Whether you have seen a doctor for your tennis elbow or have been researching the condition on your own, you have surely come across the subject of wearing a brace or support band.
Some may be trying to sell you overly complicated and pricey products. You may be feeling dubious that they are selling you something you do not need or will not help. Before you make a quick decision, you should fully understand the importance of compression and healing from tennis elbow.
What Is Tennis Elbow
A classic problem with healing a bad case of tennis elbow is that there is limited blood flow in that area. When a body needs to heal itself, it sends a lot of growth hormones, nutrients, tissue building proteins, and other cells needed to restore the injury to new or fully repaired condition.
It sends these vital nutrients via the bloodstream. If there is not an ample supply of blood to an area, it is going to take longer to heal. A joint, in its nature, has to be narrow and flexible to allow the largest range of motion. This means that most of the blood passing through the area is that which is needed for the lower arm and hand.
In fact, there is only one artery that supplies blood to that region, which is visible on the top of your elbow, versus other areas of your body that have multiple arteries.
Tennis Elbow: Blood Flow
Your tendons have virtually no access to blood and are instead nourished by joint and lymph fluid. There are smaller vessels supplying the muscles and capillaries nourishing your skin.
As if the limited blood supply in your elbow was not a big enough hurdle to cross, when you are suffering from tennis elbow, or tendonitis, your muscles start to swell. Lymph fluid and other water begins to pool in the damaged area.
The inflammation pinches off your blood vessels, stopping more of those vital nutrients from getting to the most needed tissue. If you are suffering from tennis elbow,your arm muscles are torn and swollen. Your elbow tendons are overstretched and damaged. The swelling is preventing the natural healing process. Your blood cannot flow properly to restore and repair your injured tissue.
These conditions, and the continual cycle of swelling and decreased blood flow, are causing your pain. You need to rest your arm to make sure you are not causing any more damage. However, you have to control this cycle if you want to stop your pain from tennis elbow.
Tennis Elbow: Compression
This means you have to compress the muscle and the best way to stop your pain is using tennis elbow straps or braces. A brace for tennis elbow is required to achieve compression and compression is required to relieve pain. Any compression style bandage or wrap will help. Whether you decide to buy a recognized product like the tennis elbow Band It or something simpler like the traditional Ace style wrap, you should find pain relief if worn properly.
It is noteworthy that the purpose of tennis elbow bands is compression and not immobilization. You should still be able to move the elbow without a lot of restriction. This is a very important point to remember.
Tennis Elbow Brace
If your arm is immobilized in anyway, you are still going to attempt to perform regular motions. This means you will adjust the way you would normally move or posture to accomplish the same task. When you do this, you are risking moving and stretching your muscles in an abnormal way and cause additional damage.
Furthermore, a very tight and immobilizing tennis elbow wrap may try to force you into maintaining a certain posture throughout your movements. This is probably the correct posture you should be using for elbow support.
Tennis players and golfers are not always wearing these bands because they know the real solution to your problem is to learn to have the correct form yourself. It is a safe bet to stay away from immobilizing wraps and bandages. You would be surprised how much better it is to just the correct form in the first place. Once your arm is rested and if you need to, ask an expert on how to use the best form for the activity which caused your injury.