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Tennis Elbow – Symptoms, Causes, And Home Remedies

If you constantly experience a shooting pain in your forearm and find it difficult even to open the door, you might be suffering from tennis elbow. Quite contrary to what its name suggests, this condition is not exclusive to tennis players. It can affect anyone who overuses their forearms. Even day to day activities like cutting meat and vegetables or using the computer mouse repeatedly can cause this issue. However, you can get rid of it rather easily with the help of a few home remedies. Keep scrolling to find out how!

Table Of Contents

  • What is Tennis Elbow?
  • Signs And Symptoms Of Tennis Elbow
  • What Causes Tennis Elbow?
  • Home Remedies To Treat Tennis Elbow
  • Prevention Tips

What Is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow is medically known as lateral epicondylitis. This condition usually occurs when the tendons in the elbow are overloaded by repetitive motions of the wrist and the arm.
The pain that accompanies tennis elbow usually occurs in the tendons of your forearm, which are attached to the bony bump outside your elbow. This pain can also spread to your forearm and wrist.
Other symptoms of tennis elbow are listed below.


Signs And Symptoms Of Tennis Elbow

  • Difficulty in shaking hands or gripping an object.
  • Ache in the outer elbow.
  • This ache may turn into chronic pain if left untreated.
The main cause of tennis elbow is an injury caused by overuse of the muscles and tendons of your elbow. There are also a few other factors and professions that can increase your risk of developing tennis elbow, some of which are discussed below.

What Causes Tennis Elbow?

Some of the most common arm motions known to cause tennis elbow are:
  • Use of plumbing tools
  • Driving screws
  • Painting
  • Cutting up ingredients, especially meat
  • Repetitive use of the computer mouse
There are also a few risk factors that increase your chances of developing tennis elbow. They include:
  • Age: Those between 30 and 50 years of age are at a higher risk of developing tennis elbow.
  • Occupation: Those who have jobs that require repetitive motion of the arms and wrists, for example, plumbers, painters, carpenters, cooks, etc., are at a higher risk of developing this condition.
  • Certain sports: Engaging in too much of racket sports can also give you tennis elbow.
If you have developed this condition, don’t worry. Here is a list of natural remedies that can speed up your recovery.


How To Treat Tennis Elbow Naturally

1. Essential Oils

a. Lemongrass Oil

You Will Need
  • 12 drops of lemongrass oil
  • 30 mL of any carrier oil
What You Have To Do
  1. Mix 12 drops of lemongrass oil with 30 mL of any carrier oil.
  2. Apply this over your forearm and other aching areas.
  3. Leave it on for 30 to 60 minutes.
  4. Wash it off.
How Often You Should Do This
You must do this 1 to 2 times daily.
Why This Works
Lemongrass oil is widely known for its potent anti-inflammatory properties, which can help treat the pain and inflammation associated with tennis elbow (1).

b. Lavender Oil

You Will Need
  • 12 drops of lavender oil
  • 30 mL of any carrier oil
What You Have To Do
  1. Add 12 drops of lavender oil to 30 mL of any carrier oil and mix well.
  2. Apply this mixture to the affected area.
  3. Leave it on for at least 40 to 60 minutes and then wash it off.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this once daily.
Why This Works
Lavender oil is a multipurpose essential oil that is widely used for healing various ailments. Its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties make it the perfect remedy for treating tennis elbow (2).

2. Turmeric

You Will Need
  • 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
  • 1 glass of hot milk
  • Honey
What You Have To Do
  1. Add a teaspoon of turmeric powder to a glass of hot milk and stir well.
  2. When the milk cools down a bit, add some honey to it.
  3. Consume this mixture while it is warm.
How Often You Should Do This
You must consume turmeric milk 1 to 2 times daily.
Why This Works
Turmeric can work wonders in treating tennis elbow because of the presence of a magic ingredient called curcumin in it. Curcumin not only speeds up healing but also reduces the pain and inflammation to a great extent (3), (4).

3. Castor Oil

You Will Need
  • 1 tablespoon of castor oil
  • A hot water bottle
What You Have To Do
  1. Apply a tablespoon of castor oil to your elbow.
  2. Place a hot water bottle on it and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. Repeat a couple of times.
How Often You Should Do This
Follow this procedure once daily for a few weeks.
Why This Works
Castor oil contains a compound called ricinoleic acid, which has anti-inflammatory properties (5). These properties, in combination with the heat, reduce the pain and inflammation.

4. Ice Or Heat Pack

You Will Need
Ice or heat pack
What You Have To Do
  1. Apply an ice pack to the affected area.
  2. Continue doing this for 15 minutes every couple of hours.
  3. Do this for the first few days, after which you can apply a heat pack to the affected area.
How Often You Should Do This
You must do this several times a day.
Why This Works
An ice pack can do wonders in treating tennis elbow. It not only provides immediate relief from pain but also helps reduce any swelling in the affected area (6). The heat pack helps reduce inflammation (7).

5. Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage is increasingly becoming popular, thanks to its wide range of benefits. It is commonly used to treat chronic aches and can help you deal with stiff neck, lower back pain, sore shoulders, as well as tennis elbow. This massage therapy uses firm and slow strokes to reach the deeper layers of the muscles and fascia and can help relieve inflammation, pain, and disrupted circulation (8).

6. Aloe Vera Juice

You Will Need
1 cup of aloe vera juice
What You Have To Do
Consume a cup of aloe juice daily.
How Often You Should Do This
Start with two cups of aloe vera per day, and once you notice an improvement in your condition, reduce the intake to one cup per day.
Why This Works
Aloe vera juice is one of the best remedies to treat tennis elbow from within. It possesses excellent healing and anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce pain and swelling (9).

7. Tart Cherry Juice

You Will Need
1 cup of unsweetened tart cherry juice
What You Have To Do
Consume a cup of tart cherry juice.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this 1 to 2 times daily.
Why This Works
Tart cherry juice reduces muscle soreness and inflammation, increases strength, relieves pain, and quickens recovery (10).

8. Vitamins

Including certain vitamins in your diet can also speed up your recovery. Vitamins A and C are especially helpful in treating tennis elbow. While vitamin A increases collagen production, which helps repair the torn tissues, vitamin C also promotes cell repair and growth (11), (12), (13).
Some foods that are rich in these vitamins include kiwis, tomatoes, bell peppers, leafy vegetables, carrots, and dairy products. You can also take additional supplements for these vitamins, but only after consulting your doctor.

9. Fenugreek Seeds

You Will Need
  • 2 tablespoons of fenugreek seeds
  • Milk (as required)
What You Have To Do
  1. Soak two tablespoons of fenugreek seeds overnight.
  2. The next morning, grind the soaked fenugreek with just enough milk to form a thick paste.
  3. Apply this paste evenly to the affected area.
  4. Leave it on for 1 to 2 hours before washing it off with lukewarm water.
  5. You can also mix a teaspoon of powdered fenugreek in a glass of warm water and consume it.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this once daily.
Why This Works
Fenugreek has powerful anti-inflammatory activities that help in treating tennis elbow as well as the inflammation accompanies it (14).

10. Potato

tennis elbow - Potato 
You Will Need
  • 1-2 boiled potatoes
  • A clean washcloth
What You Have To Do
  1. Boil two potatoes and mash them immediately.
  2. Place the mashed potatoes in a clean washcloth and tie it up.
  3. Wrap this washcloth over the affected area.
  4. Leave it on for 30 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This
You must do this 1 to 2 times daily.
Why This Works
Potato is another ingredient that is used for treating tennis elbow because of its strong anti-inflammatory properties (15). It soothes the inflammation and pain associated with the condition.

11. Ginger

You Will Need
  • 1-2 inches of grated ginger
  • 1 cup of water
  • Honey
What You Have To Do
  1. Add an inch or two of grated ginger to a cup of water.
  2. Bring it to a boil in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Strain and add a little honey.
  4. Consume the ginger tea while it is warm.
  5. You can also soak a washcloth in ginger tea and apply it to the affected area.
How Often You Should Do This 
Consume ginger tea thrice daily.
Why This Works
Given the powerful analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of ginger, it is no surprise that it is used to treat a variety of ailments, especially those related to sports, including tennis elbows (16), (17).

12. Celery Seeds

You Will Need
  • 1 teaspoon of celery seeds
  • 1 glass of warm water
What You Have To Do
  1. Extract the juice from a teaspoon of celery seeds.
  2. Add 10 drops of this extract to a glass of warm water and mix well.
  3. Consume this mixture.
How Often You Should Do This
You must drink this mixture 2 to 3 times daily, preferably before every meal.
Why This Works
Celery extract possesses anti-inflammatory properties that can help in dealing with the pain, inflammation, and swelling associated with tennis elbow (18).

13. Pineapple

You Will Need
1 bowl of freshly cut pineapples
What You Have To Do
  1. Consume a bowl of freshly cut pineapples.
  2. Alternatively, you can also blend the cut pineapples and consume the juice.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this 1 to 2 times daily.
Why This Works
As we have already discussed, vitamin C enhances collagen production and helps in speeding up your recovery. Pineapple is not only a rich source of vitamin C, but it also contains an enzyme called bromelain, which has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties – both of which are great for curing tennis elbow (19), (20), (21).

These remedies will give you the desired results and help you in getting rid of tennis elbow successfully. However, this condition can recur if you do not make changes to your lifestyle. Here are a few tips.

Prevention Tips

  • Avoid straining your elbows.
  • Find the activity that is causing the tennis elbow and find an alternative to it.
  • Get training from professionals before indulging in sports like tennis or squash.
  • Always warm up before any intense exercise.
  • Do exercises that help to strengthen your forearm muscles, like stretching and dumbbell curls.
  • Get an acupuncture treatment from a professional.
Most medical conditions require immediate treatment to prevent them from taking a complicated turn. Hence, it is best to treat this condition at the earliest to avoid complications that may even lead to surgical intervention.

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