Treatment for Tennis Elbow | Causes | Symptoms of Tennis Elbow

By | June 7, 2010

Causes of Tennis Elbow

Also referred to as lateral epicondylitis, tennis elbow is a condition wherein the outer portion of one’s elbow becomes tender and painful. When the tendons, which connect the forearm muscles to the bone that is situated just above the elbow joint, get inflamed, the resultant condition is known as tennis elbow. This kind of an inflammation could be caused by several reasons, such as, elbow injury, muscle exertion, stress, excessive amount of pressure being exerted on the elbow, damage or injury caused to the ligaments, tendons or muscles located around the joint and  repetitive stressful movements. Whatever the reason may be, this is an extremely painful condition that can make simple activities such as gripping, lifting and carrying a challenge. As mentioned earlier, one of the most common symptoms of tennis elbow, is a feeling of tenderness and pain around one’s elbow joint. Apart from this one may also experience pain while moving the wrist and fingers, stretching the arm, pain while lifting objects and pain while bending the concerned arm.

Home Remedies and Treatment for Tennis Elbow

Although this condition generally necessitates medical attention, a few home remedies can help in treating it to some extent. The first most important step is to take complete rest. Do not strain the elbow and desist from indulging in any strenuous activity. Wait for the condition to improve totally, before you begin to lift or carry objects. Ice packs are a great home remedy when it comes to treating this condition. Apply an ice pack every 2-3 hours, hold it against your elbow joint for 10-15 minutes; this will help in reducing the inflammation while also alleviating pain. The application of a warm compress will also do you good. However, alternate the icepack with the warm compress, as this will help tendons and muscles to relax mush faster, thereby reducing pain.

Warm, baked potatoes, when applied as a poultice, can also help in minimizing inflammation and pain to quite a large extent. Add a teaspoon of finely chopped ginger to 2 cups of water. Heat the two, for 10-15 minutes, over a low flame. Thereafter, strain the warm liquid into a cup and add a dash of honey if required. Two cups of this warm ginger tea, if had twice a day, will help in speeding up the healing process. One can also apply a thin layer of ginger paste onto the concerned elbow, twice a day. This remedy has also been found to be beneficial.