Elbow pain (often called tennis elbow) is very common, especially among people who golf, play tennis, and otherwise perform repetitive actions with their whole arm. Elbow pain can manifest as a burning sensation on the outer elbow, sharp pain when bending or twisting the arm, stiffness when moving the arm, and shooting pain (often followed by numbness) that runs from your elbow to your fingers. Elbow pain can also cause your grip and forearm to weaken. Most forms of elbow pain do not require surgery but instead can benefit from non-invasive chiropractic techniques to facilitate healing and reduce pain.
Chiropractic Care And Elbow Pain
What Is Chiropractic Care?
Chiropractic care employs an adjustment to your body performed by a specially trained and highly skilled Doctor of Chiropractic. This adjustment is a gentle, controlled manipulation to reposition your back and spine, and other joints of your body. Chiropractic care offers a non-invasive, drug-free way of helping the body heal while relieving pain. Chiropractic care deals with the musculoskeletal system and often focuses on relieving soft tissue injuries and nerve pain.
What Causes Elbow Pain?
The two common causes of elbow pain are repetitive use and sudden trauma. Sudden trauma to the elbow may be caused by sudden impact or hyperextension, which is when the elbow bends beyond its typical range of motion. If elbow trauma is severe and the elbow joint is fractured, it will require surgery. However, if the hyperextension is not to that degree, it can be healed using less invasive methods. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation are great ways to help facilitate hyperextension injury and when you can move your elbow without acute pain, you should receive chiropractic care to facilitate healing.
Elbow pain is often caused by repetitive use. This can be strenuous use such as playing sports (such as tennis), or it can be from smaller movements such as regularly clicking a mouse, using tools, cooking, painting, and more. When the muscles that control elbow movement become inflamed and damaged through overuse, it causes pain when the elbow is moved. Overuse can cause small tears in the muscles that lead to the formation of scar tissue. This tissue is brittle and not very pliable and as it develops it can cause pain while also limiting a person’s range of motion.
How Can Chiropractic Care Relieve Elbow Pain?
Chiropractic care uses specific chiropractic techniques such as Active Release Technique (ART®) and other complementary treatments to reduce inflammation and improve joint function. If you are suffering from elbow pain, a chiropractor may administer a chiropractic adjustment or Active Release Techniques to your arm and elbow to help increase joint mobility and relieve stiffness. Chiropractic care can speed up the recovery process from acute elbow trauma and it can aid in the healing of repetitive use, although you will also need to rest your elbow so that more repetitive use doesn’t occur and re-inflame the tissue. Whether from repetitive use or an old injury, chiropractic care helps to break up scar tissue so that the elbow can regain mobility without the pain and stiffness caused by this tissue.
Relieve Your Elbow Pain With Chiropractic Care
Elbow pain commonly occurs in the dominant arm and can severely impact your everyday life. Seeking treatment for this pain will help you get back to doing the things you love while restoring your function without pain. If you suffer from elbow pain from repetitive use or sudden trauma, a chiropractor can help to relieve your pain and facilitate healing. At Performance Health And Wellness In Irvine, we assess all of the joints of the body, looking for the cause of your pain or discomfort and working to resolve these issues so that you can return to pain-free living. For elbow pain relief, call Performance Health And Wellness at 1-949-476-1250 or fill out the online contact form.
FAQ
Yes, one common technique used to relieve elbow pain is Active Release Techniques (ART®). This form of chiropractic care applies deep tension to injured soft tissue areas while the patient moves the injury site to shorten and lengthen the muscles to break up scar tissue. Read Why ART® Is An Effective Treatment For Tennis Elbow.
No. Chiropractic care can sometimes cause mild muscle soreness after a session but other than that it is completely pain-free. Chiropractic care is a non-invasive and drug-free approach that treats various musculoskeletal conditions and their symptoms, including back pain, neck pain, headaches, limited movement, muscle spasms, and more.
Since tennis elbow is an issue within the muscles and ligaments, it cannot be identified on an x-ray, although an x-ray may be taken to rule out other types of injury. Typically, a doctor will diagnose tennis elbow based on your symptoms, your lifestyle/activity history, and by physically examining the arm, wrist, and fingers.
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