Physiotherapy in general
In physiotherapy, cold and heat are often used as a therapeutic medium for tennis elbow. Both are usually used as preparation for the subsequent sitting and physiotherapy. However, cold and heat can also be used as independent therapy content.
Dressings with pain-relieving or anti-inflammatory ointments can help as after-treatment for tennis elbow, as well as special massages in the form of transverse friction to stretch the shortened extensor muscles and improve the elasticity of the tendon. Today, more and more patients are being treated with shock wave therapy using ultrasound pulses. One of the important treatment contents of physiotherapy are therapeutic exercises. These are performed in the physiotherapy with the physiotherapist or independently by the patient at home. The following exercises can all be done alone at home.
Tennis elbow – Definition
Tennis elbow, also known as epicondylitis humeri radialis, is an irritant condition of certain tendon insertions of the muscles of the lower arm. The most frequent cause is overloading. Both athletes and non-athletes are affected.
The affected musculature in tennis elbow, usually the Musculus extensor carpi radialis brevis, starts at the outer elbow and pulls from there towards the hand. The main task of these muscles is to stretch and pull up the hand and fingers. The irritation of the tendons affected by tennis elbow is felt on the outer side of the elbow and not on the inner side as with a golfer’s elbow. In tennis elbow, the tendon at the origin of the forearm muscles, which is the lateral epicondylus, is painful.
