5 Self-Care Tips: Stay Active Even with Tennis Elbow
by Celavirgie Bautista
Anyone suffering from tennis elbow knows the debilitating pain.
It could prevent you from enjoying the normal activities you like and make you start feeling a bit down in the dumps.
But don’t let tennis elbow pain rule your life!
Give these tips a try. They can greatly make your pain minimal and manageable, so you can stay active while recovering.
TIP #1 REST YOUR ELBOW
Resting your elbow doesn’t mean that you can’t be active anymore. If your injury came from a racquet sport, you can try other sports that don’t put too much pressure on your elbow. And if you’re injury came from work, you can ask your boss to give you a different task to give time for your elbows to heal.
TIP #2 DO SOME EXERCISE
To reduce stiffness and increase flexibility, exercising is necessary for regaining muscle strength and alleviating pain. Try Tai Chi, a mind-body exercise therapy that is typically used to manage chronic pain conditions.
During Tai Chi exercises, the slow motion and weight shifting may improve muscle strength and joint stability.
TIP #3 ICE THE ELBOW
If you don’t like taking pills, putting cold packs on your elbow for about 15 minutes several times a day can reduce the swelling.
TIP #4 WEAR BRACES
Take some pressure off your tendons by wearing a supportive brace on your forearm. It can also prevent your injured tendon from further strain.
TIP #5 DON’T RUSH
Whatever you do, don’t rush your recovery. Take note that people heal at different rates and the recovery depends on the extent of the damage to the tendon. Make sure that you’re healed before you return to your former level of activity.
