Chiropractic and tennis elbow

Chiropractic and tennis elbow

The tennis elbow or “lateral epicondylitis” is a very frequent health condition responsible for pain at the elbow or forearm.

What is a tennis elbow?

The tennis elbow represents an irritation of the bony insertion where the muscles of the forearm are attaching. The insertion is located on the external part of the elbow and could become irritated when the muscles of the forearm are working too hard. Unlike what we may think, tennis players are not those who are suffering the most from this condition. People working on a computer the whole day, clicking hundreds of times on their mouse (repetitive motion) are the most at risk of suffering from tennis elbow. Sometimes the symptoms are so intense that it is hard to continue to work.

Signs and symptoms

The signs and symptoms of the tennis elbow are usually pain over the lateral aspect of the elbow (directly on the bone), pain when the wrist is completely flexed, pain when a resisted extension of the wrist is performed and pain or weaknesses when we are holding an object (a coffee mug for example).

Chiropractic and tennis elbow

If you think you are suffering from a tennis elbow, consult your chiropractor immediately. As usual, it is easier to treat a recent health condition instead of waiting for the condition to become chronic.

The chiropractor is trained to perform the test to confirm that you really have a tennis elbow and not another health condition. When the nature of your condition has been clarified, the chiropractor will perform chiropractic adjustments at the elbow, the wrist and even in the neck (the nerves controlling the muscles in the forearm are travelling between the vertebrae of the neck) in order to decrease the muscle tension in the forearm and improve the general mechanic of the different joints in the arm, thus promoting a faster healing of the condition. The chiropractor will also be able to give you exercises to speed up the healing process and tips to prevent the recurrence of the condition.