Tennis Elbow is just such an injury. Tennis Elbow (“elbow tendonitis” or “epicondylitis”) is inflammation where a tendon attaches one of the forearm muscles to the bone of the upper arm. Symptoms of Tennis Elbow include inflammation, elbow pain and wrist weakness. Tennis Elbow is diagnosed in players of all racquet sports and in carpenters, electricians, skiers, bowlers and golfers.
Bad form, improper body positioning and repetitive arm and wrist motion are thought by most to be causes of tennis elbow and a similar condition called “Little League Elbow” in which pitchers experience “locking up” of the elbow joint, limited range of motion, pain, numbness and weakness. It is clear with “Little League Elbow” that there is also entrapment of the nerves that run from the spine through the elbow joint.
If Tennis Elbow and Little League Elbow affected everyone with bad form, everyone with bad form would have these conditions, and they don’t!! Sitting through a tennis or baseball tournament. You see plenty of pitchers and players with bad form and all of them don’t suffer elbow pain. Also, every busy carpenter and electrician would be affected. Are they? The answer is NO!!
It’s not old age. Granted, there are “destructive forces” that come with aging. The fact stands out, that the young can be disabled by these forces when many very mature players are not. Age really doesn’t seem to be the critical factor.
We’re not suggesting that correcting bad habits in your form isn’t a good idea. It is!! Make sure that you get lessons from a good instructor in any sport you play. But, that isn’t all that’s necessary, and it doesn’t help the carpenters and electricians.
The first line of defense should be making sure that your body is properly balanced and that your spinal bones and nerve supply can help support your game. Negative physical stress caused by misalignments of the spinal bones can interfere with the body’s rebuilding of healthy tissue, including tendons and muscles. Tennis Elbow can recur because there isn’t sufficient nerve supply necessary to rebuild healthy elbow tissue. Chiropractors work to restore normal nerve supply which creates good healing.
Start any competitive season by having you spine checked for correct body balance and good nerve function so you can play up to you talent and, heal at your body’s highest potential level. Call us, today, to schedule your appointment.
