it sore. Common problematic activities include tennis (especially backhands), using a screwdriver, drilling and repeated keyboard and mouse use. Symptoms Pain and tenderness is usually felt on the outside of your dominant elbow and into the upper forearm. The pain is often aggravated by wrist movements, gripping and anything which requires use of forearm muscles.
Osteopathic treatment may involve a combination of:
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- Soft tissue techniques to relieve the tension
- Joint manipulation and mobilisation
- Gentle stretching techniques to restore the normal motion of the elbow
- Specific management techniques to reduce inflammation
- Massage
- Eccentric exercises can help to improve the strength of the forearm and therefore prevent injury
- Dry Needling of trigger points in the forearm and elbow
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Initially these techniques will be localised to the affected area, but later on in the treatment plan, the joints and muscles of the wrist, hand, shoulder, neck, ribs and back will all be assessed, dysfunction in these areas may predispose to or help to maintain the tennis elbow.