Kettle bell elbow is the new tennis elbow: how chiropractic manual therapies can get you back to top form
Tennis elbow was the prestige injury in the early 80’s. Having it meant you played enough tennis to have caused a repetitive use injury and that meant you had enough time to be on the courts in one of those little white outfits. Tennis elbow is the common name for lateral epicondylitis, pain in the outside upper arm near the elbow often cause by minute tears in the tendon fibers connecting the forearm extensor muscles to the lateral epicondyle near your funny bone. Increasing pain and a weakened grasp are both warning signs for this inflammatory process.
With kettle bell workouts skyrocketing in popularity, patterns of injury reveal themselves as people dive headlong into this interval training workout that relies primarily on form and functional movement to bring the heart rate up at the same time as increasing resistance. One way to avoid injuries, especially in a sport relying so heavily on proper alignment and form, is to meet with a qualified trainer, at least in the beginning and for check ups along the way.
One of the most common kettle bell training injuries is elbow pain, from the same micro-tears that cause tennis elbow. When your form isn’t top notch when catching the weight after a clean or snatch, or when you perform swings, clean or snatches with a bent elbow, you can strain the forearm and cause the same injury the court cloppers were bragging about in the 80s.
At the first sign of joint pain, or any persistent or worsening pain, consult with your health care provider. Chiropractic is an effective, holistic method for addressing the imbalances that lead to just these injuries without deleterious side effects from drugs, injections or even surgery.
Call to schedule an evaluation and planning session with Dr. Blessing. Call 512-481-2682 to make your appointment today!
Author: Blessing Anyatonwu
Earnest Holistic Health in Austin, TX, provides nutritional counseling and chiropractic care.
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