How To Treat Elbow Pain At Home
Elbow pain, or tennis elbow issue, which is also called epicondylitis, is a repetitive stress injury. It mainly includes the inflammation of the tendons that hold your muscle and the bone together on the outside of your elbow. Though the pain or injury is related to playing tennis, the other forms of repetitive forearm movement can also cause the same injury to the elbow. Tennis elbow problems can also be treated at home with various types of exercise and over-the-counter painkilling medications. Hence, if you have a problem and want to know about the treatment methods that could be done at home, then have a look at the suggestions given below.
Give the elbow rest
It is one of the simple forms of treatment, and it is effective too if the pain and botheration are not excessive. Giving rest to the arm that will not trigger the movements that will lead to inflammation and pain will help in providing relief. You will be able to do your daily activities until you avoid those movements and motions that can further aggravate and irritate the tendons. When you do any activity, try to do it at a slow pace and stop at once if you feel the pain again.
Ice pack
Applying ice packs on the elbow can help in reducing inflammation and pain. Don’t apply the ice directly to your skin but with some towel or clothing wrapped around the pack. Hold the ice pack at the painful area around 15-20 minutes. You can apply it 3-4 times a day. You can also use frozen peas for this purpose.
Compress and give support
The RICE method is an effective way of treating pain and inflammation, such as tennis elbow. The R stands for rest, I for ice, C goes for compression, and E means to elevate. Compression can help in reducing muscle fatigue. Wrap a compression bandage around the elbow tight so the compression can be felt. After wrapping the bandage, you must be able to move the fingers well. The temperature of the skin and the color of the lower arm must remain the same as the rest of your arm and other arms. If you notice the lower area is cooler than the rest of your arm or the skin, then you must remove the bandage at once.
Use pain killers
You can also use painkilling drugs like Tapentadol Tablets which helps in providing relief from pain. The drug is a narcotic painkilling drug and is useful for treating moderate to severely moderate pain. It helps in reducing the inflammation and the pain caused by the tennis elbow issue. Based on your condition, the doctor shall decide whether you should take the extended version of Tapentadol or the immediate one.
Gentle exercise
Then affected by tennis elbow or elbow pain, gentle exercises like stretching can be helpful. Extend the arm straight and put your hand as in a stop motion. Gently pull your fingers backward for around 15 seconds. Relax for a while and repeat the same. Doing this will help in keeping the elbow mobile instead of restricting the movement due to pain.