A number of tennis players suffer from tennis elbow which is very inconvenient and painful. Tenderness at the joints and weakening of the muscles are often felt by the person who experiences tennis elbow conditions. Usually, doctors prescribe over the counter medicines such as NSAIDs that can address swelling and pain. Temporary solutions include applying ice on the affected area can minimize swelling and pain. Rest is also advisable to prevent further complications from tennis elbow. If all of these interventions fail, then the last resort would be tennis elbow surgery.
Why tennis elbow surgery is done
Tennis elbow surgery is the last option especially is all the symptoms like pain and soreness persist for more than 6 months and all other methods have failed. Because of the condition, the person is almost debilitated and hampered from performing normal tasks such as lifting and carrying objects. In many cases, doctors have administered corticosteroid injections but the person still feels pain. Tennis elbow surgery would then be the last option. There are different types of tennis elbow surgery, namely traditional open surgery or arthroscopic surgery where an instrument is inserted to repair the tendons. Commonly,an overnight stay at the health facility is adequate for recovery. Local or general anesthesia can be applied as per doctor's instruction. Arm movement should be minimized and patient needs to be very comfortable.
Cons of tennis elbow surgery
After tennis elbow surgery, you may feel a slight loss of ability to straighten the arm. Sometimes, elbow pain is still experienced by the person.Like any surgery, infection, blood loss or nerve damage is very possible. There are cases where anesthesia produces side effects. For certain, the muscle strength is decreased after tennis elbow surgery.
Recovery from tennis elbow surgery- If one wants to speed up healing from tennis elbow surgery, then the following suggestions are useful:
1. Quit smoking since this hampers the healing process of the wound
2. Undergo a physical rehabilitation program
3. Make some changes in activities or even temporarily stop from performing tasks that requires the use of the arm.
Indeed, tennis elbow surgery should be the last option when other methods have failed. It is a very invasive approach that comes with risks. Tennis elbow can be prevented by stretching and spacing break between practice days.
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