Tennis Elbow Treatment Oakville
You’ve Been Diagnosed with Lateral Epicondylitis or Tennis Elbow, But Haven’t Picked Up a Racket in Years? Dr. Steve Knighton and his chiropractic and physiotherapy team have been helping people with elbow pain for almost 2 decades.
Don’t worry, you’re not alone! In fact, 90% of our Tennis Elbow patients have never even swung a racket. Despite the name, Tennis Elbow can be caused by everyday activities, like texting, working on computers, lifting heavy bags, or even gardening. At our Oakville chiropractic clinic, we’re seeing an increasing number of patients suffering from Tennis Elbow every year.
If you’re dealing with pain in your elbow, don’t wait – call us today! Our expert chiropractors are here to help you get back to doing the things you love, pain-free.
What Is Tennis Elbow?
Best Treatment For Tennis Elbow Oakville:
It’s not surprising that our chiropractors treat a lot of cases of tennis elbow considering how much time people spend on their computers these days. There are a number of different treatment modalities that can be used to treat tennis elbow at our Oakville Clinic.
What Our Patients Are saying
Symptoms of Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow pain may stay localized around the outer elbow or radiate down the forearm and hand. In advanced cases, it can spread above the elbow into the upper arm. The pain is often dull and throbbing at rest but sharp with movement.
Everyday activities like desk work, lifting kids, or twisting a jar can aggravate symptoms. Pain is often worse in the morning, as certain sleeping positions may hinder healing, making movement difficult upon waking.
Since we rely on our hands for most tasks, tennis elbow can be a real burden. Activities like using a mouse, lifting, turning a doorknob, or even shaking hands can be painful. Any task requiring grip or finger dexterity may worsen symptoms.
Redness and swelling may also occur, especially in acute or severe cases.
Treatment for Tennis Elbow
1. Interferential Current Therapy Oakville
IFC is an electrical modality that our chiropractors use to reduce pain and inflammation around painful joints and muscles. The electrical stimulation helps to block pain signals and relieve some discomfort. Our machines use suction cups to hold conductors against the skin and stimulate the painful joint and/or muscle. The machine feels like tingling, and our patients love the results!
2. Shockwave Therapy for Tennis Elbow
Shockwave Therapy uses a bullet in a pressured tube that contacts the area of injury such as the forearm, triceps and the elbow area in Tennis Elbow Patients. Treatment is annoying to a little bit painful and lasts for 2 to 3 minutes. Most shockwave patients will notice a difference after the first shockwave treatment for tennis elbow.
3. Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Therapy
In most cases of tennis elbow, our physiotherapy and chiropractic team at the clinic will use Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Therapy (IASTT) to treat the area of pain. This technique, often referred to as “scraping,” involves the use of specialized tools to gently apply pressure to the affected area. The purpose of this technique is to break down superficial adhesions and scar tissue within the forearm muscles, promoting better tissue mobility and function. By targeting the soft tissue restrictions, IASTT helps to alleviate pain, improve blood flow, and enhance healing, ultimately aiding in the recovery of the tendon and surrounding muscles. This therapy is an effective method for managing tennis elbow and accelerating the rehabilitation process.
4. Soft Tissue Release & Trigger Point Therapy
The muscles on the back of the forearm can feel very tight and painful. Our chiropractors will use their hands to massage the muscles and release the tension. Another option to treat the soft tissues is Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Massage. Using a tool, our chiropractors will dig into and massage the tendon to help prevent scar tissue from building up, and promoting the tendon healing in the proper orientation.
5. Acupuncture Treatment For Tennis Elbow
Acupuncture is one of the best ways to treat tennis elbow. In most cases, Dr. Jenn only needs to use 3-4 needles to make a positive impact on the pain associated with this condition. Acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles through the skin to impact the muscles and nerves in the area. The insertion of these needles helps increase blood flow to the area and helps clean up the chemical environment around nerves that can cause irritation and pain.
Acupuncture at our Oakville clinic is not painful. In cases of acute pain, inserting the needles may feel achy, but once they have been fully inserted they should not cause any additional pain. In addition to traditional acupuncture, electrical stimulation can be applied to make the treatment even more effective. Acupuncture treatments last 12-15 minutes and can be included as part of a regular chiropractic visits.
Do You Need X-rays or Ultrasounds for Tennis Elbow
Probably not. Tennis elbow pain can be intense, leading some patients to consider imaging, but it’s usually unnecessary. Our Oakville chiropractors can assess the condition through orthopedic tests and a detailed history without imaging. They typically begin with conservative care before recommending an ultrasound.
If there’s no significant improvement after 8–14 treatments, you’ll be referred to your doctor for an ultrasound to rule out other conditions or explain delayed healing.
What If It’s Not Tennis Elbow?
If your tennis elbow has been persistent for more than a few weeks, it is possible that you are dealing with tendonosis rather than tendonitis. The term “itis” in tendonitis refers to inflammation, while “osis” in tendonosis indicates a cellular change in the tendon. By this stage, the inflammatory process has subsided, but the tendon fibers may remain disorganized and no longer function as they should. In these cases, our treatment team will intensify the treatment plan, starting with shockwave therapy for tennis elbow in Oakville.
If the pain you’re experiencing is not located on the outside of your elbow, but rather on the inside, it’s likely that you have Golfer’s Elbow.
Bracing and Icing for Tennis Elbow
Ice is a crucial part of rehabilitating lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow. This condition involves inflammation of the common extensor tendon of the elbow, and ice helps reduce this inflammation by constricting blood vessels and promoting the removal of excess fluid. Apply ice to the area of your elbow or forearm, focusing on the thumb side. Use the 20-20-20 rule: 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, 20 minutes on. Repeat this cycle 1-3 times a day. Always wrap the ice in a thin towel to protect your skin from frostbite.
Our chiropractors recommend that all patients with tennis elbow invest in both a Tennis Elbow Brace and a Wrist Guard. Wear the Tennis Elbow Brace during any arm or hand activities throughout the day, including during your work shift if you have a desk job. Be sure to remove the brace at night.
For optimal recovery, wear the Wrist Guard while you sleep. This brace helps prevent wrist flexion during sleep, allowing the irritated tendons to heal without further strain. It does not need to be worn during the day.
Tennis Elbow FAQS
- Can I have tennis elbow even though I do not play tennis?
- How to cure tennis elbow quickly?
- Will tennis elbow go away on its own?
- What is the best exercise for tennis elbow?
- Can I get tennis elbow and golfers elbow at the same time?
- What’s the difference between Tennis Elbow and Golfers Elbow?
- What not to do with tennis elbow?
- Should I ice or heat tennis elbow?
Yes, tennis elbow can be caused by all kinds of movements including, racket sports, computer use, baseball, yard work and really any type of repetitive work.
Get treatment ASAP. Shockwave Therapy and icing will help very fast. Get a quality tennis elbow brace and wear when doing activities.
Possibly, however tennis elbow can be very persistent. Start with ice and a brace. If the pain continues seek treatment.
Stretching your wrist and forearms along with a quality tennis elbow brace.
Yes, its like getting two flat tires on the front of your car.
Tennis elbow is when the pain is on the pinky side of the elbow/forearm. Golfers elbow is pain on the thumb side of the elbow.
Do not do repetitive motions that pain the area. Heavy lifting and grasping should be limited. Even pooring a coffee, opening a door could cause the elbow pain and should be modified.
Ice the injury as the “stuck” tissue is most likely causing inflammation.
Lifestyle Changes for Tennis Elbow
- Stop doing what’s causing your pain. Hanging drywall, painting, online gaming addictions, give your arm and hand a break for 3 to 4 days, and see if things clear up.
- Get in for treatment ASAP. The sooner we start the healing process the easier it will be to fix.
- Education will be a big part of prevention of future flare-ups. If the arm is not substantially better in 6 to 8 treatments we would ask your MD for an Ultrasound and get to the bottom of why it’s not healing normally.
Tennis Elbow Stretches and Exercises
Exercise is a very important part of the recovery process for Tennis Elbow. The hands-on treatment offered by our Oakville chiropractors will stimulate healing and put you on the road to recovery. However, you will spend a maximum of 1-2 hours at the clinic every week during treatments, leaving the rest of the hours for you to take responsibility for your own healing.
DOWNLOAD TENNIS ELBOW STRETCHES
Our chiropractors have put together a simple plan of stretches and exercises to help speed up the recovery process. These exercises can be completed on a daily basis, and will target the affected muscles. Building up strength in the wrist extensors is a critical part of recovery, both to reduce pain and prevent the condition from returning.