Currently in Montreal, the prestigious Rogers Cup Tennis Tournament is taking place. The best tennis players in the world will compete for more than a week.
Every sport has its frequent injuries. Evidently, in tennis, tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is one of the most common injuries. Other common injuries are rotator cuff injuries, back problems (lumbar sprain) and ankle injuries. When they reach the professional level, tennis players as well as athletes from other sports, have almost certainly suffered injuries related to the practice of their sport. Among tennis players, many are turning to acupuncture for the treatment of their injuries. In fact, all the injuries mentioned above can be treated very effectively by acupuncture.
PROS THAT USE ACUPUNCTURE
Among tennis stars who use acupuncture, we find Kim Clijsters, former number one singles and doubles. She used acupuncture to treat a hip problem that was causing her problems. After the acupuncture treatments, she performed beautifully at the US Open.
Robin Söderling, from Sweden, has also used acupuncture and even published a photo of one of his acupuncture treatments on Twitter.
Maria Hingis also turned to acupuncture to treat a wrist injury, as did Maria Sharapova. and Gaël Monfils also has his acupuncturist who helps him perform at his best.
ELBOW TENNIS: NOT ONLY FOR TENNIS PLAYERS
Tennis elbow is not exclusive to tennis players. In fact, the majority of people who visit clinics for epicondylitis are not top athletes. They developed this type of elbow pain from poor posture at their workstation, renovations or construction work, or various sports or daily activities.
The lateral epicondylitis is usually caused by the overuse of the forearm muscles that attach to the epicondyle, the bony part on the side of the elbow. More frequently, these are the movements of rotation of the forearm (screwing something) and extension of the wrist that are involved. Direct impact can also lead to inflammation and pain. Often there are trigger points involved in the pathology. And what’s better than the acupuncture needle to treat the trigger points?
Acupuncture is an effective approach in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain and injuries, including lateral epicondylitis. It is one of the most frequently treated conditions in the clinic and the results are very good, even in the chronic cases that have resisted conventional treatment approaches. Often, acupuncture will be combined with tuina, electrical stimulation (electro-apuncture) or cupping, for best results. If it helps so many professional athletes, it can also help you. If you suffer from epicondylitis or any other muscle or joint pains, acupuncture can help you.