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The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II: Tennis Elbow

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Tennis Elbow

Whether your racket is tennis, toting a briefcase or tiddlywinks, any strain of the forearm tendons can make your elbow feel like you've just been beaten by Boris Becker in straight sets.

But why be aced by an easily treated ailment when the right racquet, exercises and therapy can have you swatting up a storm before you can say game, set or match? Before you say goodbye to all games involving the elbow, take some hints from the masters of arms.

Let your elbow rest. If swelling and soreness have already set in, your elbow needs at least three weeks' rest from playing tennis, says Susan Perry, a physical therapist specializing in sports medicine at the Fort Lauderdale Sports Medicine Clinic in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. And while you're resting it, take some other measures to relieve the pain.

Put a cap on it. Made from a derivative of hot peppers (capsaicin) and commonly used for shingles, Zostrix is extremely effective at zapping elbow pain, says Craig Hersh, M.D., a sports injuries specialist at the Sports Medicine Center in Fort Lee, New Jersey. This topical over-the-counter ointment, available at most drugstores, works as a temporary anesthetic when rubbed on the sore area, he says. "It doesn't work on inflammation--it works at the nerve level, blocking the transmission of pain."

Cool down that elbow. You can soothe that sore elbow by rubbing it with a paper cup filled with ice (fill the cup with water and freeze it) or a resealable plastic bag filled with ice cubes and wrapped in a towel. "Just don't leave the ice on any longer than 10 to 20 minutes," says Perry. Apply the ice no more than four times a day, with at least an hour between icings, she suggests.

Give peas a chance. A bag of frozen peas (or other small vegetables) also works well as a reusable elbow ice pack, says Perry.

Do You Have Briefcase Elbow?

Here's a hot new excuse for not taking out the trash: "Honey, it gave me tennis elbow." Actually, you may be right. If you repeatedly carry a heavy garbage bag one-handed, holding it far in front of you, a case of tennis elbow could be trashing your ability to do this home chore.

Okay, but what about briefcase elbow?

Possible, says Susan Perry, a physical therapist specializing in sports medicine at the Fort Lauderdale Sports Medicine Clinic in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

"A lot of business professionals get tennis elbow because they're lifting their briefcases with their arms extended--and that pulls the forearm tendon," says Perry. If you often tote a bulging briefcase, she suggests holding the case close to your side when you lift it from floor to desk: A similar technique works with the garbage bag, too.

Prepare by stretching. Before playing a tennis rematch with your club's top seed, consider using proper forearm stretching and strengthening techniques. Here's what Perry suggests: Extend your right arm in front of you until your elbow is straight. With palm down, slowly bend your wrist until your fingers are pointing toward the ground. Using your left hand, gently press the top of your right hand until you feel a tension stretch on the top of your forearm. Without any movement, hold for 15 seconds. Repeat with the other arm.

Now extend your right arm in front of you with the palm up. Using your left hand, gently press as if you wanted to push your right wrist down. But don't move the arm: Hold for 15 seconds, keeping up the pressure. Repeat with the opposite wrist. This exercise stretches the bottom of your forearm, says Perry.

After stretching, try strengthening. After you've stretched your forearms, help strengthen them with these exercises: Place your forearm on a desk with the wrist over the edge, palm up. Grip the handle of a hammer in your extended hand. (You can also use a two-pound can of vegetables or soup.) Slowly curl your hand up, then down, flexing the wrist, repeating 20 times. Change hands and repeat.

Get stronger still with swivels. Swiveling your arm while holding a heavy object is another way to build strength. Holding a hammer in your right hand, sit up straight, with your right elbow against your side. Lift your forearm until it's parallel with the floor. Now, still holding the hammer, twist your wrist 20 times, as if you were turning a doorknob. Repeat with the other hand.

Check your swing. "If you play tennis and have tennis elbow, you probably have a poor backhand technique," says Perry. Instead of leading with your elbow on your backhand, Perry says you should get your racquet in front when you hit a backhand shot. "If you can't find the problem yourself, take a tennis lesson from a professional and have him check out your swing," Perry adds.

Change your frame. Using a metal racquet? If you've got tennis elbow, you're better off switching to a different kind, says Allan Levy, M.D., director of the Department of Sports Medicine at Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood, New Jersey, and team physician for the New York Giants professional football team and the New Jersey Nets professional basketball team. While metal frames transmit the shock of ball contact to your poor, beleaguered elbow, other kinds better absorb the blow, he says. "Wooden racquets are better than metal, but you just can't buy them anymore."

Next best? "A composition racquet or one made with graphite will certainly help, as long as it's not too large or strung too tightly," says Dr. Levy. Also, be on the lookout for new experimental ceramic racquets, which are supposed to eliminate tennis elbow. But if you're unwilling to part with your metal racquet, slightly loosening the strings should help, says Dr. Levy.

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