Tennis Elbow Prevention and Treatment

If you've ever felt pain on the outside bone of the elbow, you may have "tennis elbow", also known as lateral epicondylitis. Tennis elbow occurs when the outer elbow tendon becomes inflamed, which is often a result of repetitive movement. Certain activities may put you at risk for tennis elbow, especially during sports such as golfing - and of course, tennis. In fact, more than 50% of tennis players suffer from tennis elbow. This occurs because each time they hit a ball with their racket, it causes minor sprains to the elbow tendon. Typically the elbow does not have enough time to heal, which results in tennis elbow. Other activities may also cause tennis elbow, such as painting or stocking shelves at a workplace.


Here are some ways you can prevent tennis elbow:

• Warm up before activities that involve the elbow.
• Stretch your elbow to keep your ligaments flexible and limber.
• Meet with a physical therapist to discover ways to strengthen the muscles around the elbow tendon.
• Wear a tennis elbow brace which can help ease stress on your elbow.
• Practice proper techniques for sports, such as in tennis or golf. That way you know your elbows are being used in a way that minimizes impact.
• If your job requires repeated elbow movement, practice ergonomic methods to reduce pressure on your elbow joints.

As mentioned above, wearing tennis elbow protection is also highly recommended. A tennis elbow support applies pressure to the outer tendon of the elbow. This helps prevent the tendon from moving too far out of place, reducing the stress and force on the tendon itself. This can help prevent tennis elbow from occurring in the first place.

Aircast Pneumatic Armband for Tennis Elbow Prevention

Wearing a good tennis elbow brace is key in preventing lateral epicondylitis. Our brace coaches recommend the Aircast Pneumatic Armband because of its unique design. It comes with an inflated air pocket which gently applies pressure to the outer tendon in the elbow. This aircell maximizes compression on this tendon and less on rest of your arm, allowing free blood flow without getting in the way. It's also very comfortable because it's lined with soft foam, and it doesn't constrict movement to the rest of your arm.

Wearing the Aircast Pneumatic Armband when you're about to use your elbow repeatedly can be a key factor in preventing tennis elbow pain. Speak with your doctor to see if wearing a tennis elbow brace is right for you.