Do you feel a burning pain in your elbow when turning a doorknob? Do you also feel the same pain when you grasp your coffee mug? People who answered yes to these questions likely have an elbow issue called tennis elbow. 

Medical professionals may refer to this condition as lateral epicondylitis, and this is because this issue affects the lateral epicondyle tendon on the outside of the elbow. Tennis elbow is known to cause burning pain in the affected elbow. Physical therapists can help you treat the pain and other symptoms caused by tennis elbow. 

These are three treatment techniques your therapist can use for tennis elbow

Reducing the burning pain in your elbow is one of the common goals of tennis elbow physical therapy. Your therapist can use many techniques to reach this goal. Three of the most commonly used of these techniques include: 

1. Neuromuscular therapy — This is a type of soft tissue mobilization. It involves your physical therapist using their hands to apply pressure and friction to the affected area. This technique can be very effective for tennis elbow pain. One study shows that four weeks of neuromuscular therapy led to a nearly five-point drop in tennis elbow pain scores. 

2. Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) — IASTM sessions also involve applying pressure and friction to targeted soft tissue. But with IASTM, special metal tools are used to apply these forces. This technique can help break up tension in soft tissue. It can also break down scar tissue from previous injuries. A study on tennis elbow treatment found that IASTM helped resolve the condition in over 78% of the patients who had it. 

3. Joint mobilization — Another hands-on therapy your physical therapist can use to help your tennis elbow is joint mobilization. This method involves your therapist using their hands to move the affected joint through its normal range of motion (ROM). Medical researchers found that joint mobilization had a 62% success rate in tennis elbow patients after just three weeks. 

Franklin Rehab offers effective treatment for burning pain in the elbow

You don’t have to continue feeling burning pain in your elbow from lateral epicondylitis. Our physical therapists at Franklin Rehabilitation are primed to help you treat this condition. We offer free screenings that can pinpoint the underlying causes of your tennis elbow. Additionally, our team is adept at building unique therapy plans that include the above therapy methods. Our plans are also intended to offer benefits like: 

• Reduced pain.
• Increased joint mobility.
• Improved ability to do normal daily activities.
• Decreased risk of future elbow injuries.

Contact our team today for more information about our tennis elbow treatment options or to schedule an initial appointment.