Three ways to reduce burning pain in your elbow

An issue with one of the tendons in your elbow can lead to burning pain in this joint. Depending on which tendon is affected, you might be dealing with pain from either tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow. 

Tennis elbow occurs when the lateral epicondyle tendon on the outside of the elbow is irritated or injured. Golfer’s elbow affects the medial epicondyle tendon on the inside of the elbow. Annually, it’s estimated that nearly 2% of the U.S. population suffers from one of these elbow injuries. A physical therapist can assist you with treating the burning elbow pain that’s often caused by tennis or golfer’s elbow. 

These three therapy methods can help treat your burning elbow pain

There are many treatment techniques that your physical therapist can use to address the burning pain in your elbow. The therapy methods they use may vary slightly; each person experiences elbow injuries differently, and different therapy methods may be suitable depending on which injury you have. 

A few of the therapy techniques that your therapist could include in your plan are: 

1. Myofascial release — This technique is a type of manual therapy. Therapists perform it by applying pressure and friction with their hands. The goal of myofascial release is to break up areas of tension in soft tissue. One study reveals that this technique helped reduce the average pain score of tennis elbow patients by nearly five points in just four weeks.

2. Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) — Therapists use IASTM to break up scar tissue that’s formed from previous injuries. It can also help reduce tension in deeper soft tissue than manual therapy can reach. Reducing soft tissue tension with IASTM often leads to decreased pain. A study on tennis elbow patients found that 78.3% of those who had IASTM met the study’s resolution criteria within eight weeks. 

3. Therapeutic exercises — Tennis and golfer’s elbow patients can also benefit from therapeutic exercises. One type of exercise called eccentric exercise can be especially helpful. The lowering of your arm during a biceps curl is an example of eccentric exercise. A study on eccentric exercises reports that they helped reduce pain levels in tennis elbow patients by 81%.

Armor Physical Therapy offers top-notch treatment for burning pain in the elbow

Ready to address the burning pain in your elbow from tennis or golfer’s elbow? Our therapy team at Armor PT are primed to help you find effective care for your injury. Our specialists can perform a free screening that can pinpoint what issue is causing your pain. Additionally, we can create a unique therapy plan for you that’s designed to reduce your pain and prevent its return.

Worried about driving to a therapy session with a painful elbow? No problem! Our team offers virtual therapy and at-home care services that allow your physical therapist to help you right in your own home. 

Contact us today for more information about our elbow injury treatment options or to schedule your initial appointment.