How to Tell If You Have "Tennis Elbow"... and How to Handle It Like a Pro

It's week one at the 2018 US Open and we’re excited to watch some amazing tennis during the last Grand Slam of the year! We'll be following some of our favorites (Serena and Nadal) throughout the tournament, players who seem to defy time and bounce back from injuries well enough to take home countless Grand Slam championships.

All great athletes have their fair share of injuries and these two champs are no different. Both have dealt with troublesome elbows in the past, which were bad enough to keep them from competing. Let’s get familiar with one of the more common elbow injuries in the game – lateral epicondylitis or “tennis elbow”.

It happens with degeneration or overuse of the common extensor tendon in your elbow. This can cause pain along the lateral aspect of the elbow/ forearm with point tenderness typically right on the outside of the elbow. It usually gets irritated during or after a lot of gripping. This could be gripping a tennis racquet, a dumbbell or even a coffee mug.

You don’t have to be an elite athlete to feel the effects of tennis elbow. A lot of our patients tell us their symptoms began after a weekend of heavy yard work, house cleaning or a round of golf.

Unfortunately, most people will try self-medicating for weeks or even months before they ask someone like a PT for help. This usually means they have tried Tylenol, icing, bracing and maybe even dabbled in some stretches, but despite their best efforts…the pain remains!

Do you think Serena and Nadal tried nursing their elbows with home remedies? No way! It was important that they get back out on the courts as soon as possible and it’s just as important for you to stay active without pain - whether it’s tennis, house work or just enjoying a hot cup of coffee.

If this sounds like you and you’re looking for a proven fix that doesn’t involve bracing or repeated trips to the Tylenol bottle, click here to request a Discovery visit for tennis elbow. It’s 30 minutes of your time – no cost, no hassle and no insurance, to finally get to the root cause of your problem and find out how to get out from underneath the persistent pain of tennis elbow.

Claim your Discovery visit for Tennis Elbow