Ever wondered what it would be like to be a professional tennis player? Want to have all the perks associated with it, the luxury, the endorsement deals and of course, the love of the game? How about the pain associated to it, like tennis elbow?

With matches after matches and tennis opens everywhere, it is hard to resist getting into the game. People idolize each player with pure awe and admiration. Unfortunately, they never get to see what are behind closed doors.

For most players, due to their intense work-out regimens and everyday hours-long practices, the pain eventually gets them. And when this pain is ignored, it could cause one’s hand to be immobile, for a long time.  This medical condition has been the most common among tennis players but had probably been experienced by any adult, once in their lifetime.

What is this chronic medical condition and how to treat it?

This chronic medical condition, also known as Lateral Epicondylitis, is a condition where there is a tear in the tendons attached in the muscles in the forearm to the arm bone in the elbow joint.

Symptoms:

Difficulty in carrying objects
Stiffness
Pain in gripping and movements, particularly in the wrist
Pain when pressed on the outer elbow
Forearm soreness

Common treatments:

There are treatments one can do in the comforts of their home
Rest the sore area to prevent further injury
Put an elbow brace
Try over-the-counter pain and anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen
Put some freezing water on the area and wrap it in a towel. No ice directly on skin. Do it twice a day for the inflammation to subside and ease the pain.

Extreme tennis elbow treatment would be cortisone injections, shockwave therapy and of course, surgery.