Tennis elbow is a type of tendinitis. It is usually the swelling of certain ligaments. It causes pain in the elbow as well as the arm. These ligaments are bands of strong and stretchable tissues that connect the muscles of your lower arm to your elbow. In spite of its name, you can in any case get tennis elbow regardless of the possibility that you have never been close to a tennis court. This is merely a name for the condition and has little to do with the sport. It can affect anyone who indulges in a swinging motion.

Any repetitive exercises that require a tight grip, particularly in cases where the thumb and the initial two fingers are used frequently, may cause tennis elbow. Tennis elbow is the most common reason for patients to see their doctors for elbow torment. It can occur in individuals of all ages; however, it is most common and normal at about the age of forty.

This condition is usually caused when there are repeated contractions of the lower arm muscles that you use to raise your hand and wrist as well as to straighten it. The repetitive movements and pressure to the tissue may bring about a series of little tears in the ligaments that connect the lower arm muscles to the hard surface on the outside of the elbow.

Tennis elbow ordinarily occurs after some time. Dull movements such as holding a racket during a swing can strain the muscles and put a lot of weight on the ligaments. That consistent pulling can cause a small amount of tears in the tissue. Tennis elbow may be caused because of the following reasons:

Playing tennis
Playing racquetball
Playing squash
Fencing
Weight lifting or any other stressful exercises involving the muscles
In tennis, the following moves can lead to tennis elbow:

One-handed backstroke with a poor stance or lose hand
A late forehand swing bringing a bend in the wrist altogether
Snapping and turning the wrist while hitting with full power
As the name suggests, playing tennis, particularly repeated use of the backhand stroke with poor strategy, is a conceivable reason for tennis elbow.
However, a number of other basic arm movements can also cause tennis elbow. It can also affect individuals with particular occupations or while performing leisure activities that require heavy arm movements or gripping, for example, the following:

Carpentry
Excessive writing
Painting
Raking
Weaving or knitting
Utilising plumbing devices
Driving screws
Chopping cooking ingredients or vegetables, especially meat
Repetitive computer mouse utilisation
Lifting heavy materials or even grocery bags
There are a number of ways to treat a tennis elbow. These include certain over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. If those do not work, seek the help of a specialist or physiotherapist. He or she can recommend you the right kind of medicines as well as exercises needed for the recovery.

Tennis Elbow - Common Causes Behind It!

Hot and Cold therapy is one of the most popular home remedies for any kind of joint pain or muscle sprain. In some cases applying heat therapy and cold therapy alternatively, can help relieve the pain while for others only one form of therapy is necessary. To understand what to use when, one should first understand the effect of heat and cooling on the body.

Applying a heat pack or immersing the affected limb in hot water improves blood circulation and makes the muscles more flexible. Thus, it can help relax a muscle and fasten the healing of damaged tissues. On the other hand, cold therapy or cryotherapy reduces blood flow to the affected site. This helps relieve inflammation and pain caused by it. It can also make the area feel numb by reducing nerve activity temporarily.

Types of Heat Therapy
Heat therapy can be categorized as dry heat and moist heat. Dry heat involves using saunas or dry heating packs to relieve pain. This is also known as conducted heat therapy. As the name suggests, moist heat involves the use of steamed towels, hot baths and moist heating packs. This is also known as convection heat therapy. Moist heat is usually considered more effective than dry heat.

Types of Cold Therapy
Cold therapy may be applied to a part of the body or to the entire body. This includes ice packs, coolant sprays, ice baths, ice massages and whole body, cold therapy chambers.

How to use heat and cold therapy?
The sooner heat and cold therapy is given to a person, the faster they will recover from their pains. Heat therapy can be given to a person for extended periods of time but when giving cold therapy, a person should not be exposed to a cold pack or ice bath for more than 10-15 minutes. Care should also be taken no to apply ice or a frozen pack directly on the skin as it can damage the skin and nerves.

When not to use Heat Therapy?
If the injury site is swollen or bruised, cold therapy is better than heat therapy. Heat therapy should also not be applied to an open wound. People suffering from conditions such as diabetes, dermatitis, deep vein thrombosis, vascular diseases and multiple sclerosis should also avoid heat therapy as these conditions can increase the risk of burns and other such complications. Pregnant women should also consult a doctor before using a hot tub or sauna.

When not to use Cold Therapy?
Cold therapy is avoidable for treating stiff joints and muscles. People suffering from poor circulation and sensory disorders should also avoid using cold therapy without a doctor s supervision. 

Hot & Cold Therapy - How It Can Treat Pain?

Tennis Elbow is involved with the muscles and tendons of one s forearm. It leads to inflammation of the tendons which join the forearm muscles on the outside of the elbow.

Physiotherapy treatment can be of great help. The primary goal of this treatment is to improve the strength as well as the flexibility of one&#39;s forearm muscles. Now, before we take a look at the tips regarding physiotherapy treatment, let us briefly discuss its symptoms and causes.

Symptoms

If a person suffers from the problem of tennis elbow, then it s sure to cause pain and tenderness on the outside of one s elbow. The pain is at its peak when the elbow is kept still, while there might be variations in the pain when it is in use.

There are other symptoms, which include:

Trying to lift the arm can cause discomfort as it results in pain.
One can also feel the pain while writing or even when anyone tries to grip small objects.
People can even encounter stiffness accompanied by pain when they try to extend his or her arm at full length.

Causes

There are a number of causes behind the occurrence of Tennis Elbow. They include:

Incorrect movements of the arm on a repeated basis, which can result in the tendons getting torn.
Those who play sports like badminton, tennis and squash that require excessive movement of racquets.
Any manual work that requires regular lifting of the wrist.
Sports activities that involve an extensive amount of throwing.

Tips Regarding Physiotherapy Treatment For Tennis Elbow


Consult a physiotherapist to undergo physiotherapy treatment for tennis elbow, the therapist would help to provide strength and flexibility of forearm muscles. The following are some of the tips regarding Physiotherapy treatment to treat tennis elbow:

A physiotherapist can offer the modern technique of dry needling the wrist extensions in order to improve the range of motion among patients.
Modern physiotherapy treatment for tennis elbow also includes the use of Kinesiology Tape, which can relieve pressure, relax associated muscles and also increase blood circulation.
Cupping is another mode of physiotherapy treatment, which can help increase blood flow to the affected tissue and improve the length to rest muscles
Physiotherapy can include a patient wearing an elbow strap, which wraps around his or her upper forearm in such a way that the pressure gets relieved on the tendon attachment.
A physical therapist might even apply ice and electrical stimulation to ease out the pain and improve the healing process of the tendon.
Physical Therapy sessions can also include iontophoresis, which makes use of mild electric current to insert anti-inflammatory medicine.
Once the pain subsides, a physical therapist provides inputs on different exercises like Wrist Extensor Flex, Elbow Bend, Wrist Turn, Wrist Lift and Palm Up, Towel Twist etc.

Physiotherapy Treatment In Tennis Elbow!

Taking into account the hectic lifestyle we lead, most of us end up suffering from aches and pains. But that does not mean we have to continue to suffer from them. There are plenty of easy exercises that one can follow in order to keep themselves healthy and problem free!

In order to avoid aches and pains, the first thing that a person needs to do is 

Practice hamstring stretches regularly: What this entails is that he or she needs to lie on the back, raise a leg and hold the back of it with both hands. While it may be called the hamstring stretch and one would probably normally think that the beneficial impact of doing it would be limited to the hamstring, it works quite a bit of special magic which has an ability to ease the pain in the lower back. Now, for an exercise which is so simple, is it not worth it?
Side Stretch: Talking about stretches, another form of a stretch happens to be the side stretch. Even this is rather simple and all that needs to be done is to lie on one s side and pull the ankle of the leg which is not in contact with the ground towards the back. While this is being done, the ankle of the lower leg should apply pressure on the thigh.
Straight leg raise: It may seem that most of the exercises which reduce pain are stretches! However, this is not really the case as there is a place for exercises such as the straight leg raise and the like. What exactly is the straight leg raise? Well, it can be done when a person is either in a sitting position or is lying on his or her back. The toes are to be kept pointed upwards and the leg is to be raised. It is to be kept in mind that the challenge of the straight leg raise is that the knee should not be bent, at all.
The cat and camel exercise: The terms cat and camel generally refer to members of the animal kingdom. However, jointly, in terms of exercises, the cat and camel is an exercise well worth remembering as it can save the individual quite a lot of pain. All that needs to be done is to alternatively arch one s back towards the floor and the ceiling while resting on one s hands and knees.
While our way of living may come with certain side-effects ,but it would not be right to say that we are helpless. We need to take charge and make little changes to enjoy a healthy and happy lifestyle.

4 Easy Exercises for Aches And Pains

Runner s knee is a very common problem with athletes. It is definitely not something one needs to worry about. In fact, with certain exercises, it can be prevented and if you do develop a runner s knee, it can be treated with some exercises as well. There are special sports medical practitioners who prescribe not only regular physiotherapy, but also specific exercises to deal with specific sports injuries. To fight with runner s knee pain, there are a few exercises. 

But the four most important ones are described in detail below.

Quads: For performing proper quads, all you need is a back wall for additional support. You need to hold yourself against the wall and keep your legs apart from each other. The legs should be folded in the knees. In this position, you have to move up till the knee position with a minimum of one minute hold time in the knee position. You can repeat this exercise 10 times at a stretch before moving on to the next exercise.
Hamstring: This is a fairly easier exercise than the previous one. You have to stand straight with your legs apart. Bend downwards from your hips. Relax your neck and back. Ease your head downwards as well. Keep your hands behind. Join both your hands and give it a stretch. If you think that this position is straining your neck or back a little too much, then you can simply stretch your hands without joining them.
Calves: Calves is a standard exercise that is prescribed by medical practitioners and physiotherapists for easing out the pain caused by runner s knee. You have to stand with your hand against the wall. Put your left leg forward and bend it at the knees. Stand on your right heel. Hold yourself in this position for 20 to 30 seconds before changing the legs and doing the same.
Lateral: Lateral is also one of the easiest and common forms of exercises. You have to stand with your legs directly below your hips. Then stretch your right leg apart. Without bending your knees, try to touch the toes of your right leg with the fingers of your left hand. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds before changing the position and performing the lateral with your left leg.
Thus, these are some of the very fundamental exercises that one should follow in order to get quick relief from the pains of a runner s knee. These exercises are very easy and help in reducing pain.

Runner's Knee - 4 Most Important Exercises for it

5 Ways to Stop Muscle Cramps

Muscle cramps are feared and loathed by all of us alike – they hurt, they slow us down and they just give us a helpless feeling! The most common cause of these cramps is premature fatigue which affects the reflex control of muscles. Here are 5 ways guaranteed to beat these troublesome muscle cramps:

1. Take rest
The most easy and sure-shot way to kill a muscle cramp is to take rest. Just rest your body, be at one place and the cramp will not last more than 3-4 minutes. Moving around will only cause the pain to be aggravated and eventually affect other areas as well.

2. Consume solutions rich in salt
Whenever you encounter a troublesome cramp, the first instinct is to reach for water. However, studies have shown that salt solutions are far more effective in countering cramps as compared to plain water. You can have pickle juice and similar drinks which have a high salt concentration.

3. Be physically active
The most common reason for muscle cramps is over-straining of the body. If you are planning to indulge in an extremely intensive physical activity, make sure to train well in advance. Also, keep the duration and intensity of the training at a similar level to that of the actual activity.

4. Keep your body hydrated
Dehydration is the root of a number of troublesome conditions, muscle cramps being one of them. Make sure to always carry a water bottle with you and drink a minimum of 7-8 glasses of water on a daily basis.

5. Indulge in light passive muscle stretching
When faced with a muscle cramp, in addition to resting, try and gently stretch the affected muscle. This continuous and light passive stretching lets the brain know that it can relax the muscle and help it return to normal.




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5 Winning Ways to Stop those Nasty Muscle Cramps

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