Once your doctor tells you that you have tennis elbow, your first thought will naturally be, "I won't be able to play tennis, golf, work, etc." Incorrect. Although rehabilitation is something you should consider in the future, you can still train or play tennis or golf with the proper techniques. Using these techniques will relieve and may even stop tennis elbow pain.
Once you get rid of the pain, you can go through a rehabilitation process that will cure the disease forever.
Most doctors will tell you that you need to "rest" in order to treat tennis elbow caused by tears in the elbow tendon. That's what tennis elbow means - a ruptured tendon. These are often caused by overuse of the tendon and, in some cases, misuse.
Although rest can cure an overactive tendon and remedy the problem, it is not always the practical solution. If you have to work or play sports, you can't always be away.
Take the case of Brett. He was counting on a tennis scholarship to be able to go to university. He couldn't stop playing tennis so well. There are those who can't stop working, either because they don't have insurance or because their employer is paying for rehabilitation. Many self-employed people are forced to continue working in order to support their families.
It is very difficult to get a Social Security disability and you must not be able to work for a year. This is not the case with tennis elbow, so staying out of work if you are self-employed may not be the option.
Brett had a scholarship waiting for him backstage if he finished his tennis season. But he got away with the elbow of a tennis player. Luckily for Bret, he has a sports doctor who knew how to treat him so he could finish the season and then go to rehab after the season. Thanks to the advice of this doctor and the techniques used (described in this book), Brett was able to finish his tennis season and obtain the scholarship.
A professional golfer or tennis player may find their game unstoppable. They may be scheduled for a tournament in which they must play for their career. But that doesn't mean they have to go to great lengths to play the game. There are techniques used before, during and after games that can ease the pain and keep you playing, even if you have a tennis elbow.
Pre-match techniques
Before any match, you should take some type of anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen or naproxen. NSAIDs will help relieve some of the pain and allow you to perform better when playing.
Long-term use of these medications has been linked to digestive problems. You should never rely on NSAIDs for a prolonged period as they can cause ulcers and
Other stomach problems. However, taking a pair of Tylenol before a game of tennis or golf is more than fine. Don't get used to taking it long term.
In addition to over-the-counter pain relievers, you should also stretch your arms before a game. This includes a basic stretch for your biceps, triceps, shoulders, and forearms before you start playing. In fact, this should be normal when playing tennis or any other sport. Many sports injuries are caused by not relaxing and stretching properly before a game. Even if you don't have a tennis elbow, you still need to stretch those muscles before a game or match.
Don't neglect your legs either. Even if you don't feel any pain in your legs and are worried about tennis elbow, you can do yourself a favor and stretch your legs well.
In order to maintain good blood circulation in your arms during play, keep them warm while warming up using stretching techniques. This can be done using a series of headlines.
Remember the leggings that dancers and other athletes once used (and which, oddly enough, became a fashion statement in gyms in the 80s?) Well, they had a purpose. Keep legs warm during exercise and improve blood circulation. You should do the same for your arms. Although you don't wear an arm warmer during a tennis match, you should wear one while stretching.
Techniques to use during matches or matches
When you're actually playing the game, you'll want to use a force-relieving rubber band that will relieve your elbow pain. It works for many people who suffer from tennis elbow. That's what Bret used and helped him win games. You can get this band at sporting goods stores or even online.
Take a look at your racquet and how you're holding it. Are you holding the racquet too tightly? What is the weight of the racquet? Do you remember Joanne, the racquetball player who fell with her tennis elbow? She was using a very heavy racquet and not even holding it properly. Joanne had no tennis or racquetball lessons, so she was unaware of tennis elbow or the proper way to hold a racquet. If you loosen up the racquet and use a lighter racquet, this will help treat the symptoms of tennis elbow and will allow the pain to subside in many cases. If you find that you suffer from this syndrome, examine the type of racquet you are using and replace it with a lighter racquet.
You should use a heating pad around your elbows while playing as well as wrist wraps. The longer you keep your tendons warm during exercise, the less your condition will worsen. You can get wristbands and elbow pads at any sporting goods store. You have most likely seen people wearing them. They don't just do it to endorse a product - they wear these bands to keep their tendons and muscles warm and working.
After game techniques for recovery
After the game, you'll want to recover from training. Sure, you might want to rush out and celebrate, but to take care of your condition and ensure you can keep playing for the next game, you'll need to use what's called the "prize" healing method. It is the anagram of protection, comfort, ice, compression and altitude.
Armguards
Now is the time to protect the arm from any activity that could make the painful condition worse. You don't need to bandage or sling it - this goes to extremes. But you'll want to rest rather than do something that will make the condition worse and has nothing to do with your work or play.
Remember when we talked about Don, the city worker who used a jackhammer all the time? His doctor told him he had tennis elbow and advised him to rest his arm after work in order to treat it. Tell him about the price method. And what do you think Don did? He decides to go play pool after work every night. Needless to say, this made his condition worse.
Protect your arm from further injury so you can continue to enjoy the activities you do for fun or for a living.