Coach, do you have any advice for chronic elbow pain?
I can relate to that one. As a young man tearing up the courts with a 250g state of the art racquet I also tore up my elbow. My stroke mechanics were ugly ugly!! One day around Christmas of 1979 I felt a “pop” in my elbow as I hit a backhand. I could not longer hit a backhand of any kind. I could hardly grip the racquet. That started a 10 month journey from disaster back to winning the Long Island open in doubles the next year. How did I make that comeback?
1. At first I was in denial and tried to play through the injury. Cortisone shots, casts on my arm to immobilize my elbow and other gimmicks were tried but as soon as I played hard it came back.
2. I met Dave Peck, and changed my forehand and backhand mechanics and that cured the cause.
3. I met a great physical therapist who told me I was done as a tournament player unless I listened to him. That got my attention. We started an 8 week program of daily exercises starting with heat and finishing with ice. You can find these exercises if you google tennis elbow exercises. I should add we x-rayed the elbow to make sure it was not something structural or bone fragment related. You should always have a Doctor give you the green light on elbow rehab.
4. At the end of 8 weeks I practiced 30 minutes with an overbuilt handle so I would not over-grip the racquet. I also used a heavier racquet with less vibration. I did this for one week, 5 times.
5. At the end of the 9th week I played only one game three times per week. I continued with the exercises I started back 9 weeks earlier and continued with heat prior and ice after.
6. In the 10th week I played three games per workout and in the 11th week normal activity. I did get a band to protect the elbow and wore that for almost a year.
7. It should be pointed out that I cured the cause and the symptoms. Unless you change mechanics, you will cure the symptoms but not the cause. Several Doctors told me I needed an operation and I am so happy i did not listen to them. It worked out.
So my advice-make sure the injury is not structural so find a good Ortho-Doc. Do the physical therapy and do not try to cut corners. Finally, cure the cause as well as they symptoms. Make sure you are hitting the ball correctly!