What is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow is an inflammation around the bony knob on the outer side of the elbow.  It occurs when the tissue that attaches muscle to the bone becomes irritated.  The bony know is called the lateral epicondyle, and tennis elbow is called lateral epicondylitis.

Causes

Playing a racket sport can cause tennis elbow.  So can doing anything that involves extending your wrist or rotating your forearm - such as twisting a screwdriver or lifting heavy objects with your palm down.  With age, the tissue may become inflamed more easily.

Symptoms

The most common symptom of tennis elbow is pain on the outer side of the elbow and down the forearm.  you may have pain all the time or only when you lift things.  The elbow may also swell, get red, or feel warm to the touch.  And it may hurt to grip things, turn your hand, or swing your arm.

Diagnosis 

Your doctor can usually diagnose tennis elbow from your symptoms and from the look and feel of your elbow.  He or she may order an x-ray to be sure the bone is not diseased or fractured.

Treatment 

Your treatment will depend on how inflamed your tendon is.  The goal is to relieve your symptoms and help you regain full use of your elbow.

Wearing a tennis elbow splint allows the inflamed tendon to rest, so it can heal.  Using your other hand or changing your grip also helps take stress off the tendon.  Oral anti-inflammatory medications and heat or ice can relieve pain and reduce swelling.

Your doctor may give you an exercise program or refer you to a physical therapist to gently stretch and strengthen the muscles around your elbow.  If these measures do not relieve your symptoms, your chiropractor may refer you to a different medical specialist for injections or surgery.

What Causes Headaches?

Headaches often begin in your spine.  Poor posture or an injury may force your vertebrae out of alignment which puts pressure on nerves and blood vessels.  These nerves then send painful signals to the neck muscles, the neck muscles tighten up, and a headache may start.  Other headache triggers may include caffeine, stress, allergies, smoking, alcohol, disease, and nutrition deficiencies.

A chiropractor treats headaches by locating misaligned vertebrae in your neck or spine and then gently repositioning the vertebrae.  These adjustments can help ease your headache by restoring alignment, improving mobility, and relieving pain and stiffness.

Other treatments that your chiropractor may recommend to help relieve your headaches include:

• moist heat
• ice packs
• trigger point therapy
• traction
• exercise
• physical therapy

There are some things you can do to prevent headaches.  Keep your spine aligned whether sitting, standing, or lying down. Ask your chiropractor for simple exercises that you can do to strengthen your neck muscles.  Avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and cigarettes may help too.  Also spending some time each day to relax will help prevent stress headaches.

Chiropractic for Sprains and Strains? Of Course!

Strains and sprains are caused when a joint is forced beyond its normal range of motion, or when you overuse muscles that are out of shape or haven't been warmed up properly.  Back strain can occur when you suddenly twist your back or lift without bending your knees.

A strain occurs when a muscle or tendon is overstretched.  Strains are usually caused by putting stress on tight or weak muscles.

A sprain is a tear in a ligament.  Sprains are caused by a sudden, forceful twisting of a joint.  If the tissue doesn't heal properly, the muscles may shorten.  This causes the joint to misalign and the nerves become chronically irritated.

Your doctor of chiropractic is trained to restore the health of your spine and joints.  Adjustments and related treatments can help reduce the pain and swelling of strains and sprains, and improve the range of motion in your joints.

Your treatment depends on where your pain is and what's causing it.  Your chiropractor may stretch the tissues in the joint or press on the joints to restore alignment, improve range of motion, and relieve irritated nerves.

Your chiropractor may also suggest other types of treatment to reduce pain, restore range of motion, and regain strength.  These other treatments may involve physical therapy, trigger point therapy, a splint or cast, rest, ice, ultrasound, or exercises.

The best way to prevent strains and sprains is to keep your body in shape.  Exercise at least three times per week.  Walking and swimming are good, low-impact choices.  Always warm up before and cool down afterward.  Your chiropractor may also give you exercises to strengthen and stabilize joints.

Tick Tips

The ticks that typically crop up in the summer months are the Lone Star tick, the American Dog tick, and the Black Legged tick - also known as the deer tick.  The deer tick is the only species known to carry Lyme disease.  Using correct insect repellent and searching for ticks after being outdoors will help reduce tick-related problems.

The following prevention and handling tips will help keep you protected:

• Wear pants, tucked into socks, then tape with duct tape.
• Twist the last layer of duct tape so the sticky side is up.  Ticks will get stuck to the adhesive and won't be able to travel any further.
• Check for ticks frequently if outdoors for long periods of time.  check closely for ticks on a return from outdor activity.  There s a 16-18 hour window before they release saliva that contains Lyme disease.
• To remove the tick, use sharp-pointed tweezers to grasp the tick close to the mouth parts, then gently pull the tick, along with the mouth parts, out.
• Pulling the tick off with fingers,or smothering the tick with gasoline or alsohol, shocks the tick' system which could make it release saliva before you get it out.
• Once the tick is out, wash the area and apply an antibiotic ointment to prevent secondary infection.

Try This At Home: Exercises for Back Pain

Active forms of exercise including stretching are typically needed to help alleviate back pain.  A regular exercise routine helps patients avoid back pain recurrences and helps to reduce the severity and duration of back pain episodes.

Almost everyone can benefit from stretching.  The hamstring muscles often play a  role in back pain.  Try stretching your hamstrings for 30-45 seconds one to two times per day.  Avoid bouncing that may trigger a spasm.

The most common stretch involves lying on the floor and lifting one leg into your body using a strap or towel wrapped behind the foot. Avoid bending forward from the waist and trying to touch your toes as this may further injure your back.

With time the hamstring muscles will lengthen, reducing stress to the back.  Think of stretching exercises as good back hygiene!