Occupational Therapy Can Help Tennis Elbow

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Occupational Therapy Can Help Tennis Elbow

Occupational therapy Chicago, IL
Jul 20, 2023
Occupational Therapy, Health & Wellness, Physical Therapy, Aches and joint pain

Have you been dealing with an annoying ache in your forearm and elbow after every tennis game you play? Have you noticed that ache becomes severe pain every time you bang into something? Are you frustrated now that your elbow hurts just lifting a cup or even holding a pencil or pen? The pain you are experiencing is likely tennis elbow. Rather than hope it goes away, it’s time to get it assessed!

Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) has been shown to affect up to 50% of all tennis players. Most players develop symptoms due to poor swing technique, repetitive swinging/hitting, improper grip, and heavy racquet use. Fortunately, most people with tennis elbow can recover fully and quickly with proper guidance from an occupational therapist.

As with most tendon-related injuries, understanding the balance between reducing and increasing the load and effort is the key to lasting results. Total rest and avoidance of the issue will likely lead to poor results and frustration.

At Loop Physical Therapy in Chicago, IL, our occupational therapists are highly skilled at treating tennis elbow and other tennis injuries. We provide a patient-first, results-focused approach to therapy. We use the most advanced treatments to resolve your condition and a pain-free return to function quickly.

Request an appointment today and get relief sooner than later!

Common causes and risk factors for tennis elbow

Tennis elbow is one of the most frequent causes of elbow pain. The pain starts when the forearm muscles/tendons become damaged from overuse or excessive strain. As this condition advances, it becomes an injury resulting in inflammation or micro-tearing of the tendons in the forearm.

Not everyone who plays tennis gets a tennis elbow, but it is one of the most common injuries, no matter your experience and skill level. Tennis elbow can start from minor issues like a racquet with the wrong-sized grip or playing with a different racquet (different size, weight, or balance).

For others, activities like raking leaves, using equipment like hammers or drills, and typing on a computer lead to muscles and tendons becoming sore or injured from the excessive strain. The problem is from the enormous tension and/or repetitive stress on the muscles in the forearm, especially with ill-fitting equipment or workstation setup.

A smaller group of individuals develop lateral epicondylitis from an acute injury. A specific incident, such as an accident, a fall, or other forms of trauma, can also cause these injuries. Fortunately, at Loop Physical Therapy in Chicago, IL, our therapists know the most effective way to resolve your condition, no matter how it started, and teach you strategies to prevent future injuries.

Too often, people wait too long to address an issue when it is small or use strategies that don’t help the condition heal faster and may inhibit the recovery process. For example, resting a tendon is not the most effective strategy and may delay your healing. Waiting can lead to the condition persisting, or for some, it getting worse.

Tendons are designed to withstand large forces, and resting them can weaken them further and make you more susceptible to re-injury. Our Loop Physical Therapy occupational therapists can teach you how to safely use and strengthen your tendon to keep it healthy and strong while it heals.

What to expect at your Loop Physical Therapy appointments

At Loop Physical Therapy in Chicago, IL, we will conduct a thorough evaluation that includes learning how long you have dealt with your pain or injury (i.e., acute vs. overuse/chronic). Will will also conduct a thorough history to learn more about previous injuries, rehabilitation strategies, and your successes and failures.

Using this information, we will design an active rehabilitation program to resolve your condition and restore your function effectively. Our team will use manual therapy techniques to provide pain relief, restore mobility, and increase blood flow to assist the healing process in the early stages.

Our team will build strength and gradually progress the exercises to challenge the tendon without irritating it further. As your tendon gets stronger, it can handle the forces needed to resume sports and recreational activities.

In addition, we can guide you on how to modify your technique and grip and modify any equipment or tools needed to do your typical responsibilities. Rather than avoid using your arm, we take a proactive approach, so you fully recover and continue all activities pain-free!

Request an appointment) today!

Our Loop Physical Therapy in Chicago, IL occupational therapists are experts at treating tennis elbow. We have proven success and can help you too!

Call today to request an appointment with one of our specialists and get the help you deserve!

Sources:
Occupational Therapy, Health & Wellness, Physical Therapy, Aches and joint pain