Understanding Tennis Elbow and How Myotherapy Can Help.
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a common overuse injury affecting the tendons in the forearm, specifically the extensor tendons. These tendons connect forearm muscles to the lateral epicondyle, a bony prominence on the outer elbow. Repetitive strain, often from gripping and wrist extension activities like tennis, leads to microtears and inflammation in these tendons. Over time, this strain causes a painful pulling sensation where the extensor tendons attach to the bone, resulting in the characteristic discomfort of tennis elbow.
How Myotherapy Can Help with Tennis Elbow
Myotherapy is highly effective in addressing tennis elbow by relieving muscle tension, reducing inflammation, and promoting tendon healing.
Here’s how myotherapy approaches treatment:
1. Dry Needling and Massage
Dry needling and targeted massage help reduce the muscle tone in the extensor muscles, which can ease the strain on the injured tendons. Dry needling involves inserting fine needles into trigger points to release muscle tension, increase blood flow, and decrease pain. Meanwhile, deep tissue massage addresses muscle tightness and adhesions, promoting flexibility and relieving pressure on the tendons.
2. Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM)
IASTM uses specialised tools to apply gentle, controlled pressure over the soft tissues. This technique helps break down scar tissue and improve blood flow to the area, allowing for faster recovery. IASTM works particularly well with tendon issues like tennis elbow, as it can reduce inflammation and improve tissue quality, encouraging the tendons to heal more effectively.
3. Shoulder Exercises to Offload the Tendons
Many physiotherapists focus on strengthening the wrist extensor muscles, which can often lead to increased pain. Myotherapy takes a different approach by strengthening and stabilising the shoulder and upper arm. By improving shoulder strength and stability, myotherapy helps offload some of the stress on the forearm muscles and tendons, which can reduce the strain on the elbow.
Why Myotherapy Is Effective for Tennis Elbow
Unlike traditional approaches that may focus directly on the injured area, myotherapy considers the interconnectedness of the shoulder, forearm, and elbow. By reducing muscle tone through needling, massage, and IASTM, and by strengthening the shoulder muscles, myotherapy helps treat the root cause of the issue.