One Strange Trick to Improving Tennis Elbow Pain

Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is a common injury that occurs when the tendons in the outer elbow become inflamed. This injury is often caused by overuse of the forearm muscles and tendons, such as repetitive motions involved in playing tennis, hence the name. However, it can also occur in other activities that involve gripping and twisting motions, like gardening or using hand tools.

Symptoms of tennis elbow include pain and tenderness on the outer side of the elbow, weakness in the forearm, and difficulty in gripping objects. If left untreated, the pain can become chronic and limit your ability to perform daily tasks.

Treatment for tennis elbow usually involves rest, ice, and over-the-counter pain medication to reduce inflammation and pain. Physical therapy and exercises to strengthen the forearm muscles may also be recommended. In severe cases, corticosteroid injections or surgery may be necessary.

However, we have noticed a particular trend in our clinic when evaluating our tennis clients. Many of the individuals who come to us with recurrent elbow pain are also the individuals who have limited upper body or thoracic rotation. Limits in your ability to rotate your upper body decreases your ability to generate shot power and makes your exert more effort with your arm to return shots or make a strong attack in tennis. Taking the time to address your thoracic rotation will pay dividends in both your tennis performance and improve your recurrent elbow pain.

Some exercises you may want to include in your training routine or warm up are:

• Foam Roller Extensions

• DB Pullovers

• Side-Lying Rotations

• Cat/Cows

• Seated Bar Rotations

Have any questions about how you can specifically improve your rotation mobility? Reach out and see how we can help!