Dry Needling for Tennis Elbow

Experiencing pain in your elbow when you move it can be challenging. It can even make your normal life seem somewhat unbearable. If you are afflicted with tennis elbow, you may have it due to overexertion and repeated motions in your arm and wrist. 

This article explores how dry needling in Okotoks can help with tennis elbow—how it works, and what you might expect during a treatment session.

What is a Tennis Elbow?

You may be susceptible to tennis elbow if you engage in repetitive arm and wrist movements. Tennis elbow affects the forearm muscles and their associated tendons. When you perform repetitive motions with your arm and wrist, it stresses the muscles and tendons that attach to the outside of your elbow. 

The condition is not limited to tennis players; it can also affect racquetball, squash, golf, and handball players.

Causes and Risk Factors of Tennis Elbow

The main cause of tennis elbow is muscle strain and overuse. If you repeatedly flex the muscles in your forearm, that's a recipe for elbow problems. Your forearm muscles twist your arm and flex your wrist. They aren't designed for heavy, repeated work, and if you make them do heavy, repeated work, you'll probably break down the tendon that connects them to the elbow, which can hurt significantly. 

Beyond age, being in a profession that requires repeated motions is the main risk factor for developing tennis elbow. Painters, carpenters, plumbers, and cooks are likely to develop the condition.

Tennis elbow can affect people who play racket sports like tennis, badminton, pickleball, and squash. If you don't have good form or use substandard equipment, your risk of developing this condition increases. 

Some people also develop tennis elbow after suffering a rotator cuff tear, probably because they compensate for shoulder weakness with their forearm muscles. The extra stress and strain on those muscles can lead to inflammation in the elbow.

Is Dry Needling Good for Tennis Elbow?

Pain and tension relief without a prescription sounds appealing, right? Dry needling is a therapeutic technique that offers just that. It is a relatively new treatment method similar to acupuncture. 

While Okotoks acupuncture is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, dry needling is based on modern Western medicine principles. The treatment focuses on relieving musculoskeletal pain and improving function.

Does Dry Needling Work for Tennis Elbow?

Dry needling provides several advantages when it comes to tennis elbow. 

Trigger Point Release

This treatment technique targets the trigger points or tight muscles within your forearm muscles. Your physiotherapist places the needle into the trigger point, and the point twitches. When this happens, it releases substantial tension within that point and in the surrounding tissues.

Pain Relief

Pain relief is another benefit of dry needling. Needles are inserted into a muscle, which then responds with a twitch. This muscle response triggers the body’s natural healing response to help you move your arm more easily. 

Restored Function

Dry needling can relieve tightness and lack of flexibility in muscles, restoring function and helping you return to your daily activities.

What to Expect During a Dry Needling Session

Prior to commencing dry needling, your physiotherapist will pay close attention to your symptoms and will inquire about your medical history. This is to establish whether dry needling is a suitable intervention for you. They will also craft a personalized care plan that may incorporate dry needling alongside other physiotherapy techniques. 

When the time comes for the actual dry needling procedure, your physiotherapist will make an assessment of the painful region, identifying the precise spots that will be targeted as part of the "tennis elbow treatment." After they clean and prepare the area, they will insert the needles into the tissue.

You might feel a slight pinch or discomfort when the physiotherapist inserts the needle, which is normal. The therapist will leave the needle in for a few minutes, allowing the muscle to relax. 

After the session, you might have some tenderness and/or slight bruising at the needle sites that should disappear within a few hours. 

Is Dry Needling Effective for Tennis Elbow?

Dry needling might be effective for tennis elbow, but it's not used by itself. Okotoks Physiotherapy will employ various complementary techniques during your treatment.

Ice and Heat Therapy

Reducing swelling and inflammation is the first step in many rehabilitation programs. The age-old method of applying ice has been shown to be effective in this regard. Your physiotherapist may use ice at the beginning of your treatment, especially if the area is warm to the touch or if your symptoms have come on suddenly. 

Heating pads, in contrast, improve blood flow and help the body's tissues to relax. Your physiotherapist may use heat later in your treatment, especially for areas that tend to be tight after you've done your prescribed exercises. 

Manual Therapy

Manual therapy is a hands-on technique that a physiotherapist may use to treat you. These can include massage, several kinds of joint manipulations, and stretching of muscles or tendons. Your therapist will apply pressure to painful regions to release tense muscles and manage pain.

Therapeutic Exercises

Stretching and strengthening exercises can improve your mobility and ability to perform the basic components of your sport, job, or activity without reinjuring your elbow. If your daily routine requires repetitive arm use, your physical therapist can help you avoid aggravating your elbow while still playing your sport or doing your job. 

Is Dry Needling Right for You?

Dry needling is an effective technique for treating tennis elbow, and your physical therapist's decision to use it will depend on your specific needs and condition.

Your therapist will consider several factors when devising a treatment plan. These include the nature and degree of your symptoms, general health, and any other treatments you receive. 

It is worth mentioning that even though dry needling is an easily tolerated procedure, it is not appropriate for everyone. Persons with bleeding disorders, infections, or open wounds may not be suitable candidates. Also, dry needling may not be advisable for very young children, expectant mothers, or individuals who are afraid of needles.

Conclusion

Elbow tendonitis can restrict how well your arm works and its tolerance to activities. However, improving your condition might be like getting a dry needling treatment. Dynamic Physiotherapy effectively uses dry needling to help tennis elbow patients regain their range of motion.