In spite of its name, you don’t need to be a tennis player in order to experience tennis elbow. This is a common condition that can be painful and even debilitating. Should you seek treatment for tennis elbow? If you’re not sure you need to see a professional, you should ask yourself these questions.
Are You Experiencing Symptoms?
The primary symptom of the tennis elbow is tenderness and pain around the elbow. While the pain is usually centralized at the elbow, it’s not unusual for people with this condition to have pain in their upper and lower arms as well. In many cases, these feelings of pain intensify whenever you use your hand.
Other actions that could cause intense pain include lifting your arm, making a fist, or opening a door. It’s likely that the tendons around your elbow will also feel tender to the touch.
Have You Been Able to Treat This Yourself?
You can treat and manage tennis elbow symptoms by wearing a brace on the injured area. If you’ve done this, however, and it hasn’t solved the problem, it may be wise for you to see treatment from a professional. A healthcare practitioner can examine the area and provide recommendations for treatment.
Your doctor may recommend an MRI or an X-Ray so that they can examine your elbow more closely and rule out any other problems. If your doctor does diagnose you with tennis elbow, you’ll be able to discuss your treatment options as well.
How Is Tennis Elbow Treated?
As mentioned above, it’s common for people with tennis elbow to wear a brace. In the short term, you may also be able to get relief by icing the injured area or by taking an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication. However, it’s likely that your doctor will recommend treatments that go beyond that.
Range of motion exercises can improve flexibility in the injured area and get rid of stiffness. Not only will exercises like this ease your pain, but they may also help to prevent injuries in this area in the future. If the swelling is severe, your doctor may give you steroid injections.
If you suspect that you have tennis elbow, you shouldn’t try to rush through the recovery process. Instead, you should seek treatment for tennis elbow and follow the advice of your doctor. This condition can be frustrating, but it’s important to allow your tendons to properly heal.
