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Tennis Elbow is inflammation of the tendons of the forearm at the point where they insert into the Humerus (upper arm) bone on the outer side of the elbow. This inflammation is caused by prolonged gripping activities such as when gripping a racquet during Badminton.
Tennis elbow causes pain when the outer part of the elbow (Lateral Epicondyle) is touched, and also if the elbow is straight and the hand is moved forward and back at the wrist. Typically the pain is made worse by gripping activities and in some cases simple things like turning a door handle can cause intense pain.
Gripping the Badminton racquet either too hard or for too long can bring on the Tennis Elbow pain. Make sure the racquet is the correct size for your hand. If it is too small it will cause you to grip to hard. If you play Badminton for the first time in a long while make sure you take regular breaks and stretch the muscles which work over the wrist by doing 'limp wrist' and 'policeman halting traffic' type stretches.
For those who have suffered from Tennis Elbow in the past it may be a good idea to wear a Tennis Elbow Compression Strap. Elbow Straps work by preventing the wrist extensor muscles from contracting fully, thus reducing the strain on the tendons at the elbow.
The inflammation of Tennis Elbow can be alleviated with rest and ice therapy or with the use of anti-inflammatory medication or a Corticosteroid injection. However in longstanding cases, where there is degeneration of the extensor tendons, anti-inflammatory medication, especially Corticosteroid injections, should be avoided. This is because they can hinder tissue healing and in fact cause more degeneration.
Tennis Elbow rehabilitation is achieved using an eccentric strengthening programme for the extensor tendons. It's crucial that the load and number of repetitions are carefully recorded and progressively increased under the supervision of a Chartered Physiotherapist. This ensures that the overload on the tendon is carefully controlled and gradually increased.