Guest guest Posted December 12, 2004 Report Share Posted December 12, 2004 Thanks, Misty. I REALLY appreciate your 'site! Namaste` Walt Stoll, MD - " Misty L. Trepke " <mistytrepke Sunday, December 12, 2004 2:30 AM [s-A] [AltAnswers] Massage For " Tennis Elbow " > > > Comments? > Misty L. Trepke > http://www..com > > Good Morning! > > Massage Techniques for Lateral Epicondylitis > > The proper medical term for tennis elbow is lateral epicondylitis. > The lateral epicondyle is the distal outer boney protuberance of the > upper arm bone called the humerus. The wrist extensor muscles insert > into the lateral epicondyle and this is the area which gets inflamed > when one has tennis elbow. The forearm muscle most commonly affected > is the extensor carpi radialus brevis. Most simply put, tennis elbow > is a strain of the lateral forearm muscles and tendons. > > Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) is a repetitive overuse injury > of proximal forearm muscles in the body. Repetitive overuse injuries > occur from prolonged loads on muscles and tendons. Excessive use of > a hammer is just one example of an activity which can lead to tennis > elbow. Tennis elbow can also emerge from faulty body mechanics while > sitting at a computer with a keyboard that is positioned too high > for the elbow and wrist. Proper posture is an important element to > prevent tennis elbow. While sitting at a computer, one should keep a > 90 angle at the elbows, knees and hips to minimize the chance of > overloading the forearm muscles. Playing tennis with poor techniques > can also result in tennis elbow, the origin of the generic injury > name. > > Excessive activity that overloads the wrist extensor (outer forearm) > muscles may bring on an annoying burning sensation along the outer > part of the elbow that just doesn't want to quit. In mild cases of > injury, the irritated muscle will respond to the basic procedures of > rest and ice. However, a severely aggravated muscle will most likely > require a trip to your medical doctor. Anti-inflammatory medications > and physical therapy are often prescribed by doctors. > After a physical therapy evaluation for tennis elbow, a physical > therapist will teach home exercise programs for stretching and > strengthening the forearm. A physical therapist might use special > modality equipment such as electrical stimulation, ice packs, or > ultrasound to help reduce pain and enhance the healing process. Many > treatment techniques are employed to resolve the pain and > dysfunction of tennis elbow. Friction massage treatment effectively > strengthens the musculotendon junction. > > A strong tendon insertion from the muscle into the bone will > increase one's tolerance for excessive force on the forearm > musculotendon region. Faulty elbow joint mechanics are corrected by > the therapist with specific joint mobilization techniques. Sport- > specific training may rectify improper backhand swing techniques one > uses during tennis. Neoprene elbow supports with special pressure > pads are sometimes used to provide compression and can help one > manage daily life activities and work with less pain. For complete > recovery, physical therapy treatment may also include the correction > of movement system imbalances of the body. > > One should realize that other regions in the body especially the > neck, upper back, and shoulder can be a contributing cause of > lateral elbow pain. The pain sometimes isn't from the lateral elbow > muscle or tendon at all. The lateral elbow pain might be from a disc > problem in the neck, shoulder impingement, or entrapped distal > peripheral nerves of the upper extremity. One should also not > confuse the pain along the inner medial elbow/forearm region, that > is often medial epicondylitis (a.k.a. golfer's elbow), with the > lateral elbow/forearm pain of tennis elbow. Trauma, such as falls, > may result in elbow fractures and can give rise to lateral elbow > pain as well. So, although this injury appears generally straight > forward, it is always best to seek a medical professional for proper > evaluation and treatment. Reach out and be pain free of tennis elbow. > > Massage Techniques for Lateral Epicondylitis > > Massage has two goals. The first applied directly to the tendon > attachment itself will help reduce adhesions between the tendon and > the tendon sheath and assist healing by stimulating the bodies > natural healing mechanisms. > > The second benefit is by applying massage to the surrounding muscles > to improve the condition and flexibility of the muscles themselves > and so taking some of the strain off the tendon. > > Massage must not be performed during the acute stage of this injury - > > usually 48 hours after injury. For grade two and three strains, > massage may not be suitable for over a week. > > Cross frictions to the tendon > > If the injury is recent or it is the first time the athlete has > suffered from tennis elbow then it may be wise to avoid massage to > the tendon attachment itself. In more chronic cases where > conservative treatment has not produced the desired results then > friction massage may help. > > Goal - to gradually apply firmer frictions to reduce adhesions and > assist healing. With a finger, apply frictions backwards and > forwards across the tendon when it is in a stretched position. Start > gently and slightly away from the tendon attachment, gradually > working towards the attachment and getting deeper as the athlete > becomes accustomed to massage. Apply frictions to the tendon for 5 > to 10 minutes. Ice may be applied before and after to ease pain and > reduce inflammation. > > Stripping the muscle and Circular frictions > > Goal - to apply sustained pressure to the muscle, smoothing out any > lumps, bumps and knots. > > With the thumb of the left hand (for the left arm), apply deep > sustained pressure along the full length of the muscle. This > technique should be slow and deliberate to 'feel' the muscle > underneath. Repeat this 3 to 5 times in a row, alternating with > petrissage for 5 to 10 minutes. > > > If the therapist comes across any tight, tender knots in the muscle > (usually at the point of strain or rupture), these can be worked out > with deep circular frictions to the sore spot. > Massage should be deep but not so deep that the client ends up with > pain. > > > Trigger points > > A trigger point is a highly sensitive localized point in the muscle. > If the therapist finds any lumps and bumps or particularly sensitive > spots then apply deep, sustained pressure to these points using the > thumbs. Increase the pressure on the spot until it ranks 7/10 on the > pain scale (10 being painful). Hold this pressure until it eases off > to 4/10 on the pain scale (usually about 5 seconds). Without easing > off with the pressure, increase again until it reaches 7/10 on the > pain scale once more. Hold until it eases, repeat once more. > This technique is very hard on the thumbs. It is important to keep > the thumb slightly bent (flexed) when applying pressure to avoid > damaging the joints. > > > Ending Technique > > The therapist can finish off with more petrissage techniques and > then finally effleurage again. The whole process should not last > more than half an hour. Massage therapy can be applied every day if > it is performed lightly however deeper techniques may result in a > days recovery period to allow tissues to 'recover'. For > rehabilitation of muscle strains, massage is very important in > softening / preventing scar tissue forming at the site of injury and > re-aligning the new healing fibres in the direction of the muscle > fibres. This will help prevent re-injury. > > > Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac. > Peacefulmind.com > Therapies for healing > mind, body, spiri > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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