Below is a guest post from Bruce Phelps a license massage therapist. He has developed techniques to combat chronic pain. Below is his approach to elbow tendonitis. I apologize for not posting as I usually do but am currently working on a long series about our food that is taking longer then I expect. That a life. So hopefully I will have new posts up soon. Thank you for being patient.
The other day I saw a young woman that loved to play tennis. She played several times a week and was having trouble with her elbow. Like most tennis players she purchased a band that wraps around her forearm to try and stop the pain. Though it helped, the pain was still there enough to reduce her playing time. She even tried creams and lotions hoping to reduce the pain because friends had said it was probably inflamed. That didn’t really work either. I spent 2 sessions with her and taught her why her elbow hurt and how to stop the pain.
Elbow Tendonitis is actually a hand issue, though the pain is in the elbow. There are 26 muscles in you arm from the elbow to the fingers. There are 5 main muscles on each side that attach at the elbow and allow your hands to open and close. The harder you grip anything such as a tennis racket, golf club, or steering wheel, the tighter these muscles become and the more pain you will get in the elbow. The solution is pretty easy.
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First, feel your forearms. If you cannot easily feel the 2 bones in your forearm, which you probably can’, and that is why you hurt. Using the opposite hand began gently pressing on your forearm and breathing out to allow the muscles to release. The pressure you apply will not release these muscles, it is your brain that will release them. Too many people, including therapists, believe that they can push the hardness out. This is not true! In fact, the harder you push the worse it will get. The end result should be a softer forearm, regardless of how strong you are. Hard bodies and buns of steel are not good for the human body.
Next, make a light fist with the hand of the arm with the tendonitis and push it down with the opposite hand bending at the wrist. Hold for 3-5 seconds and repeat 8-10 times. Each time you press down, breathe out and allow your brain to relax the muscles in the forearm. Finally, stand next to a table and place your palm down with your fingers pointing behind you. Then lean into that same hand to release the muscles on the inside of the forearm. Hold for 3-5 seconds and repeat 8-10 times.
Since nothing is torn, broken, braces are ineffective. The inflammation is a buildup of lactic acid, so creams are ineffective. Even though you feel weak, strength training will make it worse. Holding the stretch too long will make it tighter. Tight muscles will make you feel weak, apply pressure to your nerves and joints, and even affect your blood circulation system.
Chronic pain cost us more per year than heart disease and cancer combined. To reduce and/or stop the pain, we must change our minds about how to address the pain first. Once we look at our cause of pain, not the diagnosis, we can change our health.
Be sure to check out my videos at my YouTube channel, The Muscle Repair Shop or go to my website at www.MuscleReparShop.com.
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