Pickle Elbow No More: Proven Strategies for Healing and Prevention

Racquet sports like tennis and pickleball are excellent ways to stay active at any age. However, the repetitive motions you use on the court tend to cause injuries known as tennis elbow and pickle elbow. If you have pain in your elbow after a game of pickleball, pickle elbow could be the cause.

This pain may stem from not warming up your muscles before a game. Other common causes of pickleball elbow are overuse and swinging or gripping the racquet incorrectly. Thankfully, our team at REACH Rehab + Chiropractic knows how to treat pickleball elbow in three steps.

If you suffer from pickle elbow, taking a holistic approach can help you heal quickly and prevent the injury from recurring. Sports chiropractors rely on a three-step recovery process that strengthens the affected area so you can stay active on the pickleball court without risking reinjury. In this article, our experts will guide you through the following phases of recovery:

• Reset: Take steps to stop the symptoms as soon as they appear.
• Restore: Heal the injury using gentle exercises and holistic techniques.
• Reinforce: Strengthen the muscles around the elbow joint to prevent future injury.

Read on to analyze each step and the strategies sports chiropractors suggest for the best results.

Whether you experience elbow pain because of overuse or improper technique, continuing to play through the pain can worsen the injury. Avoid further joint strain by modifying your activity level and giving yourself some rest. In addition, you can try heat, ice, or massage therapy to reduce your symptoms and promote healing.

Visit a sports chiropractor to diagnose the problem and outline your next steps for recovery. Experts will perform a physical exam to assess your elbow function. The sports chiropractors will ask you to perform various tests to determine your level of function, what’s working well, and what’s not. If any of your mechanics are dysfunctional, that’s a sign that we need to work on rehabbing your elbow.

Reducing your activity level isn’t enough to stop elbow pain at the source. A key part of your treatment plan involves manual therapy and gentle exercises to improve the soft tissue around your elbow joint. Our experts will help alleviate pain and tenderness by performing soft tissue therapies on your elbow muscles.

This motion minimizes aches and inflammation in your elbow to help restore normal lengthening and shortening of the muscles. We may use other exercises to reduce pain, but the treatment plan differs for everyone. For example, those with severe injuries may need to wear an elbow brace for stabilization, while others can heal their pickle elbow with a few quick chiropractic + rehab sessions.

When experiencing elbow pain after playing pickleball or another racquet sport, treating the muscles and soft tissue in other areas of your body is just as important. Swinging a pickleball racquet involves shoulder and hip movement, so experts will have you perform functional exercises focusing on these larger muscle groups to address the pain more holistically.

Strengthening your shoulders puts less strain on your elbow when you swing and plays a pivotal role in preventing future injuries.

Conditioning the body at home as well as in a clinic is important. REACH Rehab + Chiropractic can give you exercises to perform multiple times a day, which should reduce your pain.

Don’t let a case of pickle elbow keep you off the court for good. Turn to the experts at REACH Rehab + Chiropractic if you suffer from pickleball elbow or other sports-related injuries. We’re a trusted sports chiropractor in Plymouth, MI, offering holistic care and effective treatment plans.

With the help of our compassionate providers, you can return to your normal routine free of elbow pain. Say “goodbye” to pickle elbow and get back in the game feeling stronger than ever. Contact us today at (734) 335-0212 to learn more about your treatment options and schedule an appointment.