Tennis elbow. Lateral epicondylitis. Whatever you want to call it, it boils down to a pain in the.. well.. elbow.
The majority of people who have tennis elbow are not tennis players. As a matter of fact, it is age that seems to be what dictates developing this ailment. It often hits in your mid thirties but can affect you even later into life. It may be from lifting, swinging a golf club, heavy use of your arms…there are countless ways that you can get tennis elbow that have nothing to do with playing tennis. Which is contrary to popular belief!
The symptoms start out as minor inconveniences. Your elbow may feel a little sore or tender. Then suddenly, the muscles in your arm tightens, you find it hard to grip with your hand or move your wrist. You begin to feel pain anytime you extend your wrist, and waking up in the morning is extremely uncomfortable.
The longer you put off treatment, the longer it will take for you to recover. The cost may also escalate depending on the severity of the injury. You can be treated with the use of an anti-inflammatory drug and most of the time, if you have sought treatment in time, this will suffice. Those who hold out a little longer and ignore the symptoms until their lives are affected by it may require more invasive therapies.
Don’t ignore the warning signs. Early intervention will lead to a stronger, easier, and much faster recovery.