What is Tennis Elbow? It is a form of tendinosis which means chronic degeneration of the tendon or tendons. You will have swelling and tenderness on and around the tendons that attach to the small bony part on the outside of your elbow (lateral epicondyle). Tennis Elbow tendinosis is commonly caused from the overuse of the tendons located in your forearm that help to extend your wrist and fingers. The wear and tear on these tendons is a result of small tears in your tissue that don't heal properly. The inability of your tendon to heal properly causes the tendons to weaken until the tissues become very thin, and eventually wear out. Have you developed Chronic Tennis Elbow Tendinosis will get worse over time if not dealt with properly. Your body is trying very hard to heal the damaged tissue. This cycle of pain, swelling and unhealing causes tennis elbow to go on for a very long period of time (ie. years). Why? Failed healing, not inflammation; if you cannot rest the elbow while you are healing then your odds of healing it for good are quite low. Tennis elbow can affected anyone, in 75% of cases, tennis elbow occurs your dominant arm. It affects about an equal number of men and women, generally between the ages of 35-65 years old. (source: NCBI U.S. National Library of Medicine) Tendinosis: What is it? Tendonosis is a noninflammatory, degenerative condition of the collagen fibers in the tendon often caused by repetitive stress injury of the tendon fibers. As the collagen breaks down the typically straight and flexible fibers become a tangled mess with little pockets of jelly. Tendonosis is caused by repetitive motion which causes an accumulation of microinjuries. The tendon tries to repair itself but eventually the breakdown of the collagen fibers exceeds the repair and the new collagen is produced with an abnormal structure and composition. Unlike tendonitis, there are no inflammatory cells with a tendonosis injury making it hard to diagnose visually as there are no visible symptoms such as swelling, heat and redness. However, both injuries cause pain, tenderness and stiffness of the joints. If not treated correctly the tendon will continue to degenerate causing further injury. Visiting your doctor when you have elbow pain is always recommended, as there are many possible issues that can happen within the arm and elbow. Sometimes, one set of symptoms can result in multiple diagnoses. Tennis elbow is sometimes misdiagnosed as bursitis or arthritis. Infection (Septic Bursitis). The closer the bursa is to the surface of the skin, the more likely the chance of infection from specific bacteria that are commonly found on the surface of the skin. This bacterial infection is known as septic bursitis and it is caused by the Staphylococcus Epidermis (or Staphylococcus Aureus) bacteria. Septic Bursitis occurs most commonly in men (85% of all cases occur in men) and you are at higher risk of contracting this if you have Diabetes have recently experienced trauma are undergoing steroid treatments have a certain kidney condition Crystal Deposits. Some people with diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout or scleroderma may contract bursitis from crystalline deposits in the joints. Although not much is known about how this process happens, it is common knowledge that Uric acid is a normal byproduct of daily metabolism. If your are diagnosed with gout then you are unable to break down this uric acid properly, leading to crystallization of this excess acid which deposits in joints, a painful symptom that can often lead to bursitis. Golfer's Elbow Tendonitis. (medial epicondylitis). Cases pain, swelling and inflammation that is felt on the inside of the elbow. The tendons attached to the bone at your elbow are connected to muscles in your forearm, which is why these injuries will sometimes cause pain in your forearm. These injuries are usually caused by racquet sports, golf and overuse from gardening and repetitive movements of your hand or wrist (ie. using a screwdriver). The good news is that most cases of tennis elbow will heal with simple home conservative treatments and surgery is often not needed! It's generally understood by doctors and surgeons, that surgery will introduce more scar tissue into the elbow. This added scar tissue will be problematic, requiring physical therapy and conservative treatment options post-surgery. This is why surgery is only performed as a last resort for chronic elbow injuries or a fractured bone that won't heal with conservative treatment methods. Some conservative treatment methods recommended include: Rest - This is important for initial healing because without proper rest you're at risk for increased pain, inflammation. This can make your elbow even worse and turn an acute injury into a chronic one. Avoid Activities that Caused Your Injury - While resting your elbow it's also important to avoid all activities that may have caused your tennis elbow (especially any repetitive arm, hand or wrist movement). Continuing on with regular activities will not only make your injury worse. Apply Effective Cold Compression Effective Cold Compression = Treatment with a Freezie Wrap® Immediate cold (using a Freezie Wrap®) will help you to manage pain while getting rid of the pain and inflammation. Reducing inflammation can also relieve some of the pressure that's being placed on your elbow tissue(s) and stop your injury from getting worse. Use Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy™ - After any inflammation and/or swelling has been reduced, you can use your own blood flow to maximize healing of damaged tissue and maintain healthy blood flow to your elbow. This also boost overall long-term healing of this injury. Step 1 - Reduce Pain & Swelling with a Freezie Wrap® The 1st step for conservative treatment of your elbow when treating conservatively or even after surgery is to reduce swelling to "open up" the area for more blood flow. Anyone in the health-care business knows that your blood supplies the oxygen and much needed nutrients required for your body to heal naturally after surgery. This is why doctors and surgeons recommend cold compression therapy within the first 72 hours of an injury and following elbow surgery. Cold compression therapy is recommended to reduce pain, swelling and tissue damage. Many doctors, surgeons and physical therapists consider cold compression therapy to be the gold standard for treatment of inflammation and pain. On-going cold compression treatments can reduce, or even eliminate, the need for NSAIDs or other medications that can be harmful to your body. Cold compression therapy is known and trusted by most medical professionals. This is why for years doctors, trainers and other medical professionals have recommended RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) to treat the pain and swelling of fresh injuries, chronic pain, after any re-injury, and especially after surgery. Although RICE can help to treat these symptoms, ice and inferior gel packs reach temperatures so low they can cause cryoburn, an ice burn on your skin. The problem is, up until now there hasn't been any other option to treat painful conditions and injuries with effective cold compression, so ice and blue gel packs (full of antifreeze and chemicals) have been the only choice up until now. Fortunately you no longer have to settle for these ice cold methods that are uncomfortably cold against your skin, provide short term relief, cause ice burns, and numb your skin and underlying tissue beyond feeling so you don't even notice the ice burn until it's too late. You can also get rid of those cold packs that warm up soon after you pull them out of the freezer and gel that pools around your injury putting the short-term cold everywhere except for where you need it most - on your elbow injury! The Freezie Wrap® is the cold compression tool you need for your post-surgical recovery to treat yourself in an effective and convenient way. When used on a tennis elbow injury, our Freezie Wraps® provide: The highest-level of cold compression to quickly decrease pain, swelling, inflammation and draw the heat out of your elbow. A tailored wrap that conforms perfectly around your elbow. Effective cold compression that's unlike any other cold compression wrap out there. Cold temperatures that stay right over your elbow injury for the entire length of your treatment. A home-based solution with consistent (daily) cold treatments that reduces swelling fast, decreases tissue damage after injury or surgery, and opens up the vessels in and around your elbow to receive the blood flow circulation needed to heal quickly and naturally. Heavier, more substantial gel packs containing a special formulation of gel - called RigiGel®. RigiGel® is our trademarked name for a unique gel formula that's made out of food-grade, non-toxic material which holds the cold for an extended period of time. This specially formulated gel also features non-migrating gel technology that makes our Elbow Freezie Wrap® truly different from any other wrap available on the market. RigiGel® is a patented formula that gives you: More cooling power per pound of gel than standard cold compression wraps. More gel than other wraps, meaning every time you put one on it will keep your elbow cold for a longer period; pain relief is enhanced and swelling is better controlled. Our special RigiGel® packs can be chilled in the fridge or freezer to tailor the amount of cold that you need for your injury. It doesn't matter how you cool it down, because our gel packs are chock full of gel that's designed to cool down into millions of tiny snowflakes. This method of cooling means our gel packs aren't icy-cold, just perfectly cold enough to give you the most effective cold compression available. The cushioned gel will wrap around your elbow and it won't budge for the entire treatment period. You'll no longer have to deal with annoying pooling around your elbow or have to hold a hard block of ice on your injury! This is important because once blood vessels are blocked or damaged, they can no longer carry oxygenated blood through the tissue and tissue cells begin to break-down. Without cold compression therapy cellular break-down and tissue damage continues as the cells don't get the oxygen they need to survive. By limiting the amount of damage done to your elbow, you also limit the amount of healing that needs to occur. This is a very important step to heal elbow injuries faster and with less pain! This is why you need to treat your elbow injury as soon as possible, when you notice pain / swelling / inflammation, directly after a re-injury or surgery. Applying a Elbow Freezie Wrap® right away will stop the damage immediately and unblock your blood vessels to let your body's natural blood flow in to start healing the tissue. It'll seem weird for you to read this, but there are a LOT of people out there that don't understand how fast cold compression with Elbow Freezie Wrap® can get the swelling / inflammation in your elbow under control! After you get rid of the swelling for good you can start actually dealing with your elbow injury and the healing needed. Step 2 - Improve Circulation, Soften Scar Tissue & Prevent Re-Injury with Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy™ There are a lot of people that think their tennis elbow injury is gone after their swelling and inflammation are gone and their elbow feels better. They also make the mistake of returning to regular activities too soon without proper time for healing. The truth is that healing takes time and after the swelling is gone your elbow injury isn't even close to being fully healed. After the inflammation in and around your elbow has been reduced, providing extra blood flow and strengthening the tissue in and around your elbow is recommended. Believe it or not, the best time for you to focus on avoiding re-injury and strengthening the weakened tissue in your elbow is when the swelling's gone and your elbow has started to heal. It's vital that you don't go back to activities too soon because you might bring on a major setback in your recovery... Have you recently re-injured your elbow by returning to your normal daily activities too quickly? How many times in the past have you aggravated your elbow just trying to perform basic tasks around your house? Is your tennis elbow preventing you from work or activities you love to do? The answer is simple. Your body can heal itself and it's the blood in your body that makes it all happen. Your blood is how everything that's good inside of you is transported directly to your injured elbow tissue. Your blood carries oxygen, nutrients, water and antibodies right to the source of your injury and pain. Bringing proper blood flow to your injured elbow is essential for healing. Promoting blood flow around injured tissue to help the body heal itself is a concept that's been used for centuries. Oxygen and nutrients, carried in your own blood, are critical for the body to heal itself. Without proper blood flow, recovering from your elbow injury will be delayed... Sometimes for a very long period of time. Even though the concept is simple, improving blood flow to your elbow can be difficult. When an injury occurs to the elbow. Traditional methods require you to move your sore/stiff elbow in order to promote blood flow. This same motion that promotes blood flow can also make your pain and elbow injury much worse. Relying on movement alone to increase blood flow puts you in danger of re-injuring your elbow. So what do you do when you need to increase blood flow, but you can't move your elbow /arm without re-injuring your tissue? Using Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy™ (BFST®), will help with your recovery and heal your elbow more completely. BFST® increases the amount of blood that flows naturally to your soft tissue to nourish your elbow, improving elasticity and speeding the healing process. This increased Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy™ to your damaged elbow is greatly needed to complete your healing and avoid re-injury once and for all. The only way to get BFST® is through use of a Elbow Inferno Wrap®. The Elbow Inferno Wrap® is the only treatment method that improves blood flow and circulation on a deep tissue level. Other methods of warming / heating tissue (hot water bottles, hot baths, etc) will only ever increase blood flow on a surface / skin level. These methods need a LOT of time to even reach your damaged tendon on a deep tissue level. And even if you were to use them this long your skin would heat up to an uncomfortable level and it may even burn you. The best source of heat treatment is from a product where you don't even feel that much heat. When you don't feel the heat, it means the therapy is working in your deep soft tissue which is really where you need it. It's kind of like how your heart works in your body. You can't "feel" your heart pumping blood all around your body to your arms and legs. You can't even hear your own heartbeat without listening very closely. This is exactly how deep tissue BFST® works too! You're not supposed to "feel" a lot of heat because the heat isn't treating your skin, it's treating your tennis elbow, increasing the blood flow right where your injury is! When treating a tennis elbow or any soft tissue injury, an effective therapy will increase blood flow to the injury while your elbow is immobile. This increase in blood flow will accelerate the body's own ability to heal itself. The Elbow Inferno Wrap® is the most highly effective blood flow stimulation device that you'll find on the market that is approved by the FDA for use in the home or hospital. Regular treatments with a Elbow Inferno Wrap® can reduce pain and stiffness from scar tissue and increase overall flexibility in your elbow. Increased blood flow will whisk away damaged tissue, toxins, and any bacteria in or around your injured elbow to promote more effective healing. Getting rid of toxins will allow all of the positive healing processes to start in your injury. Increasing blood flow will also increase the amount of oxygen that's being sent to your injured tissue AND boost your tissue's ability to absorb oxygen. (reference: 1) Every Inferno Wrap® contains a patented Energy Web® that's flexible and shaped to conform around your elbow. The Energy Web® provides a uniform wave of healing electromagnetic energy over the entire treatment area. This energy travels deep inside your soft tissue to stimulate blood flow on the deep tissue level where it's needed to heal your injury. It's the electromagnetic energy provided provided by our Inferno Wraps® that's crucial to the healing process. Electromagnetic energy is the only way to get your blood flow moving on a deep tissue level for these reasons: Electromagnetic energy waves are not heat waves. When emitted from the Inferno Wrap®, electromagnetic energy waves penetrate right through your skin and fat layers until they get to your damaged tissue. Once these energy waves reach your injured elbow tendon, they're absorbed and quickly converted into heat energy right at the location of your injury. The idea of electromagnetic energy waves is slowly catching on in North American, but the truth is, it's a technology that's been used for decades. Many people just don't know that over the past 30 years, researchers in Japan and China have completed extensive studies on the use of electromagnetic energy for healing and their findings have been impressive. Success has been reported in studies from countries like Sweden and Germany. Research is continuing and soon, much of North American will know what the Far East and Europe has known for a long time... Electromagnetic energy provides a wide range of health benefits for those not only suffering from a tennis elbow, but for many other soft tissue injuries as well. Regular treatment with the electromagnetic energy in our Inferno Wraps® will ensure: Your pain will be reduced. Your injured elbow will heal at an accelerated rate with reduced potential for re-injury. Your knee will have a larger range of motion and increased extensibility of collagen tissue in your joint and around your meniscus. (Chapter 9 of "Therapeutic Heat and Cold", 4th edition. (amazon.com link - Ed. Justus F. Lehmann, M.D., Williams, and Wilkin) Our Inferno Wraps® are uniquely patented designs that are better than other alternatives out there for more than just the electromagnetic energy they provide! Our wraps are made from medical-grade material - this should be as important to you as it is to us. Other products that are sold in stores are considered "consumer goods" meaning the material only needs to be as good as a sweater that you wear. Clothing articles like this don't need to meet high standards of production or materials and may include materials that irritate your skin. Since our wraps are medical-grade products registered with the FDA, they are of a higher quality and need to meet way more standards for manufacturing (ISO 10993 - biocompatibility testing). This makes our wraps the safest product to increase blood flow circulation. Our manufacturer has spent years perfecting the wrap design to make sure you get the treatment you deserve! Prevention and Promotion of Lifelong Health If you want to avoid re-injury, or manage pain and increase circulation for lifelong health benefits a Elbow Freezie Wrap® and Inferno Wrap® will provide the results you are looking for. Why spend time in pain, off from work, and missing out on your active lifestyle when you can be proactive about your injury and the health of your body? Talk to your doctor about incorporating a regular routine of using a Freezie Wrap® and Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy™. Call one of our AidMyTennisElbow Advisers at no cost or obligation to address any lingering questions you have about using heat or cold for your elbow injury - toll free 1-866-237-9608 Learn more about the Post Surgery Rehab Original article and pictures take http://www.aidmytenniselbow.com/lateral-epicondylitis/lateral-epicondylitis-information.php site
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