While you may think of tennis elbow happening because a person has spent a lot of time on the tennis court you’d be surprised to learn that most cases have nothing to do with this at all. In fact, less than 5% of all cases are caused by being on the court. More commonly, this is found in people who are performing activities that require repetitive movement in their elbow, wrist, or arm.
How it Occurs
Also referred to as “tendinosis” this condition occurs when tiny tears occur in your tendon. This is a tough band of fibrous tissue that’s responsible for connecting your muscles to your bones. With this condition, your tendon that extends to your wrist becomes inflamed because it’s been torn. When this happens it results in painful spasms.
Causes
Tennis elbow doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time for this condition to develop because you must be using this tendon to repetitively grip onto something or continually moving your arm in a certain way. This is why it’s also been referred to as “repetitive strain syndrome” and why it’s common to find it in people who do manual labor (e.g. painters, carpenters, plumbers, massage therapists) as well as anyone who plays racket sports (e.g. tennis, squash, racquetball).
Symptoms
Unfortunately, the onset of repetitive strain syndrome is both sudden and painful. It can happen when you’re lifting an item, gripping hold of something, shaking someone’s hand, or even merely straightening out your wrist.
The Benefits of Rolfing
One of the treatments for tennis elbow is rolfing. This helps you improve your body’s biomechanics – something that’s done by balancing your soft tissues’ tension so they support the healthy movement of your joints.
When rolfing is used in the treatment of tennis elbow the rolfer will free any restrictions you may be experienced in your radius and ulna (the two bones in your forearm). By doing so they’ll improve the biomechanics of your elbow so your bones can move in the correct relationship to each other. Rolfing also helps to restore your wrist extensors’ myofascial span so your tendon can heal.
Once full mobility is restored to your back, shoulders, ribs, and spine the rest of your body will be able to support the movement of your arm. This is why rolfing involves the realignment of your entire body in such a way that this movement can be supported without any strain. Doing so allows your whole body to perform the task more efficiently. You also won’t suffer from faulty biomechanics anymore so you won’t have to worry about injuring yourself again in the future.
Williams Rolfing in Tampa, FL cares about your health. Schedule an appointment with us today so you can start feeling relief as soon as possible.
Picture Credit: Freepik