I have started getting pains in my elbow which at first I thought could be developing tennis elbow. I soon found out due to research that the pain I was feeling didn't match up where tennis elbow should be. Upon further research I found that golfers elbow seems to be what I have. Today the pain occurred after hitting some serves and I would like to know how to treat and prevent this from happening in the future.
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Golfers elbow
- Thread starter Lyzerd
- Start date
I had it when I first started up tennis again and got rid of it by taking some time off serves and forehands and strengthening my forearms. A lot of folks recommend the "reverse tyler twist" exercise with a theraband flexbar. (google it). I just use the forearm exercise machine at my club. The good news is that you can beat this. Also, you might be hurting your elbow if you're trying to actively "slap" your wrist on the serve.
charliefedererer
Legend
The pain in golfer's elbow is secondary to inflammation of the tendons of the forearm where they insert at the elbow. The inflammation is caused by microscopic tears due to overuse. That is, each time we play some microscopic tears occur in the nonelastic tendon tissue. The body usually can keep up with the rate of healing microscopic tears. But poor technique, or an increase in tennis play, can lead to the number of microscopic tears reaching a point where painful inflammation occurs.
When this happens the most important thing is a period of rest.
Rest from tennis that is. Our arms never really rest just from use at the keyboard and in activities of daily living.
If you don't rest, the risk of worse inflammation continues.
The inflammation is a necessary component of healing. It represents release of chemicals [cyytokines] by white blood cells attracted to the areas of microscopic injury. The chemicals stimulate fibroblasts to secrete protein strands that will eventually coalesce to heal these small tears. The strands initially are like a spiders web - very fine and easily broken down by continued tennis play. Over time they cross link and become strong connective tissue healing the small tears.
Right now very gentle range of motion movements with a red Theraband Flexbar can keep abnormal scar tissue from "glueing" together tissues that should slide past each other.
Only after the pain subsides should you consider doing stronger "strengthening" exercises with a green flexbar.
Return to tennis should be gradual with short sessions that avoid serving. Once you demonstrate you can do longer sessions, it is okay to proceed to serving. Listen to your body. Return of pain means inflammation is again present, and a period of rest then restarting the process over can be done.
Go back and read the numerous posts here on golfer's and tennis elbow. Too often players try to "play through the pain" only to lose many months, even years, when the inflammation takes on a life of its own, and lots of scarring of tendons and muscles occur. Try to avoid this bad experience.
Ultimately strengthening the foream muscles with light dumbell wrist curls, revers curls and pronation/supination exercises can help prevent a recurrence.
Many find there is a less chance of recurrence if they come back with a more flexible frame and soft (natural gut or multifilament) strings. Definitely avoid poly strings, although eventually you may be able to use a hybrid set up after several months.
Take this as a chance to work on your sprint work and agility drills. Everyone needs to do this, and it will let you come back much easier to tennis.
[Of course if the pains are not getting better, get it checked out by a sports medicine specialist.]
Good luck!
When this happens the most important thing is a period of rest.
Rest from tennis that is. Our arms never really rest just from use at the keyboard and in activities of daily living.
If you don't rest, the risk of worse inflammation continues.
The inflammation is a necessary component of healing. It represents release of chemicals [cyytokines] by white blood cells attracted to the areas of microscopic injury. The chemicals stimulate fibroblasts to secrete protein strands that will eventually coalesce to heal these small tears. The strands initially are like a spiders web - very fine and easily broken down by continued tennis play. Over time they cross link and become strong connective tissue healing the small tears.
Right now very gentle range of motion movements with a red Theraband Flexbar can keep abnormal scar tissue from "glueing" together tissues that should slide past each other.
Only after the pain subsides should you consider doing stronger "strengthening" exercises with a green flexbar.
Return to tennis should be gradual with short sessions that avoid serving. Once you demonstrate you can do longer sessions, it is okay to proceed to serving. Listen to your body. Return of pain means inflammation is again present, and a period of rest then restarting the process over can be done.
Go back and read the numerous posts here on golfer's and tennis elbow. Too often players try to "play through the pain" only to lose many months, even years, when the inflammation takes on a life of its own, and lots of scarring of tendons and muscles occur. Try to avoid this bad experience.
Ultimately strengthening the foream muscles with light dumbell wrist curls, revers curls and pronation/supination exercises can help prevent a recurrence.
Many find there is a less chance of recurrence if they come back with a more flexible frame and soft (natural gut or multifilament) strings. Definitely avoid poly strings, although eventually you may be able to use a hybrid set up after several months.
Take this as a chance to work on your sprint work and agility drills. Everyone needs to do this, and it will let you come back much easier to tennis.
[Of course if the pains are not getting better, get it checked out by a sports medicine specialist.]
Good luck!
Last edited:
Hey im back and the pain subsided after a couple hours. I haven't served since then because I notice I get the pain from serves so I plan to play again today but without serving to see how it goes. So where can I get these flexbars and how do I know when to switch from red to green?
Chas Tennis
G.O.A.T.
Stop playing and see a Dr
I don't have confidence in my understanding of injuries and have been seriously mistaken more than once.
4 years ago I got a golfer's elbow injury (medial epicondylitis) from an acute injury. It occurred while trying to beef up my volley by using excessive internal upper arm rotation. When I read the information below I stopped playing immediately. Now pain is just very occasional and barely noticeable. I believe the same elbow stress can happen on the serve and the forehand if the strokes are not properly done.
Tendon healing time is often listed as 2-6 months so taking off just a short time may be fooling yourself.
The following reference has some disturbing information on tennis elbow injuries. It says on page 141 that if you play for more than a few weeks on a new injury you can cause permanent chronic injury. It explains in terms of the healing process. I believe that what was said in the book applies to many tennis elbow injuries because some players take off for several months only to have the pain return immediately on restarting tennis.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/080505930X/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=
I don't know if this picture is correct but it is based on some material that I have read. Google each point on your own.
Most tendon injuries occur at the tendon-muscle connection or at the tendon-bone connection such as the tendon "insertion" on the flexed limb. The tendon inserts on the bone over just a small area. If you injure some of this small area - partially peel it off the bone or tear it - it will be painful and begin to heal. If you play on it - continue to stress it in the same way that injured it - the healed tissue will be disordered and not as functional as needed in healthy tendon tissue. You will then have a chronic/permanent injury to some degree.
The announcers on TV often say 'Oh he/she has some tendonitis' and trivialize it to the viewers and other tennis players. It could be chronic and progressively getting worse.
Stop playing and see a Dr.
Hey im back and the pain subsided after a couple hours. I haven't served since then because I notice I get the pain from serves so I plan to play again today but without serving to see how it goes. So where can I get these flexbars and how do I know when to switch from red to green?
I don't have confidence in my understanding of injuries and have been seriously mistaken more than once.
4 years ago I got a golfer's elbow injury (medial epicondylitis) from an acute injury. It occurred while trying to beef up my volley by using excessive internal upper arm rotation. When I read the information below I stopped playing immediately. Now pain is just very occasional and barely noticeable. I believe the same elbow stress can happen on the serve and the forehand if the strokes are not properly done.
Tendon healing time is often listed as 2-6 months so taking off just a short time may be fooling yourself.
The following reference has some disturbing information on tennis elbow injuries. It says on page 141 that if you play for more than a few weeks on a new injury you can cause permanent chronic injury. It explains in terms of the healing process. I believe that what was said in the book applies to many tennis elbow injuries because some players take off for several months only to have the pain return immediately on restarting tennis.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/080505930X/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=
I don't know if this picture is correct but it is based on some material that I have read. Google each point on your own.
Most tendon injuries occur at the tendon-muscle connection or at the tendon-bone connection such as the tendon "insertion" on the flexed limb. The tendon inserts on the bone over just a small area. If you injure some of this small area - partially peel it off the bone or tear it - it will be painful and begin to heal. If you play on it - continue to stress it in the same way that injured it - the healed tissue will be disordered and not as functional as needed in healthy tendon tissue. You will then have a chronic/permanent injury to some degree.
The announcers on TV often say 'Oh he/she has some tendonitis' and trivialize it to the viewers and other tennis players. It could be chronic and progressively getting worse.
Stop playing and see a Dr.
Last edited:
charliefedererer
Legend
Hey im back and the pain subsided after a couple hours. I haven't served since then because I notice I get the pain from serves so I plan to play again today but without serving to see how it goes. So where can I get these flexbars and how do I know when to switch from red to green?
You might find them in a sporting goods store, but you can certainly order them from Ama*on.
The red can be used for gentle range of motion movements until there is no pain whatsoever. This just keeps scar tissue from forming that could "glue" tissues together that should glide past each other.
The green can then be used more aggressively to actually strengthen the forearm muscles.
The following video shows how to do the simple Tyler Twist exercise: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB3TVb8a5mk
Again, if you are not getting better, you should be evaluated medically.
I'm not going to stop playing tennis unless my elbow has constant pain for 24 hours or longer. Currently I have gotten the pain from practicing serves a couple days in a row and hitting too many during each session (120-160+ serves on each side). Even then my elbow only hurt for 2-3 hours on the last day I practiced. Since then I have only served two buckets but have played on 3 different days. So far I haven't had any problems and I only plan on doing serves once a week with 40 balls on each side while maintaining my normal play schedule. If any more pain occurs I will take a break for three days and record how long the pain lasts, during this I will look back at my play schedule and try to determine what causes the recurrence of pain. If I don't have an answer for that I will consult my doctor. If I do find that I have played too much (like playing a couple matches in a week plus my serve practice resulting in an abnormal amount of serving for me) then I will correct myself and see if this results in no pain.
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