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Want the Real Fix for Lateral Epicondylitis (tennis elbow)?
I'm Dylan. I run the show here at Battle Balm. I've been playing tennis for over 35 years. I wish I was better, but hey, I've got lots of hobbies to master before I die.
I know exactly what you're going through. I've personally had episodes of tennis elbow (LE) throughout my life. Interestingly enough, I've gotten it from playing tennis, from lifting weights, & from typing a lot on my computer.
Years ago, way before I specialized in pain management, I tried to treat the condition just like you did...with the RICE method.
This sequence of events probably sounds familiar...
- REST - Sitting around getting frustrated and out of shape didn't work
- ICE - Numbing the pain worked...until you can feel your elbow again.
- COMPRESSION - This worked...for a few weeks, until my forearm muscles were fighting too hard against both me and my elbow brace.
- ELEVATION - I'm just completing everyone's favorite 4-letter word for pain relief. When you get to this point, you've probably wasted enough time to realize the RICE method didn't help at all.
- X-RAY/MRI - The doctor thought you had a damaged bone/ligament/tendon for sure. Alas, your elbow looks normal.
You are frustrated, disappointed, and still in pain.
The problem is that the RICE method doesn't tap into the human healing mechanism. The individual components of RICE are outdated and rely on antiquated ideas from when we were cavemen running from dinosaurs.
So, it's still painful to play tennis and you've moved into the old people age bracket or been demoted in the skill level chart. But what's even worse is that now the LE is creeping into other aspects of your life. It hurts to turn doorknobs. It hurts to grab your coffee mug. It even hurts to pay your additional medical bills. (Pain is also mental, BTW!)
The good news for you is that I've overcome tennis elbow studying techniques and trying them on myself. Fortunately, with time, education, & experience comes wisdom. It also doesn't hurt that I love to geek out on health & performance.
I will tell you how analyze and execute self-care and pro-care techniques to get through lateral epicondylitis and play your best tennis ever! (Or turn doorknobs like a BOSS again...or whatever you want to do with no pain again!)
Tennis Elbow Myths & Fairy Tales
Stories people tell each other that are mostly untrue
1
Only Tennis Players Get Tennis Elbow
Nowadays, tennis elbow affects more computer keyboard warriors than tennis players. Is it time to rename it? We choose the new moniker Desk Jockey Elbowitis.
2
Tennis Elbow is an Overuse Problem
"Overuse Injury" is really an ego trip term. Your 1 hour of tennis a week pales in comparison to the time that pros rack up per week. Unless you're high level, it's probably not overuse.
3
You're Getting Microscopic Tears in the Tendon
No, probably not. Tendon damage can occur if the pain has become pretty chronic and constant. Lucky for you, most tendons can repair themselves...well, at least until you're dead.
4
Rest is Best for Tennis Elbow
If you have an overuse injury, rest is the best thing. Otherwise, it's not. Movement circulates blood & lymph to the injury site, so sitting around slows healing. Stop acting like a couch vegetable. We're animals. We heal through movement.
5
Tennis Elbow is Inflammation
This myth bothers us. Not all pain is inflammation. Plus, inflammation is not always painful. Pain is a signal something is wrong. How about we dig a little deeper before we scream "INFLAMMATION" and run for the freezer. Which leads us to another myth...
6
Ice is Nice for Tennis Elbow
Ice numbs the body (& mind) of many people. It continues to be a crutch for many pain conditions. Ice constricts blood vessels and when you realize how little blood flow goes to tendons, you'll realize how silly it is to reduce circulation even further. Repeat after us: Numbness does not equal healing.
The Truths about (Lateral Epicondylitis) Tennis Elbow
Having dealt with tennis elbow myself and in my clinical practice, I've seen a lot of variations. In a need to be more generalized and concise, I'll go over the main issues that I've found. For most of you, applying the ideas here will get you out of pain. Even though I sell topical pain relief, I'm really after helping you understand your tennis elbow, so you can be more active, more healthy & enjoy more of what life has to offer. My goal is to return the "care" in healthcare.
- The overarching theme for tennis elbow is musculotendinous strength deficiency. You're basically asking your muscles and tendons to do more than you train for. I think the mistake is calling it "overuse". The truth is that you don't use these soft tissues enough to handle your exercises/movements.
- The second most common issue that I've seen clinically is antagonistic muscle imbalance. Lateral epicondylitis affects mainly forearm musculature. Most of you have weak forearm extensors. I know this. I see it all the time. The truth is that balancing strength capacity of the forearm extensors with the forearm flexors will signal to your brain that the joint is supported.
- The third most common issue is that people think muscle strength and tendon strength are built at the same time. Strong muscles do not necessarily equal strong tendons. There is a slight, but extremely important distinction. The truth is that tendons heal through time under tension. This is why resting is ludicrous in most situations of tennis elbow. Adequate amounts of time under tension (TUT) is how nutrients are absorbed, cellular debris released, and tendinous fibers are repaired.
- The fourth, and this issue is very interesting, is that you have forgotten how to use your elbow in relation to the rest of your arm. This means that your elbow joint is not working in conjunction with the joints above and below it. The truth is that your brain has disintegrated correct movement patterns and you are asking your elbow to compensate for poor movement mechanics. Elbow pain becomes a message to your brain that it needs to coordinate proper movement patterns again.
Now that you have seen the light, you should be able to better assess your injury and appropriately treat lateral epicondylitis for long term pain relief. I'll also link ways that Battle Balm can help you in your treatment/rehabilitation of tennis elbow.
Boost Every Tennis Elbow Treatment with Battle Balm
Massage Therapy
Acupuncture
Cupping Therapy
Gua Sha (Skin Scraping)
Physical Therapy (Physio)
Yoga (Stretching)
Weight Training (Strengthening)
Combine Battle Balm with Tennis Elbow Treatments
Physical Therapy
Massage Therapy
Acupuncture
Cupping Therapy
Stretching
Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow) FAQ
What is tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow is a common term for lateral epicondylitis (LE).
Tennis elbow elicits a pain sensation at or near the lateral epicondyle of the elbow joint that affects gripping with the hand and rotating the wrist.
What are the symptoms of tennis elbow?
Some of the signs and symptoms of tennis elbow include: pain on outer part of elbow, weakened grip, difficulty squeezing or holding objects in hand.
What causes tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow can be caused by a number of things. This includes: cervical spine compression, peripheral nerve compression somewhere between spinal column and elbow, forearm muscular imbalance, tight forearm extensor muscles, tight supinator muscles, muscular overexertion, & repetitive stress.
How is tennis elbow diagnosed?
There are a couple of physical therapy examination tests that can help indicate lateral epicondylitis. These include the: Cozen test, Mill test, Thomson test, Maudsley test, and a maximum grip strength test.
How long does tennis elbow take to heal?
This is a pretty wide ranging answer. If you address the lateral epicondylitis quickly, you may resolve it within a week or two. If you have had chronic pain for some time, it may take a month or more. Proper treatment is necessary for a speedy recovery...and it doesn't involve the RICE method.
We feel that with a consistent, targeted multi-modal approach, you should be 100% in 2 months or less. (But, you will need maintenance. It's a working joint, for crying out loud!)
What is the best treatment for tennis elbow?
First, we will start with the worst treatment. RICE method. It's the worst. It needs to be completely written out of the collective therapy mind.
The best treatment would be the most appropriate one for the cause of your specific condition. We know. That's vague. You know how to make it less vague? You should figure out what caused the pain. Note that the cause is different from the onset of pain. Onset is "when it happened". Cause is "why it happened".
What should I avoid doing with tennis elbow?
If you know the difference between your body's sense of discomfort and your body's sense of pain, great! Keep using the elbow in the discomfort zone and never cross over to the pain zone. The pain zone is usually where cellular damage is occurring.
The unfortunate thing is that there are a lot of people that cannot sense the difference between discomfort and pain. The threshold is different for everyone and we can't really tell you the answer. This is something you have to learn through trial and error.
Is tennis elbow the same as golfer's elbow?
The two terms are often confused, unfortunately, as neither is specific to their sport. Golfer's can get tennis elbow and vice versa.
Golfer's elbow, aka medial epicondylitis, affects the inner bony prominence of the elbow. If you continue to confuse the two, we will have to use the technical terms and there will be a spelling quiz afterwards.
Is there any hope for my tennis elbow or do I need surgery?
Well, if you removed the elbow from your body, you technically would resolve the tennis elbow.
But, you probably want to keep the arm, right? We believe that most cases of tennis elbow can be resolved with patience, time, & proper care. Grab some Battle Balm and take care of yourself! We're here to help!
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