Tennis Elbow Treatment in Grand Rapids MI
No racquet required
Sharp, burning pain on the outside of the elbow and a grip that keeps getting weaker: that is tennis elbow, and most people who have it have never played a set.
The name has created the misconception that tennis elbow only affects athletes in racquet sports. In reality, it affects roughly 5 percent of people who play tennis and is more commonly tied to occupations and hobbies involving repetitive motion of the forearm and wrist. Tennis elbow describes chronic, repeated episodes of pain isolated mostly to the top of the forearm and the outside of the elbow.
Who gets tennis elbow?
Certain occupations and activities make the condition more likely. Fishing, butchering, long-term computer use, plumbing, repeated screwdriver use, waiting tables, guitar playing, painting, and carpentry have all been shown to contribute. Tennis elbow can affect anyone, but it occurs more often in people who suddenly take on tasks using muscle groups they are not accustomed to, and there is a higher rate of occurrence between the ages of 30 and 50.
How it develops
Tennis elbow typically develops slowly, and people suffering from it often cannot recall any specific injury. Pain is usually the first symptom: sharp and burning, on the outer portion of the elbow. As the condition progresses, many people notice growing weakness in the hand of the affected arm. A weak grip shows up when shaking hands, turning a screwdriver, holding a coffee cup, opening doors, or holding gardening tools, and dropped objects become more frequent.
How tennis elbow is diagnosed
Our team at Kentwood Family Chiropractic can diagnose tennis elbow through your clinical presentation: your symptoms, the history of the condition, your daily activities, and your occupation. Because other conditions can cause pain on the outer elbow, we can also perform or arrange more advanced diagnostic procedures such as MRI, X-ray, and EMG when they are needed.
Our approach to treatment
We offer a number of treatment options for tennis elbow. Often, nerve interference caused by spinal misalignment is responsible for the abnormal muscle patterns behind the pain and weakness, so restoring normal spinal function frequently relieves the symptoms. The elbow and wrist themselves get direct attention too: extremity adjusting is a strength of this practice, and as an Advanced Certified Activator Methods chiropractor, Dr. McAllister can make precise, low-force corrections to the joints of the arm without any forceful manipulation.
Elbow pain rarely lives alone. The same repetitive strain and nerve interference patterns often show up in the joint above it, so if your elbow trouble comes with a stiff or aching shoulder, read about our approach to shoulder pain as well.
Contact our Grand Rapids MI team at Kentwood Family Chiropractic today.
Is your grip giving out on you?
Dropped coffee cups are your elbow asking for help. Call us for a free consultation and find out what is driving the pain.