Tennis elbow can be a very difficult condition to deal with whether you’re a tennis enthusiast or a pro, or even if you work a physical job like plumbing or carpentry. If you’ve dealt with this injury before or you’ve been informed that you’re at risk for it, prevention should of course be a priority.
Like with any injury or illness however, there’s no way to completely prevent an occurrence of tennis elbow, but there are ways to significantly lower the likelihood of it happening. One of the best ways to prevent tennis elbow is by performing targeted exercises with a qualified physical therapist. We want to help educate patients about the specific benefits that working with a physical therapist can offer, which is why we’ve created this helpful article.
How does physical therapy help prevent tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow refers to the inflammation of the tendons that connect the forearm to the elbow. Certain arm motions, such as swinging a tennis racquet or twisting a wrench, are very common sources of its development. One of the biggest problems faced by people who develop this condition is that it may become a chronic occurrence. Physical therapy exercises can help treat flare-ups of tennis elbow as well as encourage longer-term prevention in the following ways:
- Reducing movements that put stress on the elbow — Physical therapists are biomechanical experts and can administer movement training that decreases the pressure put on the elbow every day.
- Increasing range of motion — Through a combination of active and passive techniques, therapists can help mobilize joints and soft tissue to increase the effective range of motion in the elbow.
- Strengthening muscles and connective tissue — Muscle imbalances can be a significant contributor to tennis elbow. By strengthening the correct muscles through targeted therapeutic exercises, you may decrease the stress on the tendons and ligaments that become inflamed from tennis elbow.
Everyone is different and requires slightly different exercises to prevent physical therapy. This is why finding a therapist who takes an individualistic approach is so important.
Physical therapy programs for tennis elbow prevention
The friendly and experienced team at SOL Physical Therapy is here to help you take any and all steps to prevent tennis elbow. We’ll provide a thorough evaluation and identify your biggest risk factors so we can recommend the exercises and other treatments that are best for you.
Contact us today to learn more and to schedule your initial appointment.
