At any given time, 7% to 12% of the population experiences pain from tennis elbow. And most do not play tennis. Tennis elbow is a degenerative condition affecting the extensor tendons on the back of your elbow and forearm. When these tendons become weakened and painful you experience difficulties gripping, holding, and reaching for objects.
Medications and injections help in the short-term but do little to prevent pain from returning. Research indicates exercise and manual physical therapy are your best options for long-term pain relief from tennis elbow.
Manual therapy is a specialized form of physical therapy. Treatment is delivered by your therapist’s hands. When done by a skilled therapist, it reduces pain, improves joint mobility, and restores your ability to function. And it comes without the risks of pills, shots, or surgery.
Manual Therapy and Exercise: Proven to Help Tennis Elbow Pain
A large systematic review article in the Journal of Hand Therapy looked at the effects of manual therapy for improving pain, grip strength, and disability in adults with tennis elbow. Three different types of manual therapy were found to improve pain, grip strength, and function.
Two specific elbow joint mobilization techniques were found to be effective: mobilization with movement and the Mill’s manipulation. Both of these techniques are shown below. Regional manual therapy also was found to be effective. This includes techniques targeting problems in your neck and shoulder.
What is Manual Therapy?
Physical therapists use clinical reasoning and their hands to apply pressure on muscles and manipulate joints. This restores movement and decreases pain caused by muscle spasms, muscle tension, and arthritic joints.
Therapeutic touch is applied in a skilled fashion. This calms or facilitates your body’s nervous system. Often, you experience an immediate decrease in pain, improved muscle function, and improved mobility.
Mobilization and manipulation consist of movements of joints, nerves, and muscles. All of these treatments are pain-free. Below are examples of 4 techniques that improve pain and stiffness from tennis elbow.
Manual therapy treatment usually lasts 15 to 20 minutes. Your therapist then prescribes 3 to 4 specific exercises targeting your unique problem. In order for pain relief to last, it is imperative that you perform these exercises at home.
4 Mobilization Techniques for Tennis Elbow
Mobilization with movement techniques has been shown to be the most effective through clinical research. This technique is especially helpful for people who experience pain gripping objects or when reaching with an outstretched arm.
The Mill’s manipulation applies a quick stretch to your elbow extensor tendons. This technique usually results in immediate pain relief and decreased elbow stiffness.
Radial head mobilizations help restore the mobility of your elbow and forearm. In particular, this technique improves pain and stiffness associated with rotating your forearm like when using a screwdriver.
The scaphoid whip applies a quick stretch to your wrist joint. This technique helps improve your wrist’s range of motion. With improved wrist mobility, your elbow extensor tendons do not have to work as hard.
See Your Physical Therapist for an Initial Evaluation
Before applying any manual therapy treatment, your physical therapist performs a thorough examination. All people with elbow pain do not receive the same treatment. Therefore, your program is always personalized.
If you are suffering from elbow pain, the sooner you see your physical therapist the better your outcome will be. The longer you wait the harder it is to recover. Also, your brain is really good at compensating for how you move to avoid pain. You don’t want to develop bad habits that are hard to break.
Call your physical therapist and schedule an initial evaluation.
