Tennis Elbow

Symptoms of Tennis Elbow

Some of the typical symptoms of tennis elbow are pain in the outer side of the elbow, pain moving down from forearms through wrists, difficulty in holding, lifting, or carrying objects, tenderness and stiffness in elbows and forearm muscles, difficulty in elbow or hand movement, difficulty in extending forearms and wrists, and pain while moving wrists.

The symptoms typically last for a few weeks or months, but in extreme cases the pain can endure for years.

Preventing Tennis Elbow : Consider following some of the following preventive measures to avoid straining your elbow muscles:
	Stretch your muscles before you begin to exercise or perform other strenuous activities.
	Avoid continuous work or activities in the office or home. Take time every few hours to let the muscles of the arms relax.
	Exercise your arms and elbows everyday to strengthen your muscles. One way to do this is to hold a heavy book in your hand, lift your arm straight and parallel to the floor and slowly move your wrist clockwise and then anti-clockwise. Do this for five minutes and follow the same procedure for the other hand. Alternatively, keep your elbows in a tilt position with downward facing palms and bend your wrist up and down.
	Avoid activities that require a constant application of excessive force that strains the muscles of the forearms. Also, avoid jerky movements.
	If you play tennis or any other sport, follow proper techniques to avoid injuries.
	Strap your forearms, particularly below the elbow, because this will provide support while playing sports, exercising, or lifting heavy objects.

Natural Cures

Tennis elbow can be treated by using combination therapies such as modifying lifestyle, improving techniques (for athletes) and anti-inflammatory medications to manage pain. The following natural cures can be used to ease some of the painful symptoms that are associated with tennis elbow:

Horsetail and White Willow Bark

Horsetail has traditionally been used to treat a variety of ailments such as to stop excess bleeding, increase urine production, repair broken bones, and relieve rheumatic conditions such as arthritis. Horsetail contains significant amounts of silica and smaller amounts of calcium. Both silica and calcium are components of bones, joints, and connective tissues such as tendons and ligaments. The silicates found in horsetail give it anti-arthritic actions and are believed to strengthen connective tissues.

White willow bark contains salicin, which is converted by the body into salicylic acid. This chemical is said to have a pain-relieving effect on the body. White willow bark has anti-inflammatory, febrifuge, analgesic, anti-rheumatic, and astringent properties. It is believed to ease the pain that is associated with inflammatory conditions such as rheumatism, arthritis, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Have a naturalist or herbalist blend dried extract of horsetail and white willow and prepare 30 capsules with 150 milligrams per capsule. Take one capsule three times each day for ten days.

Herbal remedies


Juniper, mint, and wintergreen

Juniper essential oil has antiseptic, astringent, tonic, and antispasmodic therapeutic properties. The strong minty aroma of mint and wintergreen soothes and calms the mind and body. Mint also has anesthetic, antispasmodic, and antiseptic therapeutic properties. Blend one gram of essential oil of juniper, three grams of essential oil of mint, and two grams of essential oil of wintergreen in approximately 50 grams of carrier cream. Apply this to the elbow and the surrounding area two to three times each day for several days.

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