Do you know someone that is looking for tennis elbow treatment in Visalia? How about a golfers elbow treatment in Visalia? We understand. Elbow pain is a common complaint in avid tennis players and golfers, but some simple strategies from a physical therapist can correct these problems
Tennis and golf are popular recreational sporting activities that attract participants in many age groups, but they seem to be especially popular with older adults. This may be due to the more leisurely nature of the two sports compared to some others, and the fact that golf also doubles as a social engagement as well. Another unfortunate similarity that these two sports share, however, is that regular participation in either one can lead to elbow pain that can make it difficult to play. But the good news is that some basic changes and physical therapy can help correct these issues.
Golfer’s elbow is a condition that results from the repeated bending of the wrist that is necessary in a golf swing. This damages the muscles and tendons of the medial epicondyle—a piece of bone on the inside of the elbow that allows the forearm, wrist and hand to bend and move in several different ways—and eventually leads to inflammation. It is especially common in golfers because gripping or swinging clubs incorrectly or with too much force can take a toll on the structures within the elbow over time.
Similarly, tennis elbow is another type of overuse injury that involves the lateral epicondyle, a bony bump that is located on the outside of the elbow. In this case, the tendons that attach the forearm and wrist muscles on the outside of the elbow once again become inflamed due to repeated use of the arm and elbow. The culprit of tennis elbow is overuse, and while the motions of racquet sports like tennis are largely influential in its progression, any activity that involves repetitive and vigorous use of the forearm muscle can lead to it.
In both conditions, symptoms like pain, tenderness, swelling, weakened grip strength and a burning sensation on either the inside or outside of the elbow are indicators that tennis or golfer’s elbow may be present. These symptoms often develop gradually and are worsened by activities that involve the forearm, and if left unchecked, can go on to make many basic activities that require gripping or grasping a major challenge.
This is where physical therapy comes in. Since both of these injuries are due to overuse, in most cases they can be minimized or stopped from progressing further with some training adjustments and proper conditioning. To treat and prevent tennis and golfer’s elbow, physical therapists recommend the following:
- Always warm up and stretch before playing, and cool down afterwards
- Be sure you’re using proper footwear and equipment
- Maintain adequate fitness and flexibility levels with conditioning exercises that are specific to the physical demands of tennis and golf
- Perform strengthening exercises, especially for your arms and core muscles
- Have an expert evaluate your gameplay to ensure your techniques are being executed correctly; focus on improving areas that need work
Physical therapists can also create a personalized treatment program if either of these injuries fails to improve with the initial changes made. A recent study looked into whether one intervention used by physical therapists—joint mobilizations—were beneficial to patients with tennis elbow, and the conclusion they arrived at stated the following:
There is compelling evidence that joint mobilizations have a positive effect on both pain and/or functional grip scores across all time frames compared to control groups in the management of tennis elbow
This shows why any tennis players or golfers dealing with elbow pain should strongly consider seeing a physical therapist, as doing so will help these athletes return to the activities they love for years to come.
There’s no need to continue to suffer. If you are seeking out an expert in (lateral epicondylitis) tennis elbow treatment in Visalia, give us a call. Click here to visit our contact page. We have two offices and both are equipped with expert staff that can treat golfers elbow in Visalia too.
