TENNIS ELBOW

There are many methods of addressing the symptoms of tennis elbow out there (also known as lateral epicondylitis), but we are known for our natural and holistic approach. 

If you are not happy with arm bands and injections as a solution then we have another approach which you may want to hear about.  We aim to address the ultimate-cause of the-state-of-strain rather than solely finding relief from the immediate-cause's symptoms.

BUT I DON’T EVEN PLAY TENNIS?

But what if you don’t play tennis? How can you have tennis elbow? It is very simple it all comes down to a question of demand and supply.

Let’s imagine for a moment that you did play tennis, using a tennis racket is like adding an extension rod to your forearm.  With it your forearm becomes a longer lever and is therefore capable of creating greater forces on your joints and muscles.

The longer leverage would be making a demand on your tissues that they are unlikely to be able to keep up with.  If they can't keep up the joint and muscles become strained.

If demand is greater than supply then strain occurs.

So what about if you don't play tennis? Well the principle is the same but instead of the demand being too high the supply is too low. 

This time we are not extending the leverage to create the strain, instead the ability to do work is lessened.  This will happen as a result of compromising resources - reduce the resources and you reduce the capacity to do work by lowering the efficiency of the limb.

In the case of Tennis Elbow the question we must ask is; how is it that the demand-you-are-making-of-your-arm is greater than the work-your-arm-can-perform? Or, if you prefer, how is it that your body is unable to supply the resources needed to deal with the demand you are making of it, even if it seems the demand is not that strenuous?

Symptom free use is only possible if the muscles and joints are working efficiently, if not they fatigue and this leads to first acute and then chronic strain whereby even simple or no movement can become painful.

So what do we need to work efficiently?  Well firstly we must look to our frame-work. The shape of something will effect how it works. Mal-aligned joints can lead to mal-adjusted movement, and mal-adjusted movement is not efficient.

The wrist and elbow are influenced by the positioning and function of the shoulder girdle. The shoulder girdle is influenced by the alignment of the back and rib cage, these in-turn are impacted by a level foundation at the pelvis and legs. 

Mal alignment anywhere through these structures can impact the function and tensions at the elbow simply by the way they alter the two ends of muscles.

Secondly we need an appropriate blood supply - work requires blood because cells are using fuel. 

We need a supply that is not compromised by having to pass through contracted areas, such as the tense muscles that are over-working to support a poorly aligned framework.

Also we must ensure that the blood is not being changed by an alteration its nervous control.  This control is called vasomotor control and it is it's job to calibrate the diameter of all the arteries.  This is frequently compromised by the back and the path the nerve takes to get to the arm. 

Next we must consider the body’s ability to remove the waste products from the area, more fuel being used leads to more waste being created and this must be removed to allow correct function.

If you are not getting rid of the old blood quick enough it will stop the supply of new blood a bit like a traffic jam.

As muscles become tighter and as the area is moved less the fluid return from the arm is reduced, add to this tension in the neck and shoulders as a result of misalignment in those areas and the fluid return becomes even more difficult.

Lastly when we think about addressing tennis elbow in a natural way we must consider the accuracy of the sensory signal returning from the area to the higher centres in the brain.  These centres dictate what reserves are needed in what area.  Messing with this signal messes with the body’s attempts at repair because the brain is not being given a 100% accurate picture of what is happening.

NATURE'S SPEED

So how long will all this take?  Your symptoms may have arrived suddenly but experience tells us that strain of this type rarely just occurs, in fact it's more commonly just the final straw and despite the symptoms just turning up one day they are actually part of a bigger picture.

Situations that start in this way seldom start to wane until the chronic environment that has lead to them is confronted and the natural repair processes have been set free.  This is why tennis elbow can sometimes be so tricky because the true cause is not being addressed.

Our aim is to change the body in such a way that there is a modification to the body’s physiology and it’s calibration of function and to subtly adjust the articular integrity and tensegrity of the muscular skeletal system. We wish these changes could be made more quickly but it seems they can only ever occur at the speed the body will allow - we call this nature’s speed.

Once the blocks to supply have been removed and the strain of the demand has been lessened symptom free use is either fully regained or the symptoms faded enough to completely alter the patient’s outlook.

CONTACT US

Please see the How To Contact Us page if you would like to book a consultation with one of our body adjustment practitioners for your tennis elbow.