Steemit Learning Challenge-S22W2; Tennis Elbow" by @rossnenye

Hello everyone, good morning to you all and welcome back to my blog. I'm here again to participate in Week 2 of Steemit Learning Challenge organized by @ashkhan.

What's tennis elbow? Write in your own words after getting knowledge from the lesson post.

Tennis Elbow, also known as Lateral Epicondylitis is a medical condition that causes severe pain and inflammation on the Lateral side of the elbow mostly involving the Lateral Epicondylitis. This ailment affects the Lateral Epicondyle which is the tendons that connects the muscle in the forearm to the bony bump on the outside of the elbow.

Causes

• Overuse

This is one of the renowned cause of Tennis elbow. Constant overuse of the forearm, especially during activities that involves twisting, lifting and gripping can cause it. Playing tennis is one of major cause of it and that is where the name is gotten from.

• Poor technique

Improper Technique during games and other activities that causes extra pressure on the elbow can cause it too.

• Age

Age related wear and tear, caused by degenerative Changes in the Tendons and muscle along the Elbow region can also cause this.

Symptoms

• Pain

Victim usually feels severe pain while trying to lift heavy objects, grasping and twisting.

• Weakness

There is weakness in the Wrist and forearm muscles due to overuse.

• Difficulty in performing certain activities

The victim finds it hard to perform some regular routine like graping something.

Types of Tennis Elbow

• Acute Tennis Elbow

This is the onset of this ailment, it usually lasts for a few weeks. The pain is usually sharp and severe.

• Chronic Tennis Elbow

This is a long term, this type last from weeks to month. The pain is usually more severe and continuous.

Other types includes

• Posterior Tunnel Syndrome
• Radial Tunnel Syndrome
• Tennis Elbow with radial head

Treatment

• Rest

Try to avoid activities that would trigger this ailment.

• Physical therapy

Exercise can equally be perform inorder to make the forearm more flexible.

How would you diagnose a tennis elbow? Any clinical investigation or assessment tests?

Diagnosing Tennis Elbow involves alot of Clinical investigation and Assessment test and they includes

• Medical History

The Doctor will ask you when you starting feeling the pain and how severe it is. He would also ask if you're doing any activity that can trigger it.

• Physical test

The Doctor will examine the patient's elbow to know if there is inflammation, tenderness. The Doctor will go ahead to press gently on some parts of the Elbow inorder to deduce the area the pain is coming from.

Special Test

• Resisted Wrist Extension test

In this test, the Patient is asked to resist the attempt of straightening his Wrist while his hand is stretched and faced down and if pain is felt at the Lateral Epicondyle, then Tennis Elbow is present.

• Cozen test

It is conducted to identify the cause of pain at the Lateral Epicondyle. To perform this, the patient forearm is faced down and his elbow flexed to 90°C. The patient tries to extend his Wrist against resistance applied by the Doctor, and if he experiences pain at his Lateral Epicondyle, then Tennis Elbow is present.

• Middle finger test

This test is conducted to identify pain in the Lateral Epicondyle when the middle finger is stretched against resistance. To perform this, the patient is asked to stretch his arm with his palm faced down. Then he stretches his middle finger against resistance and if pain is at the lateral Epicondyle, then Tennis Elbow is present.

• Mills test

Perform also to identify the cause of pain at the Lateral Epicondyle. In this test, the Patient hand is faced down, the examiner flexes the wrist while extending the elbow and pain at the Epicondyle indicates Tennis Elbow.

Try to practice at least 3 exercises that you have learned from the lesson. Share images, gifs or videos while practicing preferably gifs or videos.
Share your review after performing these exercises either on yourself, healthy individual or patient.

• Wrist and Hand ball

Since I didn't have a hand ball I improvised.

I placed the ball on the table and then gently used my wrist to grab and squeeze the ball. When I grabbed the ball, I held on for about 10 seconds before releasing it.

• Finger Stretch

To perform this, I raised and placed one of my hand on a chair, I then raised and stretched my palm up, then I placed the fingers of the other hand on the middle of my palm while applying pressure and then brought the palm up and down for a 20 seconds.

• Wrist Isometrics stretches

First of all, I stretched one of my palm and bent it back slightly. I then placed the other palm on it and applied pressure. I held on for about 20 seconds before releasing my palms.

For the second one, I bent my two palms and placed one on the other one and then applied pressure on it. I held on for about 20 seconds before releasing my palms.

Then finally, I rolled one of my palm, stretched and placed the other one on it and applied pressure. I held on for about 20 seconds before I released my palm.

Share your review after performing these exercises either on yourself, healthy individual or patient.

Before doing this exercise, I first of all applied icepack. While doing the Finger Stretch, I did not feel any pain in my hand joints, i felt my fingers and muscles stretched. While doing the wrist Isometrics and wrist and ball, i felt a little pain and stiffness in my muscle but I stopped feeling it when i released my hand. Overall I felt my arm stretched and relaxed and I loved the feeling it gave.

Thanks for reading my post, I invite @akareen, @triple-e and @triple-a to participate in this contest.

Cc:

@ashkhan