| You keep feeling pain in your elbow and can not figure | | | | discomfort can continue for as little as 3 weeks or as |
| out why. You are in great physical condition and play | | | | long as several years. |
| tennis every weekend with friends when the weather | | | | You realize that you have been having problems for a |
| is nice. You have even joined a tennis club to have | | | | few months with these symptoms, but did not know |
| access to better inside courts. | | | | that there was a serious problem. You would just take |
| Now, you are in pain and do not know why. What is | | | | a few aspirin and go on with life-being tough and |
| even more important to you is that you can not play | | | | dealing with the discomfort. Now, you know that by |
| tennis without the pain becoming more severe. It is | | | | ignoring the pain that you had has caused even more |
| time to see the doctor and hopefully get a pill to get | | | | damage that will take longer to heal. |
| better. Unfortunately, after extensive testing, the doctor | | | | If you had only taken the time to know about tennis |
| tells you that you have tennis elbow-something you | | | | elbow, you may have been able to avoid the problem. |
| thought was just a joke or an excuse for not playing | | | | There were exercises specifically designed to |
| the game well. | | | | strengthen the arm muscles used when playing tennis. |
| Okay, so what is going on in your elbow? Tennis | | | | If you had just known about this preventative process, |
| elbow occurs when tiny tears occur in a certain part | | | | you would have been able to do these before playing. |
| of the tendon and in the muscle coverings. Even after | | | | Very much like the stretching you do before |
| letting everything heal and taking care of your injury, | | | | jogging-you warm up the muscles and get them ready. |
| you will be prone to this condition for the rest of your | | | | So now you know what to do, but is it too late? It may |
| life. | | | | not be too late. You can start taking better care of |
| You begin studying about this topic and learn that | | | | yourself and make sure that you are ready to play |
| tennis elbow has some basic symptoms that include: | | | | tennis again. Let your initial injury heal all the way-not |
| * Recurring pain on the outside of the upper forearm | | | | just when you think it is better, but after the doctor |
| just below the bend of the elbow; occasionally, pain | | | | gives his approval for you to play again. Then, try a |
| may radiate down the arm toward the wrist. | | | | warming up the muscles first or wearing a band |
| * Pain caused by lifting or bending the arm or grasping | | | | around your forearm just below the elbow. The extra |
| even light objects. | | | | support provided by the band may help or hurt-ask |
| * Difficulty extending the forearm fully (because the | | | | your doctor for his opinion. |
| inflamed muscles, tendons and ligaments do not want | | | | Take the time to get better, and hopefully you will out |
| to bend). | | | | on the tennis court again enjoying yourself without the |
| * Pain that typically lasts for 6 to 12 weeks; the | | | | worry of another injury. |