Tennis elbow is more common than you might believe. Many people in Tucson of all levels of activity can be susceptible to it. Massage therapy, specifically sports massage, can become a crucial part of a treatment plan for tennis elbow. A great massage therapist will be able to get right to where it hurts and promote the health of the affected muscles.
What Is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow sounds oddly specific, but the name is a bit of a misnomer. While tennis players are certainly at a high risk for tennis elbow, it can affect nearly anyone. Tennis elbow can happen to anyone who routinely and repetitively performs a task that involves the arms. People who frequently knit, sit at a desk typing, wash windows, or paint are just as susceptible as athletes.
Tennis elbow occurs when the same muscles and tendons are overused without being built up. If you don’t regularly strengthen your forearms, these repetitive motions will fatigue and injure the muscle. Treating those muscles and encouraging them to repair themselves will help the lingering soreness dissipate sooner.
Recognizing Tennis Elbow
There are two ways tennis elbow can start. Muscular tennis elbow and tendinitis tennis elbow are different sides of the same coin. Figuring out the difference is relatively easy. It all depends on the circumstances surrounding where the injury occurred and the way the injury presents itself.
Athletes often experience it in a more extreme and apparent way. Activities where the arm is absorbing a lot of impact, such as competitive sports, can lead to very small tears in the tendon. This pain is overwhelmingly apparent. Any time the arm is moved, pain will radiate.
You can do a preliminary check for tendonitis from home. Tendonitis will cause pain whenever the tendon is flexed and held in place. Flexing and holding the wrist will be very painful when tendonitis is present. If pain is preventing you from flexing and holding your wrist or if you feel as though it worsens when you do, tendonitis is the likely culprit.
Tennis elbow that occurs from low impact repetitive motions is related to muscle fatigue. Using the arm as normal will make it feel sore and stiff. People with low impact tennis elbow often have trouble typing, writing, or even pouring a cup of coffee. Any movement that requires the hand or the wrist to bend or rotate will cause discomfort.
Preventing Tennis Elbow
There are two things you can do to prevent tennis elbow. If you do something that involves a lot of repetitive motions, work on strengthening your arms. Small workouts with low weight will help you build and condition the muscles that contribute to tennis elbow. If those muscles are well cared for, they’re more likely to behave the way you need them to.
The second step is even more important. If you’ve overused your forearms in any way, give yourself enough time to cool down and heal before you resume your normal activity. Always wait before increasing the intensity of any activities that utilize these muscles – graduate to harder levels slowly. Staying hydrated and eating plenty of protein can help your muscles heal in a timely manner. Taking a few days off once in a while will give your muscles a little bit of a break.
What Your Massage Therapist Will Do
Your sports massage therapist will first check for tendonitis. If the tendon needs some extra work, he or she will isolate and work the tendon. The tendon will be stimulated, promoting the circulation of oxygenated blood throughout the arm. At the same time, any fluid buildup will be forced out of the tendon This process helps the body to heal faster, and is likely to eliminate some soreness and stiffness in real time.
Friction techniques are used to stimulate the tendon where it hurts the most. With your help, the massage therapist will be able to locate the spot. After a little while, the soreness should begin to dissipate. If it doesn’t, the tendon might not be the only problem.
Deep tissue massage can also be used to treat tennis elbow. There is almost always a little bit of scar tissue from the overuse of the muscles and tendons that cause the pain of tennis elbow. Your massage therapist will start where the problem starts – right at the elbow. Working the muscles all the way down will treat the entire arm, causing all the aches and pains to subside.
Booking A Sports Massage For Tennis Elbow
If you need a massage for tennis elbow, we invite you to visit us at Greentoes in Tucson. Our licensed massage therapists are experienced in treating tennis elbow. We strive to create a calm environment where our guests can enjoy a relaxing massage and leave feeling much better than they did before they walked in. You can book now online or by phone.