One of the most common discomforts when exercising and working on the upper body is the so-called epicondylitis or more commonly known as tennis elbow syndrome. This ailment is nothing more than inflammation of the epicondyle, a small bone in the elbow, and its nearby tendons, which also suffer when performing similar movements for a long time.
Tennis elbow occurs when flexing and extending the arm . The name "tennis elbow" is obvious because tennis is a sport that involves continuous arm movement, although it can also occur at the gym, even when working on triceps or biceps. Other activities, such as office work and spending many hours using a computer mouse, can lead to epicondylitis, so it's very important to know how to prevent it and, if you do get it, how to alleviate the pain.
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a painful inflammation of the elbow joint caused by repetitive stress (overuse). The pain is on the outside (lateral side) of the elbow, but may radiate to the back of the forearm. You will likely feel the pain when you fully extend or straighten your arm.
Causes
A tendon is the part of a muscle that attaches to bone. The forearm tendons attach the muscles of the forearm to the outer bone of the elbow. Tennis elbow usually occurs when a specific muscle in the forearm, the extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle, becomes damaged. This muscle helps lift (extend) the wrist.
Repetitive stress weakens the extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle, causing extremely small tears in the muscle's tendon where it attaches to the outside of the elbow. These tears lead to inflammation and pain. Tennis elbow can be triggered by any activity that involves repeatedly twisting the wrist. Some of these activities may be:
- Tennis, paddle tennis and other racket sports
- Swimming
- Golf
- turn a key
- Weight lifting
- Regular use of a screwdriver, hammer or computer
Symptoms and diagnosis
The most common signs that indicate epicondylitis are usually:
- Elbow pain that is mild at first but gradually gets worse
- Pain that extends from the outside of the elbow to the forearm and wrist
- a weak grip
- Increased pain when shaking hands or squeezing an object
- Pain when lifting, using tools, or opening jars
Tennis elbow is usually diagnosed during a physical exam. The doctor will ask us about our work, if we practice any sports and how the symptoms developed. We will then be given some simple tests to help make a diagnosis. The doctor may apply some pressure where the tendon meets the bone to check for pain. When the elbow is straight and the wrist is flexed (bent toward the palm side), we will feel pain on the outside of the elbow as it extends (straightens) the wrist.
Your doctor may also order imaging tests, such as an X-ray or MRI, to rule out other disorders that can cause arm pain. These include arthritis of the elbow. These tests are not usually necessary to make a diagnosis.
How to avoid?
We must acknowledge that this is a difficult condition to manage when engaging in activities such as tennis, baseball, handball, or basketball , as these sports generally require significant elbow and triceps effort. In this context, repetitive movements are inevitable, but there are several preventative measures that can help reduce their frequency and pain:
- Good physical shape helps: Let's remember that we are talking about a bone ailment, not a muscular one, and in view of this, one suffers from having to force the elbow more than it should. If we have a triceps and a biceps worked at the same time as a defined shoulder, the effort will be shared, forcing the elbow less and reducing the chances of suffering from discomfort.
- stretch conscientiously: Ligaments and muscles can suffer if we do not stretch before and after the exercise. Therefore, knowing in addition to the area where the pain occurs, stretch dynamically before and statically after. shoulders, wrist, back, biceps and triceps it will be very necessary, even extending these stretches to the core. The more we distribute the effort, the better.
- Rest well!: Tennis elbow is also largely due to fatigue in our body. For this reason, both during breaks from your sport (you will never see a tennis player who does not waste his breaks between games), as well as after it, resting will be essential. The more hours of sleep and a healthy diet, the better your physical exercise will be.
- If there is a lot of pain, avoid movements: It is better to take advantage of its activity time to 100% than not to be at the top due to ailments in your elbow. The best thing is to try to eliminate those movements that cause you pain, although we already commented that in many sports it is almost impossible. If you cannot eliminate them, dose with breaks.
Treatment
Suppose that due to your work or physical activity you end up suffering from epicondylitis. Given this, it is convenient to recommend a series of activities to mitigate pain. If your elbow starts to hurt, follow these simple steps:
- Apply cold: As with any ligament problem (although here we are also talking about a bone injury), reduce inflammation applying cold is always a success. After your physical activity, a quarter of an hour of ice on each elbow will do you a lot of good.
- Stretches: You will realize that stretching is valid for absolutely everything, and on this occasion, stretching your arms and wrist will allow you to replenish a lot of the muscular effort of your arm after physical activity. This if in itself is something mandatory after any physical exercise, here it will be even more so.
- use heaters: For the precise moment of your physical activity, a orthopedic warmer It can be a good solution to tighten your pain area and keep it warm. It is easy to see elite athletes using utensils of this type, although it is best to go to a pharmacy or orthopedics where they recommend it. Having a professional advise you will avoid circulatory problems.