Sports injuries are common in professional athletes. Regular players or overenthusiastic beginners can also hurt themselves during heated games. One such injury is the tennis elbow. Though there are different ways to ease the discomfort, massage therapy is the best. We suggest you use a massage gun for your tennis elbow if you feel elbow discomfort.
Read more: What is Percussive Therapy and How Does it Help Your Muscles?
What is tennis elbow?
Your elbow is a pivot point that allows your forearm’s movement. Excessive usage or improper loading on this region can lead to developing tennis elbow.
When you experience pain in the outer side of the elbow, the condition is known as tennis elbow. It is clinically known as lateral epicondylitis. The elbow joint is made up of three bones, and muscles, ligaments, and tendons hold it together, linking it to the development of tennis elbow. This condition is the most common cause of lateral-side elbow pain. It is estimated to affect 1-3% of the adult population yearly and is most common in the dominant arm. Common tennis elbow symptoms include pain in the elbow, forearm, and wrist. To diagnose tennis elbow, evaluating symptoms and examining the elbow and forearm is essential.
Symptoms of tennis elbow
Inflammation of tendons between the elbow and arm causes aching in the outer elbow. This tendinitis hinders movement and proves to be an obstacle in sports performance amongst the players (tennis, weight lifting, squash, racquet games).
Tennis elbow manifests itself as pain when carrying out the following activities:
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Lifting weights
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Gripping and swinging (such as tennis racquets)
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Opening doors
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Straightening the wrist
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Raising hands
The issue can be debilitating as it interferes with your day-to-day activities. Treatment of the disease is critical for athletes because it adversely affects sports performance.
Read more: Massage Gun for Shin Splints
Causes of tennis elbow
Lateral epicondylitis is the result of overuse or injury. Studies show that eccentric overloading of the common extensor tendon leads to straining.
Tennis elbow vs. golfer’s elbow
Inner elbow pain is different from outer elbow pain. Pain inside the elbow is called medial epicondylitis, also known as golfer’s elbow. Outer elbow pain is known as tennis elbow.
Treatment for Elbow Pain
Conservative treatment
The condition resolves itself in most cases. If symptoms do not subside, you should seek treatment to fix tennis elbow with appropriate methods.
As per a 2020 study, most patients get pain relief with conservative treatment that includes:
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Rest and Ice Therapy: Simple yet effective, these methods reduce inflammation and alleviate pain.
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Anti-inflammatory Medications: These can help manage pain and reduce inflammation.
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Physical Therapy: Includes exercises to stretch and strengthen the forearm muscles.
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Massage Therapy: Particularly deep friction massage, which targets the specific tendons involved, helping to reduce tension and pain.
Dry needling
Conservative therapy is the first line of treatment for lateral epicondylitis. Doctors prescribe rest, cold application, use of anti-inflammatory medicines, and even application of topical NSAIDs for pain relief.
The Second-line of treatment includes PRP, saline, and corticosteroid injections. According to a study, dry needling is a safe and effective method to treat lateral epicondylitis.
Shockwave therapy
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) also provides pain relief to tennis elbow patients. Research suggests that the use of ESWT alleviates pain and improves function.
A study suggests that when used in combination, ESWT and dry needling therapy provide superior results compared to a single treatment modality.
Plasma rich protein and steroid injections
Platelet-rich plasma has several applications. It has also shown positive results when used to manage medial and lateral epicondylitis.
PRP injection often leads to pain reduction and life quality improvement.
Surgical treatment
Surgery is reserved for severe cases. There are various surgical approaches used to treat chronic lateral epicondylitis. Tennis elbow surgery includes different surgical techniques, such as arthroscopic and percutaneous procedures, to manage refractory LE. As per a study, patients can manage refractory LE using different surgical techniques, including arthroscopic and percutaneous procedures.
Only non-responsive patients require surgery. The arthroscopic surgical method is associated with fewer complications.
Massage therapy
Massage therapy is beneficial for many pains and discomforts. Deep friction massage can improve symptoms of tennis elbow.
Massage therapy has multiple benefits for the human body. It relieves pain, improves the range of motion, and enhances the quality of life.
You should try conservative treatment with massage therapy if you want superior results. Rest and ice application alleviate pain and reduce the soreness of the muscles. Paired with massage therapy, the results of these procedures are unbelievable.
The ice removes swelling and heat from the area, while the massage improves blood flow. The enhanced circulation aids in bringing scores of anti-inflammatory cells to the site. So, the ultimate result is faster removal of inflammation and better healing.
As per a study published in the SAGE journals, deep friction massage is effective for lateral epicondylitis patients. It is the ideal treatment for patients who have failed other nonoperative therapies.
Massage therapy improves symptoms of tendinitis. Massage therapist-administered deep-tissue or deep-friction massage can significantly benefit patients. It is effective for different types of tendinopathies. As tennis elbow is also a case of tendonitis, deep-tissue massage can be advantageous.
Therefore, manual/physical therapy can be valuable for patients suffering from tennis elbow.
Massage guns
COVID-19 has buckled everyone to the furniture of their homes. Visiting a massage therapist for a session is full of health risks.
As the condition (tennis elbow) is more common in adults above 40, leaving your home can be potentially dangerous. But you need not worry.
The world of manual therapy has opened up new aspects that are safe and effective at the same time. You can now get different devices that mimic the kneading hands of a masseuse.
Massage guns and massage chairs are ideal alternatives for massage therapists.
As per studies, devices used for massage are effective. Massage guns, chairs, and other automated devices perform superbly in decompressing nerves, as in cases of tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis).
Where Can I Find The Best Massage Guns?
Visit Zarifa USA if you feel any pain!
The company offers a wide range of effective massage devices and light on the pocket.
To relieve persistent pain in the elbow, click here.
The highly efficient massage guns will flush out the pain from the outer side of your elbow and allow you to enjoy a game of tennis with your folks again.
The bottom line
Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is characterized by pain in the outer side of the elbow. Tendinitis is the root cause of the pain that results from overuse. Rest, ice therapy, NSAIDs, and massage therapy are the best non-interventional treatments for mild to moderate cases.
All Zarifa USA products are HSA and FSA-eligible. This means you can contribute your health savings funds towards the purchase of any of our products!
References
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Keijsers, Renée, et al. “Tennis elbow.” Shoulder & elbow11.5 (2019): 384-392.
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Cutts, S., et al. “Tennis elbow: A clinical review article.” Journal of orthopaedics17 (2020): 203-207.
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Buchanan, Benjamin K., and Matthew Varacallo. “Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis).” StatPearls [Internet](2020).
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Uygur, Esat, et al. “Dry needling in lateral epicondylitis: a prospective controlled study.” International orthopaedics41.11 (2017): 2321-2325.
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Bağcıer, Fatih, and Nurdan Yılmaz. “The Impact of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy and Dry Needling Combination on the Pain, Grip Strength and Functionality in Patients Diagnosed with Lateral Epicondylitis.” Turkish Journal of Osteoporosis/Turk Osteoporoz Dergisi25.2 (2019).
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Boden, Allison L., et al. “Platelet-rich plasma versus Tenex in the treatment of medial and lateral epicondylitis.” Journal of shoulder and elbow surgery28.1 (2019): 112-119.
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Lai, Wilson C., et al. “Chronic lateral epicondylitis: challenges and solutions.” Open access journal of sports medicine9 (2018): 243.
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Moradi, Ali, et al. “Clinical outcomes of open versus arthroscopic surgery for lateral epicondylitis, evidence from a systematic review.” Archives of Bone and Joint Surgery7.2 (2019): 91.
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Lee, Jeong-Hoon, Jae-Seop Oh, and Moon-Hwan Kim. “Effect of Deep Friction Massage with Taping Technique on Strength, Pain, Function and Wrist Extensor Muscle Activity in Patients with Tennis Elbow.” Journal of Musculoskeletal Science and Technology4.2 (2020): 76-83.
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Yi, Rosemary, Walter W. Bratchenko, and Virak Tan. “Deep friction massage versus steroid injection in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis.” Hand13.1 (2018): 56-59.
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Chaves, Paula, et al. “Deep friction massage in the management of patellar tendinopathy in athletes: short-term clinical outcomes.” Journal of sport rehabilitation29.7 (2019): 860-865.
