How do I Diagnose Tennis Elbow?

When you are experiencing elbow pain, the best way to diagnose this condition is with a quick visit to the your doctor for a physical examination of your elbow. Getting a proper diagnosis is important so you can treat your condition correctly.

Untreated chronic elbow pain can cause bone spurs and/or the break down tendon tissue in your elbow, becoming even more painful than before. Keep in mind, however, your symptoms may be caused by a similar condition to tennis elbow having similar symptoms in the elbow, forearm, wrist, or hand.

Medical History

Understanding your medical history and individual lifestyle will help your physician provide the best diagnosis possible. To begin with, your doctor will gather a medical history about you and your current condition and symptoms. The diagnosis will be based on:

• The severity and duration of your injury
• Your level and type of pain (does it hurt during or after activity or do you experience pain all the time? Do you experience pain while flexing your fingers, turning your wrist, or only when extending your forearm?)
• How your symptoms are affecting your lifestyle (Are your symptoms mildly aggravating or causing you to limit or stop normal, daily activity?)
• Your general health and well-being
• Your age and current level of physical ability
• Your participation in activity

Your physician will discuss what factors led to your injury. This can include investigating the techniques, equipment, and training used in your activity, sport, or occupation. The duration of your injury will determine whether you are suffering from acute (short term) or chronic (long term) Tennis Elbow. Some treatments are only suitable for short term symptoms while others are used to effectively heal chronic injuries.

All of these things will indicate to your physician, the severity of your injury. This will help them determine which type of conservative treatment will provide the most effective healing. Depending on the duration and severity of your injury, you may even require surgery. It is important to speak to your physician as soon as possible to limit potential damage to your elbow and start the healing process.

Physical Examination

Your physician will conduct a physical exam to determine if you are suffering from tennis elbow or a related condition. During your physical exam, your doctor will visually assess your elbow by asking you to extend and flex your elbow, wrist, and fingers. During these exercises, your doctor will place pressure on certain areas of your arm. Your physical exam will help your physician asses your range of motion, muscle and grip strength, joint stability, and pain. Pain or discomfort communicates to your doctor that the muscles, tendons, joints, or tissues may not be healthy. A physical examination of your arm will alert your physician to any physical abnormalities. This could include inflammation, swelling, bone deformity, or atrophied muscle.

Typically, your medical history and physical exam will give your physician enough information to make a diagnosis. If your doctor believes that your symptoms are due to something other than Tennis Elbow, further testing will need to be done to determine the correct diagnosis.

It is rare that more complex diagnostic techniques will be used to diagnose Tennis Elbow, but they can be effective in helping determine the cause of your symptoms. An X-Ray, which uses short electromagnetic radiation waves to create an image, can help your doctor get a detailed picture of your bone structure. This can help determine if a fracture or arthritis are the cause of your symptoms.

Your body is a complex system; everything is interconnected. Because of this, problems in your neck, shoulder, or arm could cause symptoms similar to Tennis Elbow. An MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging sends out a strong magnetic field and radio waves over your body. This creates an image of your bones and soft tissues. An MRI can help doctors see if there is an issue in another part of your body.

An EMG or Electromyography test uses small wires placed in your muscles to detect any changes in nerve signals during movement. When assessing your elbow, this test is helpful in determining if your symptoms are being caused by a pinched nerve.

Your physician will check for inflammatory conditions such as bursitis, which affects liquid filled capsules in the joint or osteochondritis which affects the cartilage or bone of a joint.

The good news is that most cases of tennis elbow will heal with simple home conservative treatments and surgery is often not needed! It's generally understood by doctors and surgeons, that surgery will introduce more scar tissue into the elbow. This added scar tissue will be problematic, requiring physical therapy and conservative treatment options post-surgery. This is why surgery is only performed as a last resort for chronic elbow injuries or a fractured bone that won't heal with conservative treatment methods.

The Elbow T•Shellz Wrap^® = Deep Heat for Your Tennis Elbow

The best home treatment option we came across in our research to accomplish true recovery from soft tissue elbow injuries such as tennis elbow is the Elbow T•Shellz Wrap^®. Use of this deep heat device results in a dramatic increase in blood flow to the injured tissues located deeper within the body - all in a non-invasive manner.

The Elbow T•Shellz Wrap^® is based on the scientifically validated principal of Electromagnetic energy as we discussed previously. This form of treatment is safe and effective as shown in numerous studies which can be referenced through the National Library of Medicine. Professional athletes and those in the medical field have been users of the technology for decades - it really hasn't been until recently that companies like ours introduced the treatment devices to the home user.

The healing energy from the T•Shellz Wrap^® does not absorb into the skin - it absorbs directly into the damaged muscle and soft tissue (as a result, you will not feel the same level of heat on the skin versus a heating pad). The longer wavelength provides the electromagnetic energy wrap with the capability of penetrating deep into the body (well over two and a half inches).

EM energy emitted from the T•Shellz Wrap^® is absorbed by high protein tissue (muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage) and is converted into Kinetic energy - much of this energy being released as heat. Overall, EM energy will warm soft tissues, improve blood circulation, and boost metabolism and enzyme activity. In stimulating localized blood flow to damaged soft tissue, you provide needed oxygen, nutrients, and antibodies to regenerate new, healthy collagen. In addition, you will experience a clearing of toxins and excess fluid build up from the injury site. Over the intermediate term, this helps to reduce incidents of swelling as trapped fluids will be whisked away - reducing pressure on blood vessels.

Using the T-Shell Wrap is truly a unique experience. Within moments of applying a treatment to your injured elbow, you can feel the healing sensation due to the increase in blood flow deep within the area. During a treatment, and for quite some time after you finish, the treated area will feel relaxed and less painful. It's a very soothing sensation and extremely effective.

The Elbow T•Shellz Wrap^® is an FDA Registered Medical Device and is suitable for use in therapeutic clinics and FROM HOME. It is completely safe for people and patients to use for themselves.

As mentioned earlier, the use of electromagnetic energy is becoming much more commonplace in North America for everyday people. The technology has been used for decades in the worlds of professional and amateur - a contributing factor as to why athletes seem to recover from injuries so quickly.

Have you ever wondered by an athlete can return to activity after 3 or 4 weeks following a severe elbow injury - while your average person takes much longer to return back to normal? The secret isn't really that much of a secret - it involves consistent treatments (meaning multiple times a day) using a diathermy treatment like the T•Shellz Wrap^® to stimulate blood flow to the injured tissues. Most athletes have the luxury of using in-house therapy facilities many times per day.

How many us can afford the time and money to visit a therapy clinic multiple times a day? Very few indeed. This is how you can gain the same advantage that athletes enjoy in healing their own injuries - by using a device like the Elbow T•Shellz Wrap^® two or three times a day on a consistent basis.

• After swelling and inflammation have been reduced with cold compression.
• Before exercise or workouts to warm up your elbow to prevent re-injury.
• Before and after tennis elbow surgery, during rehabilitation, to warm up your elbow before physical therapy exercising or stretching.
• Anytime you feel your elbow has stiffened up, is tight and your mobility is reduced causing you more pain.
• Anytime you have sore or aching tissue in and around your elbow.
• Any other situation where you need to increase blood flow to your elbow to relax your soft tissue, relieve pain, prevent re-injury and enhance flexibility of your tissue.

Give us a call to discuss techniques for preventing tennis elbow with our trained aidmytenniselbow.com product advisors. Our extensive research and time within the industry will be of great benefit to you - giving you proven tips on preventing these conditions from becoming complicated matters... Like they are for most people. Developing a course of action sooner rather than later will put you in a better position for quicker and more sustainable improvement.

Living with Tennis Elbow is never easy and we can help provide answers about prevention, causes, treatment options, potential stretches/exercise to consider, and ways to manage the condition for the short & long term.

If you want to avoid re-injury, or manage pain and increase circulation for lifelong health benefits, an Elbow TShellz Wrap will provide exceptional results. Why spend time in pain, off from work, and missing out on your active lifestyle when you can be proactive about your injury and the health of your body? Talk to your doctor about incorporating a regular routine of using Soft Tissue Repair Therapy into your everyday health regimen.

If you are still uncertain which route to go or if you would like to discuss issues affecting your elbow or other soft tissue injuries, then do not hesitate to contact a AidMyTennisElbow Advisor immediately by phone North America Toll Free 1-866-237-9608 | Outside North America +1-705-532-1671 or email service@mendmeshop.com

Product Advisors are available 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time Monday to Friday.

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During your recovery, you will probably have to modify and/or eliminate any activities that cause pain or discomfort at the location of your soft tissue injury until the pain and inflammation settle. Always consult your doctor and/or Physical Therapist before using any of our outstanding products, to make sure they are right for you and your condition. The more diligent you are with your treatment and rehabilitation, the faster you will see successful results!

Product specialists are available 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time Monday to Friday.

If any question or concern arises, call us or simply send us an email at any time (we check our emails constantly all throughout the day and night.. even on holidays!). We will respond as soon as possible.