Tennis Elbow Treatment

In the event that you ignored our previous advice on preventing tennis elbow, here are ways to find relief. Most cases of tennis elbow can be treated at home with the classic PRICE (protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation) treatment regimen.

Protection
Protect the elbow from further injury by avoiding aggressive use of the joint.

Rest
Similar to protection, but this part is intended as an instruction to go easy on your elbow with some stretching. You never want to cease all activity with an injured muscle or joint area.

Ice
Apply to the elbow as soon as possible. You can buy resusable ice packs that strap on for ease of use. Also, an effective ice treatment is massage by rolling a frozen bottle of water over the affected area.

Compression
By wrapping the area with an elastic bandage, you can reduce swelling.

Elevation
If you can keep the elbow above heart level, this will also reduce swelling.

If a combination of PRICE and over-the-counter pain relievers aren’t doing the job, speak to your doctor to learn about the possibility of physical therapy or even surgery. About 1 in 10 people with tennis elbow need surgical care.

Source: Tennis Elbow, Mayo Clinic website

Special thanks to guest editor Tim Roth for today’s column. Go to atomstozebras.com to explore more of Tim’s scientific work.