
Tennis Elbow. What is it and what can I do to help myself?
I am James Revell, a chiropractor at Lushington Chiropractic Clinic in Eastbourne and I have written this blog to give you a brief understanding of tennis elbow, but also to give you some exercises that you can try at home to improve this condition, when it is out of the acute phase.
What is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow is strain to the tendons of the muscles of the forearm. The tendons, where the muscles attach to the elbow, become inflamed and painful.
Most of the people I have met with this condition, have never played tennis in their life. It is just commonly known as this due to the high incidence of this injury in tennis players.
There are many other causes of this problem and this is something we can find out if you come in for a chiropractic consultation at our chiropractic clinic in Eastbourne.
The actual medical term for this condition is lateral epicondylitis.
How do I know if I have tennis elbow?
Initial symptoms of tennis elbow include pain and burning on the top/outside of your elbow, and often results in a weakened grip strength. A test to try is; straighten your arm, lift your middle finger up, now try to hold it there while you press it down with your other hand. If this action causes the pain in the elbow to flare up, it sounds like you have tennis elbow.
If you would like a bit more information on tennis elbow, have a look at one of our related blogs by clicking here.
I am going to give you some exercises to try that can be used if you have an ongoing problem with this.

Exercises for tennis Elbow
The first exercise for tennis elbow is called wringing out a towel. Roll up a hand towel. Hold each side as if you are trying to wring it out. Twist the wrists in one direction repeatedly, returning to starting position.
Do this 10 times. Then do it in the opposite direction 10 times.

The next exercise for tennis elbow is called fist clench. Sit with your arm resting on a table with your palm facing up towards the ceiling. Hold a rolled-up hand towel in your hand. Squeeze the towel and release.
Do this 10 times

Hold both arms out in front of the body with each hand holding onto a TheraBand. the problematic hand should have the fingers facing towards the ceiling. Slightly bend the elbow. Now pull the hand towards the shoulder whilst creating resistance with the other hand. Do not bend the elbow too much.
Hold for 5 seconds.
Repeat 3 times

Stand in front of a wall with the problematic arm in front of you. Bend the arm at the elbow. Have the palm facing you. Place the back of the hand against the wall and push away as if you are trying to straighten your elbow.
Hold for 5 seconds.
Repeat 3 times.

Sit with your elbow resting on your knee with your palm facing the floor. Hold a weight (a small weight or even a can of food) and twist your wrist so that the thumb comes up first, then twist back to the starting position.
Repeat this 10 times

The Shoulder’s role in the problem
The other thing that needs to be looked at when you have tennis elbow, is the function of the shoulder. If the shoulder is not moving properly, that will impact how the elbow works, and so this could be part of the problem, or in some cases even the cause. If you want to look at some exercises on how to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles in your shoulder, then click on this link to see what you can do.
Want to find out more about elbow pain?
If you’ve enjoyed this blog and want to find out more about elbow pain and dysfunction, then please check out one of our other blogs on the elbow below.
Elbow pain – It’s no laughing matter
Eastbourne Chiropractor Discusses Elbow Pain
Anyone for Tennis in Eastbourne? Injury Prevention Tips
If you want to find out what is going on with your elbow, whether you have tennis elbow, what the cause is and what you should do, then please book a consultation with us at our chiropractic clinic in Eastbourne. Not only do we have a team of chiropractors, but we also have a team of sport’s therapists and massage therapist. We can plan what the best course of treatment for you will be. Please contact us at our Eastbourne chiropractic clinic by clicking here.
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