It’s easy to assume that the need for tennis elbow treatment is caused by, well, playing tennis. And that’s not wrong. Racquet sports, like badminton or squash, do increase the risk of developing tennis elbow. However, despite the name or the fact that almost 50% of tennis players have suffered from it at one point or another, less than 5% of all sufferers can actually blame it on playing tennis. Any activity that involves twisting the wrist or using the forearm muscles can result in tennis elbow, including but not limited to sports like:
- Golf
- Weightlifting
- Baseball
- Bowling
- Cricket
- Archery
- Rowing
- Rock climbing
- Martial Arts
You can also get it from everyday tasks like gardening, plumbing, typing, or playing musical instruments like the violin. One of the best and more effective methods of easing tennis elbow pain is through deep tissue massage. Massage helps improve blood circulation and break up scar tissue. And the best massage gun for the job is Hydragun.
HYDRAGUN utilizes percussion therapy to alleviate the pain, release muscle spasms, improve flexibility and heal the damage faster than rest alone. In this post, we show you how to use a massage gun for tennis elbow and how massage can help with the management of tennis elbow. So get a Hydragun today and let’s get started on your tennis elbow treatment.
The Hydragun Attachment Heads
Before we go into the actual massage, let’s get to know your tool. The Hydragun comes with 4 regular and 2 stainless steel attachment heads.
In general, we recommend –
· ball head – large muscle groups
· forkhead – deeper penetration of medium muscle groups
· bullet head – pinpoint targeting of tight knots
The flat heads (1 regular, 3 stainless steel) are suggested for larger surface areas. You can use your Hydragun all over the body, from the neck, shoulders, torso, legs and feet.
Using a Deep Tissue Massage Gun for Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, refers to the inflammation or swelling of the tendons connecting the muscle to the bone in the arm and elbow. The swelling could be due to a strain or even micro-tears that come from overusing the muscles in the area.
How do you know you’re suffering from tennis elbow? The common symptoms are:
- Pain or tenderness, or both, on the outside of the elbow
- Pain radiating into the upper or lower arm
- Pain when doing something with your hands, like making a fist or straightening the wrist
How does the HYDRAGUN help?
Recommended Massage Gun Attachment Head to Use:
We recommend using the ball or rounded steel head attachment.
However, feel free to use whatever attachment head you are most comfortable with for your tennis elbow treatment.
How to:
1. Choose the attachment.
2. Turn the Hydragun on and choose the speed setting.
3. Apply Hydragun to the body.
For tennis elbow treatment:
1. Identify the painful spot and start by massaging above, below, and around this area. Massage for 10-15 seconds.
2. Move to the forearm and gently float the Hydragun back and forth for half a minute.
3. Move to the triceps and massage for another 10-15 seconds.
4. Finally, move the massage gun to your biceps and massage for another 10-15 seconds.
5. If it’s not too painful for you, you can then use the Hydragun directly on the spot that’s sore or tender. But do not massage for more than 15 seconds.
After the massage, do some gentle range of motion exercises. This will help in further reducing stiffness as well as increasing flexibility. Along with the massage, you can also ice your elbow for up to 30 minutes to reduce swelling. An elbow strap is also helpful in keeping the arm immobile and at rest.
You can also take anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers.
Prevention Tips:
Tennis elbow usually heals on its own, but as they say, prevention is always better than cure. So lower your risk by:
· Avoiding overuse.
· Always using the correct sports equipment.
· Correcting bad technique and form.
· Warming up and cooling down before and after workout sessions.
Different individuals heal at varying speeds, but if the pain doesn’t heal for over two months, you may want to see a doctor as surgery may be needed. Suffering from pain in other areas? Check out the rest of our muscle recovery series. No Hydragun yet? Don’t miss out on the Future of Recovery and get the Hydragun now.
