You ask me, is heat good for tennis elbow? I say, well, it’s a tricky thing. My neighbor, she got this tennis elbow thing, pain all the time, she says. Hurts like the devil, she says.
Now, some folks, they say heat is bad for tennis elbow. They say if it’s all swollen up and angry, you gotta use ice. Like when you first get it, or maybe right after you did something to make it worse. You see, when the elbow is all new hurt, like in the first few days, maybe 24 hours, maybe 72, heat no good. They say heat is for later, when it ain’t so fresh. They say cold make it better, at that moment.
They say, put some ice on that tennis elbow. Keep it there for a little bit, like 15, 20 minutes, then take it off. Do it again later, they say. They say, you wrap that elbow up, like with a bandage, tight. Keeps the swelling down, they say. Tennis elbow, it swells up real bad, you know. So you just ice it, ice, ice.
My neighbor, she tried the ice. She said it helped some, that tennis elbow of hers. She played tennis all the time. Now, she had to stop. Doctor told her, you gotta rest that arm. Doctor said rest is the best thing for tennis elbow. Just let it be, he said. Don’t do nothing that makes it hurt. Then it’ll get better, he said. Some people say that tennis elbow, it go away by itself. If you stop doing what made it hurt. Stop the movement. Stop the constant movement, they say.
But you know, after a while, when it ain’t so new, maybe heat is okay. I don’t know for sure. I ain’t no doctor. But I hear people say, heat, it makes the blood flow, makes things loosen up, when it is not a new hurt. But when it’s tennis elbow all new hurt, or hurt again, heat is no good. You know, when it’s hurt, and throbbing, and sharp pain, heat is no good. It’s not good after surgery either. But for old hurt, when it is not swollen, some people use heat.
So, is heat good for tennis elbow? I guess it depends. Depends on how bad it is, how new it is. If it’s all swollen and angry, maybe ice is better. If it’s just achy and stiff, maybe heat will help. But you know, the best thing, they say, is to just rest. Let that elbow heal up. Don’t do the things that make it hurt. That’s what they say. But I ain’t no doctor. Some other people say, just use ice for the first 3 days, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, several times a day. Maybe 4 times, maybe 6, who knows.
And then there’s them exercises. They say there are exercises you can do for tennis elbow. Stretches and things. I don’t know much about that. But my neighbor, she got some papers from the doctor, showed her how to do them. She said they helped some, too. But it takes time, she said. Weeks. You gotta be patient. Maybe you can take some medicine for the pain. Medicine can help, they say. Most tennis elbow will be better after a few weeks, with rest, ice, and exercise, they say.
And then you got that brace thing. They call it a counterforce brace, I think. It’s like a strap you put around your arm, below your elbow. They say it takes some of the pressure off your tennis elbow. My neighbor, she got one of those, too. Said it helped when she had to use her arm. But she still tried not to use it too much. That’s the thing, I reckon. When it hurts, don’t make it worse. Like putting a fire to the fire.
- Rest: Don’t do what makes it hurt.
- Ice: Put ice on it, especially when it’s new or swollen.
- Exercises: Do them stretches they show you.
- Brace: Wear that strap thing if you gotta use your arm.
- Medicine: Maybe take some pills for the pain.
So, there you have it. That’s all I know about tennis elbow and whether heat is good for it. Like I said, I ain’t no doctor. But I hear things. And I see what happens to folks. Just gotta listen to your body, I reckon. And if it hurts, don’t make it worse. That’s the main thing. But the most important thing is, you rest, you ice it, for a while. If it’s not so new, you try the heat, maybe it’s good. But if it’s all swollen and throbbing, don’t put heat. That’s what they say. That’s what I hear around here. And my neighbor, she’s doing better now. Still hurts some, but not like before. She’s resting it, like the doctor said. And doing them exercises. And wearing that brace. And sometimes, she puts ice on it. And sometimes, she uses heat. She said, she can feel what works better at different time. So you just try and see what is good.
Just remember, I ain’t no expert. Just telling you what I heard. Hope your elbow feels better soon! This tennis elbow is really a trouble, I heard many people say that. So, is heat good for tennis elbow? You try and see. Maybe good, maybe not. Try and see.
