What are the symptoms of epicondylitis?

Epicondylitis, commonly called tennis elbow, is the injury that occurs at the level of the insertion of the tendons of the epicondylar muscles. This injury causes inflammation of the same muscles, and therefore, pain in the lateral aspect of the elbow and functional limitation. Epicondylitis occurs as a consequence of the production of movements that are executed over and over again with the aforementioned muscles, movements that make small micro-tears appear that reveal a set of symptoms and signs.

What are the symptoms of epicondylitis or tennis elbow?

Pain is usually located on the lateral aspect of the elbow. Pain on pressure or palpation on the lateral aspect of the elbow. Inability to carry out wrist extension movements as a result of pain and inflammation, which is why mobility is affected, and therefore there is a limitation of functionality. Pain when lifting an object. The pain can sometimes radiate. Surgical intervention is rarely required since it is usually an injury that responds favorably to physiotherapeutic treatment.

Although it is a common pathology and basically simple to treat, it is necessary to previously carry out an evaluation of the patient so that a personalized treatment protocol is established based on it, which focuses on adequately meeting the needs of each individual.

What is the physiotherapeutic treatment of epicondylitis or tennis elbow?

For the treatment of epicondylitis or tennis elbow, several techniques or tools can be implemented, all of them with the purpose of eliminating pain, inflammation and maintaining functionality, managing to reintegrate the patient into their activities of daily life.

For this, physiotherapy may use techniques such as: Cryotherapy: to work the pain and inflammation of the area. Electrotherapy analgesic: the use of TENS to help reduce pain. Deep transverse massage (Cyriax): to generate increased blood flow at the local level, work on inflammation, and reduce pain in addition to tissue adhesions.

Thermotherapy: in order to relax the muscles involved, increase blood flow and produce analgesia. Muscle stretching: important for reducing the tension present in the muscles, decreasing muscle resistance, improving the elasticity of the structures involved.

Massotherapy: it will also aim to promote relaxation of the muscles and decrease tension, as well as increase blood flow in the area, and favor the elasticity of the structures. Bone mobilizations to rebalance and realign structures.

If necessary, the implementation of neurodynamics or neural mobilization. Strengthening exercises for the forearm muscles. Inhibition of myofascial trigger points (if present). Physical agents such as ultrasound, short waves, etc. Reeducation of the patient as to how to perform certain movements or activities that involve repetitive gestures of the epicondyle muscles, in order to prevent future relapses or other possible injuries.

We must remember that each patient is different, therefore, not all of them may merit neither all nor the same techniques, so it will be necessary to distinguish between each of them which is the most suitable for each case. How do we prevent epicondylitis or tennis elbow? For the prevention of epicondylitis or tennis elbow, it is important to avoid repetitive gestures of the forearm muscles. In the same way, it is important to continuously perform muscle stretching (only in the case of doing work or tasks that warrant performing these frequent movements).

Likewise, the application of cryotherapy in the area is also important once work has been completed that has merited repetitive gestures of the epicondylar muscles.