Can Tennis Elbow Only Be Caused By Tennis?
No! There a many different activities that can cause it, including painting, typing, knitting, trade work (especially bricklaying and carpentry), raking, vacuuming, squash, weightlifting, golf and basketball.
Ironically, less than five per cent of cases are actually caused by tennis.
Due to the range of causes, the injury can be quite widespread but is especially common in people over the age of 30. The pain can vary from a general discomfort in milder cases, all the way to agonising pain in more chronic instances.
How To Relieve Pain From Tennis Elbow
Like tendinitis in any part of the body, following the RICE principle (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate) is a start for treatment.
There are some difficulties however, as you often need the use of your hand, wrist and elbow in even the most basic of daily activities. Resting your arm for a week or two without using it would be great but is not plausible for the majority of us who have work that needs to be done.
So how do you manage the symptoms of tennis elbow while you’re working, playing sports, or at home in the backyard or on the couch?
Elbow Braces Relieve Pain
The use of supports and braces to relieve and manage the symptoms of tennis elbow is one of the most effective ways to allow for the regular use of your arm and hand without having to worry about the pain.
By providing targeted compression and massage effect, supports provide active relief and management of tendinitis for day to day life.
To help decipher which type of elbow brace or support might be right for you, here are two of the most common:
An Elbow Strap
An elbow strap is designed to provide a targeted band of compression on the top of the tendon, usually incorporating a massage pad or some kind of gel support.
This works to stabilise the tendon at its beginning, minimising excess movement, while the additional massage support stimulates the tendon to loosen it, taking out tension and easing inflammation.
The Sports Elbow Strap is a perfect example, with adjustability for controlled relief and lightweight design for comfortable wear.
While the Sports Elbow Strap utilises a special BOA tension system for complete control at all levels of activity and offers a comfortable fit for all day wear.
Sleeve Or Support
An Sports Compression Arm Sleeves or Sports Elbow Support will usually cover the whole elbow, providing compression across the bulk of the tendon and surrounding muscles. Many of these supports also incorporate some kind of gel support or massage pads the provide further stimulation and relief.
The Sports Elbow Support is one of the best elbow supports on the market, combining the stabilisation and circulation boost of medical grade compression with targeted viscoelastic gel support and massage pads, all wrapped up in a breathable lightweight anatomical fit.
