OM Physiotherapy Clinic

You can be diagnosed with a tennis elbow even if you have never been on a tennis court! A tennis elbow refers to tendinitis or swelling of the tendons in the elbows and arms. Tough tissue bands that join the muscles of the arm to the bone are known as tendons. This affliction is one of the most common reasons for elbow pain and can affect men and women at any age. However, it is most commonly seen in patients who are around 40 years old.

Tennis elbow develops gradually and is triggered by repetitive motions that strain the muscles or put too much pressure on the tendons such as sports that involve swinging a racquet, weight lifting or hobbies like carpentry, knitting, typing or painting.

Most cases of tennis elbow resolve themselves with time as long as you rest the elbow and give your tendons a break. Some things you could do to speed up the healing process are:

1. Soak the elbow in an ice bath for half an hour every 3 to 4 hours. This should help relieve the pain and reduce swelling.

2. Use an elbow strap to support the arm and prevent further strain in the injured tendon.

3. Exercising the arm to reduce stiffness and increase the possible range of motions. This will also make your tendons more flexible. However, exercises should be done only under a physiotherapist’s guidance so as to prevent any further damage. Additionally, your doctor may also suggest physiotherapy, to strengthen and stretch the arm muscles.

4. Over the counter, anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen or aspirin can also help reduce the pain and swelling. These drugs should not be used without a doctor’s guidance as they can cause a number of side effects. In some cases, these side effects can slow down the healing process.

5. Painkiller or steroid injections may also be prescribed to temporarily ease the pain and swelling around the elbow.

In some cases of severe tennis elbow, these forms of treatment may not be effective and if you are still suffering from pain and swelling for over 4 months, you may need to consider surgery. Surgery for tennis elbow involves removing the damaged section of the tendon and repairing the remaining part.

Recovery from a tennis elbow may seem slow but it is essential to be patient and avoid lifting weights or putting any strain on the arm during recovery. Once the swelling has completely gone down and you feel no pain or tenderness in the area, only then should begin using your arm normally.  

The thought of going under the knife to treat your spine problem may give rise to a range of emotions; make you ponder over a number of things such as the recovery period, procedure and techniques involved and so on. Nonetheless, before opting for the surgery, there are certain points that you should go over and these are:

• Be well aware of the cause of your pain - Identifying the cause that is behind your pain is vital in order to decide whether the surgery is going to prove beneficial in the long run or not. If the cause is not identified as the right one, the surgery may prove futile and you may not get the pain relief that you're looking for.
• Gather detailed information about your spine surgeon - Before visiting the spine surgeon, you should collect detailed information about the specialist so as to be able to come up with appropriate questions concerning the surgery. From questions concerning about the surgeon's success and complication rates, numbers of surgeries performed to qualifications of the surgeon, these and much more should be part of your evaluation process.
• Prepare yourself before a consultation - It's good to prepare yourself before a medical consultation. Whether it's researching about the surgery and your condition or being well aware of your family's medical history, or details about the pain that you experience, or your expectations from the surgery, every aspect should be covered so that you derive the maximum benefit from your meeting.
• Carry out your own research - Carrying out your own research on the alternatives before opting for the surgery can put you on a better footing. It's imperative to compare the opinion put forward by the surgeon from genuine sources so that you're better able to understand the merits and demerits of the treatment.

Joint Replacement Surgery is a procedure where the damaged surface of the advanced arthritic joints are removed and replaced by artificial joints, such as metallic, plastic and ceramic joints. These surfaces closely replicate the original anatomy.

When do you need a knee replacement?
When you suffer from severe pain or deformity in the joint (knee in this case), the pain or stiffness and deformity makes it difficult to perform simple tasks. Severe grade IV osteoarthritic knees of  people over 50 years when have pain, swelling and deformity fail to respond to medicines, physiotherapy, injections and rest.

Aim of the surgery: Correct the deformity: Relieve the pain and give near full movements almost immediately after the procedure. Details including techniques and safety, it is a safe, rewarding surgery with a success rate of as high as 99.5% when done by an able and experienced professional.

Anaesthesia: Usually it is the spinal cord epidural where one is rendered numb for 3 to 4 hours waist down. Sometimes a general anaesthesia is given. A 4 to 5 inches cut is made in front of the knee and all the damaged cartilages, bones, loose bodies are removed from the lower end of the thigh, upper end of the tibia (usually of few millimetres) and the surface re-crafted to match the size and shape of the artificial joint (it is usually imported). They are fixed with bone cement. The ligaments and muscles are reattached and the parts closed.

Recovery: Stand up and walk a few steps with a walker the day after the procedure i.e. in 24 hours. Physiotherapy in hospital for 5 to 7 days and/or walking. progressively longer walks and exercises over the following 15 days. Stitches are removed in 15 days. The patient can return back to normal activity in 4 to 8 weeks the surgery.

Activities: Normal walks of 3 to 5 km per day Climbing stairs, cycling, swimming, and driving can be performed with the new implant(s) now.

Avoid: Squatting/kneeling Prohibited: contact sports like football, cricket, tennis; jumping; adventure sports Longevity of joints: 15-35 years depending on the materials used.