"Tennis elbow" (or lateral epicondylitis) is a chronic disease characterized by pain and inflammation in the elbow area (namely, at the junction of the muscles with the epicondyles of the humerus).
Causes of disease
Tennis elbow disease is caused by excessive stress on the muscles, forearms and tendons of the hands. Most often, this disease affects tennis players. Athletes, performing monotonous repeated hits on the ball with a racket, expose the muscles and tendons to a huge load, which causes the development of lateral epicondylitis, most often right-sided.
Tennis elbow disease affects not only sports enthusiasts, but also people who perform repetitive physical activities (chopping wood, working with a wrench, playing golf, hammering nails, painting, etc.), which causes chronic stress tissues of the elbow area.
Sometimes such a disease that affects all neighboring areas in parallel:muscles, ligaments, tendons and periosteum - can be caused by trauma or bruising of the elbow. Often, lateral epicondylitis is combined with osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine.
"Tennis elbow" is characteristic of half of tennis players and 14% of the total population. This disease affects the female sex less often than the strong half of humanity (in the age group of 30-50 years).
Diagnosis of elbow disease
You can determine the presence of lateral epicondylitis in the body by pain in the elbow area, back of the forearm, epicondyle, hand or fingers.
At first being insignificant, the pain gradually increases, increases with strong clenching of the fist, shaking hands, grabbing certain objects with the hand or lifting minor weights: it can even be a mug of water. Any simple movements in this disease, which is progressive in nature, subsequently become unbearable torture.
"Tennis elbow", the treatment of which consists in the use of complex therapy, is easy to diagnose at the initial stage of development, revealing tissue edema and muscle ruptures of the extensors.
Tennis Elbow Treatment
Treatment of "tennis elbow" syndrome is carried out comprehensively and is aimed at reducing the load in the elbow area, relieving pain and inflammation, complete regeneration of the affected organ and its strengthening. Effective therapy and quick recovery will ensure timely access to medical personnelat the first signs of the disease. How to treat "tennis elbow"? At the initial stage, the affected organ is required to ensure complete rest. With a mild pain syndrome, self-massage in the muscle area and application of dry heat will be required.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and painkillers are effective among medicines: Ibuprofen, Ortofen, Indomethacin, Butadion, Diclofenac. "Tennis player's elbow" is effectively treated with physiotherapeutic procedures (laser, electrophoresis of novocaine or hydrocortisone, ultrasound, sinusoidal currents). It is recommended to apply an iodine mesh to the elbow area in the morning and evening.
Fixation of a sick hand
To fix an injured arm, you should definitely use an elastic bandage or orthosis applied in the form of a figure-eight. "Tennis elbow" heals quickly in the case of the use of such special bandages that support the elbow joint, reduce the load on the arm and protect against various kinds of injuries. In case of acute pain, the arm is hung on a scarf or a plaster bandage is applied to it (for a period of 3 to 5 weeks).
Recipes of traditional medicine
In the treatment of this disease, traditional medicine recipes have proven themselves well, the action of which is aimed at getting rid of elbow pain and relieving inflammation. An effective remedy is the comfrey plant, the roots and fresh crushed leaves of which (1: 1) must be combined with 1/4 part of melted honey and 1/4 part of vegetable oil. All this needs to be ground tohomogeneous mass and apply warm to the affected area. From above it is necessary to impose a layer of gauze, compress paper, bandage and leave for a day. Store medicinal paste should be in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks or in the freezer for several months. In the case of proper treatment, after a short time, you can forget about such a disease as "tennis elbow".
Treatment with folk remedies involves the removal of inflammation of the epicondyle with onions combined with tar. To prepare it, you need to cut the onion into two parts, drop two drops of pine tar into the middle of the halves. Both halves must be applied to the diseased joint in the area of the epicondyle. The bandage should be fixed and left for 30 minutes. Treatment should be done twice a day.
Milk compress against inflammation of the elbow
A milk compress helps well, for the preparation of which you need to heat milk to 60C⁰, dissolving crushed propolis in it: a teaspoon per 100 ml of liquid. It is required to soak a gauze napkin with a warm milk mixture, wrap the affected joint with it, cover it with parchment paper on top and insulate. Leave the compress for 2 hours. Treatment to spend 20 days twice a day.
Tennis Elbow Exercises
As the patient heals, they can gradually begin physical therapy and slowly return to normal activities, while accelerating their own recovery at home. To do this, it is recommended to spare the muscles, not to make sudden movements, to perform light physical exercises, the action of which is directedto strengthen and stretch the muscles and tendons around the elbow area.
- Raise your arm to shoulder level and bend at the wrist. With the other hand, you need to gently pull the brush towards the elbow. Perform five to ten times for half a minute.
- Place your forearm on your knee so that the hand hangs freely. Take a load weighing 0.250-0.500 kg in your hand - slowly bend and unbend your hand at the wrist. Exercise repeat 5-10 times.
- You need to sit down, put your forearm on your knee so that your hand is perpendicular to its surface. Squeeze the hammer handle and slowly turn your wrist to the left, then to the right (5-10 times).
- Put a rubber band around your fingertips and stretch it 20 times, spreading your fingers apart. After a short break, repeat the exercise three times. If there is insufficient resistance, two rubber bands can be put on the fingers.
- Squeeze a tennis ball in your hand about 20 times. Do the exercise three times with short breaks.
Typically, the prognosis for tennis elbow is 95% favorable.
In rare cases, conservative treatment is powerless and you have to resort to surgery.
Preventive methods
To prevent this disease, it is recommended:
effective warm-up and regular strength training: conducted wisely, they are aimed at improving the strength of muscle groups, strengthening tendonselbow zone, counteract overwork when playing tennis;
- regular massage, including basic techniques: kneading, stroking, rubbing;
- use of warming gels and ointments;
- sauna visit - a method that effectively affects injured tendons; elevated temperature causes the appearance of new capillaries that increase metabolic processes in the injured elbow;
- vitaminization of the body, required to activate metabolic processes at the tissue and cellular levels; such vitamin complexes as Unicap, Centrum, Vitrum are effective.
Hardening procedures for tendon diseases are extremely contraindicated. This can cause a prolonged vasospasm than delay the cure for an indefinite period.
