Many athletes have experienced an injury called tennis elbow. However, you may not be aware of what this condition is or what its symptoms are. A physical therapist can help you find out more about this condition, and they can also help you get a variety of benefits from your tennis elbow treatment plan.
What is tennis elbow?
Before you begin tennis elbow treatment with a physical therapist, it can help to have a better understanding of what this injury is. Tennis elbow is a condition that’s also known as lateral epicondylitis, and this issue affects the tendons on the outside of your elbow.
The tendons in question are important because they help straighten your elbow. However, repetitive elbow motions can cause damage and inflammation in these important tendons. For instance, tennis players use the elbow of their racket hand repeatedly to hit the tennis ball, and it’s these repetitive motions that lead to this condition and its name. But it’s not only tennis players who may be affected by lateral epicondylitis. In fact, any sport or job that requires repetitive elbow movements may lead to this condition.
What are the symptoms of tennis elbow?
There are some specific symptoms that indicate you have lateral epicondylitis, and these symptoms should also encourage you to seek physical therapy-based tennis elbow treatment. The most noticeable symptom of this condition is pain.
The pain of lateral epicondylitis is different from any other type of pain you may have experienced. The pain of this condition is often sharp in nature, and it commonly feels as if it’s radiating down your arm. Patients may also notice pain in their wrist or hand when they have tennis elbow.
Another common symptom of tennis elbow is weakness in the forearm and hand muscles. For instance, some patients may find it difficult to shake hands with their normal grip strength. It may also be harder for you to do normal daily activities with this condition. This includes activities such as gripping doorknobs and carrying objects like coffee cups.
Effective physical therapy-based tennis elbow treatment can be found at Rehab Access
Rehab Access has teams of experienced physical therapists in Belle Chasse and Gretna, Louisiana, and we can help build personalized therapy plans for many injuries and medical conditions. For example, we have helped many patients get effective treatment for lateral epicondylitis, and our plans are designed to provide benefits such as:
- Reduced pain
- Improved range of motion
- Increased muscle strength
- Greater joint stability
- Increased ability to do normal daily tasks
Are you ready to take the next step to find these benefits? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.