Recovering from Tennis Elbow

Hi guys,

I am recovering from tennis elbow. I have healed about 95% (slight pain) but I am refusing to play again until I am 100%. How should I return? Should I start playing little by little? My arm is a bit weak so I was planning on lifting light weights. Quick question; should I wear an elbow brace or a compression sleeve while playing tennis? I would love to hear your input.

Thanks to all

Before you do anything, you need to figure out what caused your TE. Is it from lifting heavy objects, one handed backhand, tight grip, constantly hitting balls late? If it's stroke related, you will need to fix that first. Otherwise, you risk getting TE again.

Harry

Tight Lines said:

Before you do anything, you need to figure out what caused your TE. Is it from lifting heavy objects, one handed backhand, tight grip, constantly hitting balls late? If it's stroke related, you will need to fix that first. Otherwise, you risk getting TE again.

Harry

Click to expand...

most excellent advice....

With MY precious, damn little, year-long case, I think it is the racquet change I made. Sold the racquets. We'll see if that's it.

PLUS, I think I need to take a day off to let micro-tears repair.

I would strongly recommend professional guidance. A sports physiotherapist can give you personalised advice and exercises. Apart from that: tennis elbow-friendly equipment and proper technique. I'd start with short, light exercises with a racket. Then with a ball but only in the service boxes. Gradually building up over weeks / months. I'd take it nice and slow.

Easier said than done if you're a tennis addict of course.

dolphinsrus said:

Hi guys,

I am recovering from tennis elbow. I have healed about 95% (slight pain) but I am refusing to play again until I am 100%. How should I return? Should I start playing little by little? My arm is a bit weak so I was planning on lifting light weights. Quick question; should I wear an elbow brace or a compression sleeve while playing tennis? I would love to hear your input.

Thanks to all

Click to expand...

If you are going to play, I would recommend wearing one of these wrist layback devices (especially the leverage band) to remove tension on the tennis elbow tendon. Better than a simple elbow brace as it will teach you the proper tennis stroke.

My son and I made a more flexible version and still wear it when I play just to be safe.

Harry

You may want to string at least once, full bed natural gut, low tensions (50-52 LBs).

Thanks to all. I believe I know exactly what caused my tennis elbow; my strings. I have been playing with the same type of racquet and technique for over 15 years. I tried a new string for a month or so, and thats when I started with the pain. Unfortunately I kept playing with that string as I was playing great, but the pain increased gradually. I usually play with Babolat Xcel, a soft multifilament. So I will go back to that one or try natural gut as suggested. I learned my lesson and will get back when I am 100% pain free. I was reading that kinesiology tape is very effective to reduce stress on the elbow during a match, and also the benefits of a compression sleeve. Anyone with experience using kinesiology tape or compression sleeve for tennis elbow? A friend recommended the Band-it tennis elbow strap. Cant wait to play again.

Tight Lines said:

If you are going to play, I would recommend wearing one of these wrist layback devices (especially the leverage band) to remove tension on the tennis elbow tendon. Better than a simple elbow brace as it will teach you the proper tennis stroke.

My son and I made a more flexible version and still wear it when I play just to be safe.

Harry

Click to expand...

I am struggling with wrist troubles, I want to make leverage band, just questions: do you use rubber rope (flexible) or rigid (climbing rope) one? I can imagine playing forehand and slice backhand with racket attached to the device but how to play 2HBH? I tried it tied to hand and it seems obstacling putting racket head down under ball into correct position during 2HBH. Any tips?

7zero said:

I am struggling with wrist troubles, I want to make leverage band, just questions: do you use rubber rope (flexible) or rigid (climbing rope) one? I can imagine playing forehand and slice backhand with racket attached to the device but how to play 2HBH? I tried it tied to hand and it seems obstacling putting racket head down under ball into correct position during 2HBH. Any tips?

Click to expand...

You cannot use a rigid rope. It feels too hard and you cannot release your wrist after the hit. Go to the hardware store and buy a bungee cord. Or, you can use a resistance tubing from a local sporting goods store.

For backhand, you will need to wear the band on the left hand (assuming right handed player).

Harry

Tight Lines said:

You cannot use a rigid rope. It feels too hard and you cannot release your wrist after the hit. Go to the hardware store and buy a bungee cord. Or, you can use a resistance tubing from a local sporting goods store.

For backhand, you will need to wear the band on the left hand (assuming right handed player).

Harry

Click to expand...

I tried yesterday and had a big laugh. I could not hit a normal forehand at all.. permanently swinging higher than ball. Does it mean I flex the wrist so much to get head of racket lower during my forehand?
And kids looked so natural at videos from Bolletieri academy using it..

I shall try rubber cord next for sure.

Heal it. Stretch it. Strengthen it. Stretch it some more.

dolphinsrus said:

Thanks to all. I believe I know exactly what caused my tennis elbow; my strings. I have been playing with the same type of racquet and technique for over 15 years. I tried a new string for a month or so, and thats when I started with the pain. Unfortunately I kept playing with that string as I was playing great, but the pain increased gradually. I usually play with Babolat Xcel, a soft multifilament. So I will go back to that one or try natural gut as suggested. I learned my lesson and will get back when I am 100% pain free. I was reading that kinesiology tape is very effective to reduce stress on the elbow during a match, and also the benefits of a compression sleeve. Anyone with experience using kinesiology tape or compression sleeve for tennis elbow? A friend recommended the Band-it tennis elbow strap. Cant wait to play again.

Click to expand...

I have Band-It. It has a rubber padding that works well to apply pressure on the affected tendon.

Harry

7zero said:

I tried yesterday and had a big laugh. I could not hit a normal forehand at all.. permanently swinging higher than ball. Does it mean I flex the wrist so much to get head of racket lower during my forehand?
And kids looked so natural at videos from Bolletieri academy using it..

I shall try rubber cord next for sure.

Click to expand...

Did you try the Wrist Assist (from squarehittennis dot com? Kinda pricey at $70 but it'll help you lean to keep your wrist set properly on all shots.

Is that what you're trying to build on your own? (wrist lay back device)

volusiano said:

Did you try the Wrist Assist (from squarehittennis dot com? Kinda pricey at $70 but it'll help you lean to keep your wrist set properly on all shots.

Is that what you're trying to build on your own? (wrist lay back device)

Click to expand...

Nah... Too expensive. Here is one way to do it for less than a couple bucks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guJlXsH0qZg

Harry

Hi,
If you want to recover from tennis elbow pain, then I am giving highly recommended to use Tenex® Elbow Shock Absorber band, which absorbs 70% of harmful vibrations according to testing conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and at the University of British Columbia. I always use this band at the time of playing tennis. If you are interested to know about the features of this band, you can refer here: https://www.tennis-elbow.com/

Hope my suggestion help for you!

Robertjohnsons said:

Hi,
If you want to recover from tennis elbow pain, then I am giving highly recommended to use Tenex® Elbow Shock Absorber band, which absorbs 70% of harmful vibrations according to testing conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and at the University of British Columbia. I always use this band at the time of playing tennis. If you are interested to know about the features of this band, you can refer here: https://www.tennis-elbow.com/

Hope my suggestion help for you!

Click to expand...

I have tried almost everything, not been playing since late april. TE s***s, it's a curse! I might as well buy one of those...

Knife... don't listen to one-post trolls who are trying to sell their products. Do a lot of research before buying anything, and get reviews from actual users, not trolls.

GrandSlam45 said:

Knife... don't listen to one-post trolls who are trying to sell their products. Do a lot of research before buying anything, and get reviews from actual users, not trolls.

Click to expand...

He-he, already bought it! But thanks for your kind advice, I think I've read and studied just about everything there is about TE & GE on the net. Facts are that there is no exclusive solution to cure these plagues. Rest and stretching are the best measures I've found so far. The healing time for elbow tendon injuries is 0.5-2 years, and 6 months is not sufficient in my case, it is hard to accept but what to do? :neutral:

Use your fingers or a massage tool for a trigger point up by your shoulder blade. If you find a knot there, work on it for about a week. Once it loosens, your arm will feel much better. Reference the illustration on the left. Note the red area by the shoulder blade. It can't hurt to try.

dolphinsrus said:

Hi guys,

I am recovering from tennis elbow. I have healed about 95% (slight pain) but I am refusing to play again until I am 100%. How should I return? Should I start playing little by little? My arm is a bit weak so I was planning on lifting light weights. Quick question; should I wear an elbow brace or a compression sleeve while playing tennis? I would love to hear your input.

Thanks to all

Click to expand...

The problem with many arm strengthening stretches or exercises is that they are used when still injured. For this, seeing a Dr and getting physical therapy is the best approach.

Keeping in mind that strengthening exercises are not for injured arms - whatever that is ? - there are exercises for the arm. Eccentric exercises are sometimes mentioned as somewhat effective but I don't know how established that view is. There are some publications often on the Achilles tendon.

The Theraband Flexibar is a way of eccentrically exercising the muscles and tendons injured in Tennis Elbow. You grip it and move the arms so that the first forces presented to the muscles and tendons lengthen the muscle-tendon - called an eccentric 'contraction'. If you are healed enough, start with a red bar.

Google - Theraband Flexibar and consider getting the red bar to start.

Eccentric exercises can also be done with dumbbells. Lift the dumbbell into position with the other hand and let the TE arm only lower the dumbbell.

NCBI PMC full free online reports - TE treatment review paper-
Current Concepts in Examination and Treatment of Elbow Tendon Injury T. Ellenbecker
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3658379/

Unfortunately, if you played on and stressed your original tennis elbow injury for more than a few weeks, chronic tendinosis from defective healing is likely to be present, hopefully, to a limited degree.