Elbow Pain
Dr. Isaac Auyeung PT, DPT, CSCS
Owner and Founder of Renew Sports Rehab
- Is Elbow Pain Making It Difficult To Lift Weights, Carry Groceries, Play Tennis/Golf/Pickleball, Or Carry Out Your Normal Work Or Home Duties?
- Does this describe you?
- You expected the discomfort to go away after a few days or weeks, but it didn't?
- You tried heating pads, ice, and home TENS machines, but nothing worked?
- You had a couple of massages, but the discomfort reappeared after a few days?
- You went to a doctor, who took some photos and gave you an injection or advised you to take some medications, but the relief was short-lived?
- You've tried physical therapy before but it didn't work?
- You've determined that if you just avoid painful activities, you'll be fine.
- We Are Here to Assist You in Finding Long-Term Solutions!
We Commonly Treat the Following Elbow Conditions:
- Golfer’s Elbow (Mediolateral Epicondylitis)
- Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
- Biceps Tendon Tear
- Ligament Instability
- Elbow Fracture
The Most Common Causes
Injury occurs when the same muscle groups are used repeatedly without enough mobility work or recovery time. tissue is subjected to a rapid impact or load
Impaired Mechanics: joint stiffness or decreased muscular flexibility leads to a restricted range of motion; weakness and muscle imbalance
Chronic compensations: a previous injury or fear of future harm might cause avoidance of activity in specific muscle groups while overuse of other tissues occurs.
Renew Sports Rehab Therapy Approach
Breaking the cycle of pain requires knowledge, manual therapy, and increased tissue mobility.
Improve the mechanics of the area’s joints, muscles, and nerves during daily functional duties as well as exercise/sport-specific activities.
Load the tissue to increase strength, power, and endurance, ensuring that the tissues are ready for all required demands without concern of reinjury.
Treatments for the Elbow
Reduce tissue inflammation through bracing, taping, and massage.
Massage, instrument-assisted mobilization, and cupping can all help to increase tissue mobility.
Specific nerve exercises can help to reduce nerve sensitivity (numbness, tingling, and discomfort that spreads down the arm).
Plyometric and functional activities (throwing, catching, pushing, pulling, and pressing) should be increased.
Important Concepts to Understand
Tissues mend. The body is meant to repair itself, but occasionally our system becomes stuck in the inflammatory phase of tissue repair and needs assistance to get to the recovery phase.
The true cause of discomfort is frequently unrelated to X-ray and MRI imaging results. On imaging, tissue injury that causes no discomfort or functional limits is possible.
It is also possible to have pain with no obvious findings on imaging, which is frequently caused by nerve tissue oversensitivity.
Soreness after exercise is undesirable, but it is not necessarily a cause for concern. True strength gains necessitate a system overload, which causes micro-damage. When that tissue heals, it becomes thicker and stronger than before. Soreness should be utilized to determine whether the tissue is ready to take on an additional load, whether it should remain at the current level, or whether training intensity should be reduced until the tissue is more prepared.
Through appropriate education, proper mechanics, and progressive tissue loading, it is nearly always possible to return to previous/desired activities.