Could your throbbing elbow be the result of a tennis elbow?
You don’t have to be a tennis player to develop tennis elbow, a type of tendinitis that causes pain and inflammation of the tendons on the outside of your elbow near the forearms. You may also hear our Taylor and Canton MI shoulder and elbow specialist, Dr. Alexander Martusiewicz, refer to tennis elbow is lateral epicondylitis.
What causes tennis elbow?
Repetitive arm movements are to blame for most cases of tennis elbow. This includes the constant swinging of the racket in tennis players but also any kind of repetitive motion included in the painting, construction work, or playing of an instrument. This is a fairly common injury and one that can often be treated with home care and ample rest.
How do I know that I have a tennis elbow?
Most people with tennis elbow describe having an aching or throbbing pain on the outside of the elbow near the forearm. This pain often becomes constant and may even be tender to the touch. Some people may only develop tennis elbow on one arm, but it is possible to develop this condition in both elbows.
How is tennis elbow treated?
Rest is key when it comes to getting rid of tennis elbow. Any kind of repeat motions should be avoided, which means staying away from power tools, painting, or any sports that could exacerbate the inflamed tendon.
Along with rest, you may want to take an over-the-counter pain reliever to ease discomfort and swelling. Icing the tendon can also help with inflammation. Tennis elbow will usually go away on its own, but these are some simple solutions to help manage symptoms in the meantime.
If your symptoms are severe or last for months on end, then you will want to turn to our Taylor and Canton MI elbow specialist to find out what other treatment options could speed up the healing process and help you treat the pain. Your doctor may recommend dry needling, PRP injections, physical therapy, ultrasound therapy, or surgery (in rare cases).
Beaumont Orthopaedic Associates provides comprehensive shoulder and elbow treatments and care for everything from shoulder arthritis and rotator cuff tendinitis to tennis elbow and broken collarbones.
If you are looking for an orthopedic specialist who can treat your tennis elbow then call our Taylor or Canton MI office of Dr. Alexander Martusiewicz at (313) 887-6000 to schedule an evaluation.