Diagnosis of tennis elbow - therapy options

According to the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, about 2% of the population suffer from tennis elbow. Within one year, about 80 % of patients are free of symptoms.3

If the clinical examination clearly points to tennis elbow, conservative manual therapy should follow. In the case of chronic or recurrent symptoms, advanced diagnostics may be helpful.1,4

In discussion with the patient, triggers and consequently activities to be avoided are identified.
If they are not the cause of the complaints, stretching and strengthening exercises, especially eccentric training therapy, help to improve mobility and accelerate the healing process.

Mobilisations, manipulations, targeted active or passive movement exercises are some of the manual medical techniques that can be applied. Disturbed movement patterns in neighbouring structures (shoulder, cervical spine and wrist) are also analysed and treated during chiropractic treatment.

To summarise, it is important to only rest the arm in the acute phase and to avoid movements that cause particular pain. Specific exercises and manual therapies increase functionality and the healing process. Part of the chiropractic treatment is also to recognise and treat secondary or concomitant diseases.4

Keypoints

I. Activities that lead to overuse or misuse of the hand extensor muscles are identified and should be avoided for the time being, this alone is one of the most efficient measures to reduce pain.

II. recognising and addressing dysfunctions of neighbouring structures is another important part of chiropractic treatment.

On the Chirohouse Instagram account you can find more interesting health information, as well as tips and ideas for exercises.

¹ Schneider, M. M. et al., 2018. Tennis elbow - the value of manual and surgical therapy. Manual Medicine, 2(56), pp. 133-146.
^3Institutefor Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, 2018. gesundheitsinformationen.de. https://www. gesundheitsinformation.de/tennisarm-tennisellenbogen.html [accessed 16 May 2021].
^4Institutefor Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, 2018. gesundheitsinformation.de. https://www.gesundheitsinformation.de/wie-wird-ein-tennisarm-behandelt.html [accessed 16 May 2021].