Taking Care of Tennis Elbow
Taking Care of Tennis Elbow
In recent years, more and more people are becoming aware that Botox is more than just a cosmetic injectable. It can also be useful for a variety of medical conditions, particularly relating to muscles. Let’s take, for example, someone suffering from tennis elbow. This condition can be debilitating, but could Botox be of assistance? Let’s find out.
What is Tennis Elbow?
Overuse of tendons and muscles in your forearm can result in a condition known as tennis elbow. It causes pain and swelling on the outside area of your elbow, alongside inflammation. Without treatment, this condition can get much, much worse.
Repetitive activity is one of the major causes of this condition. Your forearm muscles are placed under strain, and this causes your tendon fibres to strain at the point where they join from the bone to the outside of your elbow.
Contrary to popular belief that only tennis players get it, that’s not entirely true. Anyone in labour-intensive industries can be at risk, such as plumbers, painters, golfers, and carpenters, for example.
What are the Symptoms of Tennis Elbow?
The most common symptoms of tennis elbow are pain and a burning feeling around the elbow. This pain may radiate down your forearm, and your elbow might be painful to touch. If you grip, rotate, or even grasp your elbow, that may also cause pain. A physical examination from your doctor can offer a diagnosis.
Traditional Treatment Methods of Tennis Elbow
Quite often, non-surgical treatments are useful for the treatment of tennis elbow. Doctors recommend ice, acupuncture or acupressure, anti-inflammatory medication, a splint or brace, physiotherapy and physical therapy. However, severe cases of tennis elbow, or pain that persists, may see the need for surgery, as well.
How can Botox Assist with Tennis Elbow?
Given that medical practitioners have a variety of treatment options to play with, it may surprise you to learn that Botox is a valid treatment method, as well. However, the reality is that not everyone will see desirable results with current tennis elbow treatment options. Therefore, it’s helpful if we look beyond those to be able to offer sufferers some relief.
A double-blind, randomized trial published in the May 2018 issue of The Journal showed that at least half of patients treated with Botulinum toxin injections experienced relief from tennis elbow. After 90 days, 50 percent had a reduction in their initial pain intensity. Around 20 percent felt completely cured. Included in the study was a placebo group, and the Botox group experienced far better results.
A randomised control trial was also conducted in 2010, with similar promising results. Injections in a specific site were able to lead to significant pain reduction. However, Dr. Mortazavi from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences said injecting in the right place was paramount. The injection site was based on the anatomic measurement of each patient’s forearm length.
Tennis elbow sufferers can see their GP to learn about a wide variety of treatment options available. However, current studies show that, with precise measurements to guide a Botox injection into the right place, this treatment option may become more commonplace in the future.