Preventing Tennis Elbow -- Stop the Pain Before It Starts

Tennis elbow is an affliction that many tennis players will face in their lives, either as a temporary pain or a chronic pain. Of course, the irony is that the majority of people who are faced with tennis elbow do not necessarily even play tennis! This article will provide you with some tips on how to prevent tennis elbow, regardless of why you might have it.

As a tennis player, you can expect that you might be afflicted with tennis elbow. Fortunately, there are some treatments that can cause a lot of relief. Of course, if you get tennis elbow, the most important thing that you can do is rest your arm.

However, nobody wants to get tennis elbow in the first place. So here are some tips on how to prevent tennis elbow:

· Stay in shape.

· Do not overwork your elbow - if you have not played tennis for a while, take it easy. It may take a few weeks before you can play the kind of game you used to play.

· Strengthen the muscles of your arm, then they can take away some of the stress that would normally befall your elbow. Be sure to strengthen your shoulder and upper back, too.

· Do not overuse your arm - repeated movements can injure your tendon. Try switching arms when possible. If you are practicing your serve, be sure to take a lot of breaks.

· When lifting things, keep your palm facing your body. Lifting things in this way does not cause as much strain on your tendons.

· Stretch before playing tennis or participating in any other activity that might cause pain.

· Use only equipment that is appropriate for your ability and your strength.

· Make sure that your technique is down - the better your technique, the less likely you are to injure yourself.

· Try out a counterforce brace. This kind of brace is worn below your elbow, and it distributes pressure throughout your whole arm, thereby easing the pressure on the tendon. Make sure that you do not allow it to cut off your circulation, though.

· If you do start to feel pain, stop doing whatever action causes the pain!

· Apply ice to where you felt pain.

· Take a lot of breaks.

Tennis elbow is something that nobody wants to get, but many of us will. Following some of these tips, though, can reduce your chances of getting tennis elbow.

One of the most important things that you can do to prevent tennis elbow is to listen to your body - if your body is aching, listen to it. Figure out why you ache - did you forget to stretch? Have you been repeating a single motion? Are you overusing your arm. Any of these reasons (and many more) can lead to tennis elbow.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and sports. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on tennis, please visit E-Tennis.