Tennis elbow is the common name given to the pain and inflammation of the muscles and tendons in the area of the elbow. For those you are more comfortable with a hard to pronounce and medical sounding name, it is called lateral epicondylitis. To really get an appreciation of the reasons why acupuncture for tennis elbow relief is a very viable choice, you might consider the way that certain medical conditions are named in Western style medicine. The suffix ?itis? refers to an inflammation. The term epicondyle means a rounded protrusion of bone at the point where tendons and ligaments attach. This would be like the elbow. Therefore, epicondylitis simply means inflammation of the elbow.
This points out the Western approach to so many conditions. Even the name of the condition is merely a description of the symptom. Traditional Chinese Medicine is less concerned with the symptoms other than as a diagnostic tool to uncover the true cause of the condition. It is commonly assumed that tennis elbow syndrome is caused by an over use of the elbow. It is not exclusively found in tennis players or even athletes for that matter. Even office or production workers who use their arms frequently for lifting or other exertions are susceptible to it.
Acupuncture for tennis elbow relief is effective for several reasons. The big problem from a functional standpoint is actually the pain and discomfort level. The elbow still functions as it should. It just hurts when it does. Even acupuncture's most vehement critics reluctantly admit that it is useful in the alleviation of pain and inflammation. They have concocted a number of theories or guesses as to why this is true, but they do accept the truth of it.
The theory behind pain relief from the Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncturist's point of view is that pain is a signal that there is a blockage in the flow of qi through the various channels of the body. The pain from tennis elbow is not the true problem, but simply the alarm signal that a problem exists elsewhere. Restricting the treatment to the relief of the pain makes no more sense than dealing with a fire by turning off the fire alarm.
This is not to say that the acupuncturist does not recognize excessive use as a contributing factor. His view might be more that the body is capable of exertion and the elbow is an example of the wonderful and intricate engineering of the body. When pain develops as a result, something is amiss. Despite this, common sense and the holistic approach of acupuncture would dictate that restricting the use or modifying it would be part of the overall treatment plan.
Tennis Elbow Pain Relief
R.I.C.E. is basic first aid for any injury. It has been created to minimize damage to the area and speed the recovery process.
Rest from aggravating activity that causes you pain and prevents the swelling from going down. Change the type of activity that you do to a non-weight bearing activity such as swimming or cycling to maintain your fitness levels.
Apply ice to ease the pain and initially constrict the blood flow to the area to reduce further injury.
Compress the area by putting on a support bandage to reduce injury to the area.
Elevate the arm to prevent further injury
Before we even start to use a tennis elbow treatment it is worth looking at how we might be causing the injury to ourselves.
Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is an injury that occurs through repetitive motions of the wrist and forearm. This is particularly common with tennis players (but not exclusively) especially if the player has bad technique when playing a back hand game.
Below are a few fundamental steps you can take to prevent injury:
a) have a professional tennis coach asses the way you play.
b) wear a protective arm brace - this can certainly help by cushioning the elbow, muscles and tendons from the shock of the tennis ball hitting the racquet.
c) always warm up and cool down after each game paying particular attention to stretching the wrist and the shoulders.
If you happen to become injured then what are the symptoms that you should look out for?
a) gradually worsening pain
b) an increase in the area of the pain from just the outside of the elbow to the forearm and back of the hand when either grasping or performing a twisting movement.
c) a weakness in the wrist when grasping objects or trying to unscrew a jar lid etc.
In addition to all the above if you are unfortunate enough to get tennis elbow then there are a variety of treatments available ranging from allopathic medication, surgery and pain relieving machines, such as T.E.N.S. machine, to physical therapy and other forms of natural healing self help treatments that really help to cure tennis elbow and that provide a simple workable solution that puts you in control of your tennis elbow treatment.
Both Alien & Karen Graham are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
