Contrary to what most people have been led to believe, tennis elbow injury is not a disease and it is not a condition that affects people who play tennis only. This is one of the most common injuries today and can affect anyone even if they have never played tennis before. Some of the most common symptoms of this that comes about when the arm is overused include inflammation, swelling, pain and inability to use the arm from the shoulder all the way to the wrist and the fingers. However, the symptoms often vary with patients depending on the severity of the injury. This injury occurs when the lateral epicondyle tissues, the tendons that connect the arm bone to the muscles, sustain tiny micro-tears as a result of overuse, twisting and swinging the arm or clenching the wrist.
The people who are most susceptible to this injury are those that use their arms regularly in activities that involve swinging, hammering, twisting or clenching. These include office and construction workers, painters, carpenters, mechanics, gardeners and landscapers among others. Even ordinary people who do not overuse their arms may sustain this injury. You could be cleaning your windows one day or changing the car tire and the next day you realize you sustained an injury. It can happen to anyone and at any age.
If you have realized that you have sustained the injury and are looking for a way on how to treat tennis elbow, you should know that the sooner you act to counter the symptoms the better for you and the sooner the injury will heal. The first thing you will have to do is stop using the arm in demanding activities especially in the activity that may have triggered the injury in the first place. Allow the injured arm complete rest and apply a pack of ice or frozen peas on the injured area to increase comfort, alleviate the pain and reduce or do away with the swelling and inflammation.
These are only first aid measures. It is important to see a doctor to ascertain the severity of the injury and determine the most appropriate remedy. In more than 90 percent of the cases of tennis elbow, a doctor will use anti-inflammation medication and painkillers then advise the patient on how to take care of the injured tendons. Wearing a tennis elbow brace will be necessary as the tendons heal to protect them and to keep the arm in proper healing position.