Natural Treatments for Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow, the painful inflammation of tendons in the elbow, can start gradually, and recognizing what is happening early will allow you to start natural treatments that may slow the progression.

Although referred to as tennis elbow, the Mayo Clinic said many people with the condition don't even play tennis. Caused by repetitive motions and overuse of the elbow and arm, it often affects people with jobs requiring such motions, like carpenters, painters, and butchers. The medical term for tennis elbow is lateral epicondylitis, which refers to inflammation where the tendons of the forearm muscles connect to the bony end of the elbow on the outside.

"In most cases, the pain begins as mild and slowly worsens over weeks and months. There is usually no specific injury associated with the start of symptoms," according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

The following are natural treatments and actions you can take at home to help tennis elbow:

Change Your Movement
Make changes in the way you are working or in your tennis form to alleviate stress on the affected tendons.

Physical Therapy
Exercises recommended by your physician or a physical therapist may help "stretch and strengthen" your muscles, Mayo said.

Acupuncture
Acupuncture may be helpful for tennis elbow; small studies have shown that it helps, but more evidence is needed, WebMD said.

Nitric Oxide
Use of topical nitric oxide in a patch has been shown to help alleviate the symptoms of tennis elbow; one study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine reported relief of pain with movement and other outcomes.

Turmeric
Turmeric shows potential as a natural treatment for inflammation. In one study, discussed in Science Daily, researcher Dr Ali Mobasheri said, "Our research is not suggesting that curry, turmeric or curcumin are cures for inflammatory conditions such as tendinitis and arthritis. However, we believe that it could offer scientists an important new lead in the treatment of these painful conditions through nutrition."

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