BALANCE IN MOTION BODYWORK
Santa Barbara Massage & Pain Therapy
Elbow Pain / Tennis Elbow
Elbow pain / tennis elbow is commonplace in a physically demanding sport such as tennis. A routine of proper dynamic stretching before playing and static stretching after playing can help reduce muscle soreness dramatically. Liberal icing on sore muscles also helps to reduce pain and inflammation. After long, hard workouts, sports massage can help rejuvenate tired muscles and increase blood flow, aiding muscular repair. Balance in Motion is an experienced provider for this type of injury.
CAUSES OF MUSCLE PAIN
Muscle soreness is common after hard tennis workouts or matches. Tennis requires significant input from the lower body during the long rallies, fast sprints and rapid changes of direction common to the sport. Another common area tennis players experience muscular soreness is the arm and rotator cuff. Serving puts considerable strain on these muscle groups, similar to pitching in baseball. Delayed onset muscle soreness is common in tennis players who have increased the intensity or length of on-court sessions. This muscle soreness usually develops the day after exercise and peaks 24 to 72 hours after the activity.
TREATMENT
Muscle soreness is often a slight strain of the muscle. Even if the muscle is only sore, icing and anti-inflammatory medicine can reduce inflammation in the area. Ice sore muscles 10 to 15 minutes at a time and three to four times per day until the soreness recedes. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs should be taken in low dosages to relieve pain and decrease swelling of the affected muscles. Reducing inflammation of the muscles will aid in speeding healing and decreasing the duration of muscle soreness. Massage therapy has proven extremely helpful in releasing pain in the shoulder, elbow and arm areas.
PREVENTION
A dynamic warm-up, essentially stretching while moving, is an important part of getting muscles primed and ready for exercise. Warm muscles, filled with blood, are much less likely to strain themselves than cold muscles. Lunges, penguin walks and jogging with high knees are all examples of dynamic warm-up exercises that increase blood flow and stretch muscles simultaneously. Always take time to execute static stretches after your tennis game. Stretching may help lessen delayed onset muscle soreness. For tennis, stretch all main muscle groups in the legs, hips, back and arms. Pay special attention to your hitting arm and shoulder.
MASSAGE AND BODYWORK
Proprioceptive Deep Tendon Reflex Therapy (P-DTR), Sports massage and Trigger Point Massage may considerably reduce soreness after exercise. Massage can reduce delayed onset muscle soreness by 30 percent and was shown to reduce swelling of the affected muscle groups as well. Use massage as a recovery tool after particularly difficult practices or matches to help you reduce the amount and duration of muscle soreness. If your muscle pain is severe or does not dissipate after four days, it may be the sign of a more serious injury such as a muscle tear. Consult your doctor if you are unsure about the nature of your injury.