How can I relieve pain from tennis elbow?

Don't let tennis elbow keep you off the court. Orthopedic surgeon Vonda Wright, MD, shares tips to help heal the tendonitis known as tennis elbow.

Transcript

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Use ice massage to speed healing. If that's not enough, your doctor may suggest steroid injections.

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[MUSIC PLAYING]

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Are you an aspiring Venus Williams or Andy Murray? Tennis is a great exercise that burns up

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to 600 calories an hour. But I see a lot of patients with tennis elbow. That's a common overuse injury caused by inflamed tendons.

00:33

And the more you play, the more likely you'll get it. Here's how to stay in the game. Stay off the courts until the inflammation subsides.

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Take aspirin or ibuprofen to relieve the pain and help temper the inflammation. Use ice massage to speed healing.

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If that's not enough, your doctor may suggest steroid injections. Once your elbow is better, here's

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how to keep problems from coming back. Ask your tennis pro to show you how to return the ball with less stress on your elbow.

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Also ask if you need a smaller, stiffer racquet or a different grip size.

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Have an experienced trainer or physical therapist teach you exercises to strengthen your arms by using

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light weights. Finally, always warm up before hitting the court.