Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is considered a repetitive stress injury, which can often cause inflammation of the tendons that hold our muscles and bones within our elbows. This injury is often associated with playing tennis and other forms of activities that require repetitive forearm movement.
Tennis elbow can be treated using natural remedies, with many people avoiding medical treatment.
Here are some natural remedies that can help relieve pain and reduce inflammation in your elbow:
- Rest
This is a simple treatment for tennis elbow that can provide amazing results. In fact, resting your elbow can relieve any irritation or inflammation in the elbow area. Therefore, it is essential to rest your arm and not subject it to any unnecessary movements that could trigger pain and inflammation.
You can still do some daily activities as long as you avoid any motion or movement that could irritate tendons. Also, when you resume your normal activities, ensure you do this slowly and stop if you feel any pain in your elbow.
- Ice your elbow
Another effective remedy to try is regular ice packs, as this may help reduce pain and inflammation. It is important to wrap the ice in a towel or cloth and hold it in place for about 20 to 30 minutes, at least 3 to 4 times a day. Frozen peas can work well as the bag can mould itself to your desired shape.
- Compress and provide support
Compression can help reduce muscle pain and fatigue, so wrapping a compression bandage around your elbow is another great option to try. You should feel secure and notice the compression but be cautious of a bandage that is too tight as it can limit blood circulation. After applying the bandage, make sure you can move your fingers. Also, the skin temperature and colour of the lower arm should be the same as the rest of your arm.
If you notice that your lower arm is cooler than the rest of your arm, remove the bandage and re-apply it with less compression.
Acupuncture is a natural treatment method that falls under the category of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This supplemental therapy involves the insertion of thin, sterile, filament needles into specific acupuncture points.
These points are found along energy pathways that TCM refers to as meridians. Acupuncture may help unblock the flow of energy or qi in our body to restore the normal flow. This may boost the natural healing capabilities of our body, which in turn helps relieve inflammation or irritation in the elbow.