The Elbow joint is more commonly injured through repetition, overuse and overload. Injuries such as tennis elbow and golfers elbow as well as bicep and tricep injuries often are caused through repetitive strain and overuse from work or sporting activities. Less common are injuries sustained through trauma such as elbow fractures and elbow dislocation. Occasionally pain referring down from the nerves in the neck and shoulder could mimic elbow pain.
Physiotherapy treatment of elbow pain and injuries firstly lies in a correct diagnosis and identification of why the injury has occurred. Successful physiotherapy management may involve treatments to help settle your elbow pain, for example; Focused Shockwave Therapy is a great treatment to help treat tennis elbow and golfers elbow.
Pain treatments will then often be followed by a progressive, tailored exercise plan aimed at rehabilitating and strengthening your elbow and surrounding tissues. This will enable your elbow to tolerate the demands the individual wishes to place on them. Many failed treatments are due to a lack of rehabilitation and a failure to identify and modify any causative factors such as sporting technique, ergonomic or repetitive work activities.
Benefits of Physiotherapy for Elbow Pain
Physiotherapy offers several benefits for managing and alleviating elbow pain. Here are some key advantages:
- Pain Relief – Manual Therapy techniques such as massage and mobilization and Focused Shockwave Therapy can help reduce pain and improve function.
- Improved Range of Motion – Mobility & Stretching Exercises can help increase flexibility and reduce stiffness in the elbow joint, whilst Joint Mobilisation techniques to gently move the joint can enhance range of motion.
- Strengthening Muscles – Resistance Training and Functional Exercises help to strengthen the muscles around the elbow, improving stability and reducing strain on the joint
- Enhanced Healing – Regenerative therapies such Focused Shockwave Therapy increase blood flow, stimulate tissue repair and restart the body’s own natural healing processes. Focused Shockwave is very useful in the treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow) & Medial Epicondylitis (Golfers Elbow).
- Prevention of Future Injury – Physiotherapists educate patients on proper techniques and ergonomic adjustments to prevent re-injury. Whilst also providing personalised, graded exercise programs to maintain elbow strength and flexibility.
- Non-Surgical Treatment – For many conditions, physiotherapy can reduce or eliminate the need for surgery by effectively managing symptoms through non-invasive means.
- Post-Surgical Rehabilitation: If surgery is necessary, physiotherapy plays a crucial role in rehabilitation, helping restore function and strength.
Common Conditions Treated
- Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
- Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)
- Bursitis
- Arthritis
- Elbow Fractures & Dislocations
Book a physiotherapy appointment to get your elbow assessed, find out how we can help you eliminate your pain and find a long term solution to your problem.