21 Home Remedies For Tennis Elbow Pain Relief

updated: 11/13/2019

Are you or your family members suffering from tennis elbow? You are not alone because this condition affects a large number of people, especially athletes. This painful condition impacts people who use their arms regularly and repetitively such as golfers or tennis players. This disease is resulted from inflammation around the elbow, causing swelling, stiffness, joint pain and difficulty in moving the arm normally. As estimation, tennis elbow impacts approximately 3% of Americans annually, particularly those people from 30 to 50 years old.

Reading this article, it means that you are interested in how to treat this condition naturally. We surely will reveal to you top of best home remedies for tennis elbow, but first of all you should understand generally about this health condition. Check out below.

What Is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow itself does not mean a kind of hurt in the elbow due to playing tennis only. It is also known as “lateral epicondylitis”. Simply it is understood as the physical activity requiring your arm or wrist to move in repetition. In spite of its name, athletes are not the only ones developing this condition, but carpenters, butchers, painters or plumbers also regularly encounter this problem.

The pain of tennis elbow happens mainly where the tendons of forearm muscles attach to a bony bump on the elbow outside. You will sense pain spreading into your wrist and forearm.

What Are Causes Of Tennis Elbow?

If you thought that tennis elbow affects the people frequently playing tennis, it is not true. This kind of disease affects a small number of the persons playing tennis only. It occurs on the persons who even do not play tennis at all.

Here are some statistics about this fact. One every 20 tennis players suffer from tennis elbow whereas there are a huge number of people without playing tennis elbow catching this problem.

Tennis elbow is caused by using the muscles as well as tendons around the joint of your elbow or your forearm too much. The repeated contraction of forearm muscles that you use to straighten as well as raise your wrists and hands is the culprit of tennis elbow.

Apart from playing tennis, other common arm motions may cause tennis elbow are:

• Painting
• Using plumbing tools
• Driving screws
• Repetitive use of computer mouse
• Cutting cooking ingredients like meat

What Are Symptoms Of Tennis Elbow?

Symptoms of tennis elbow depend on its severity. Commonly, you find that your elbow and writs are painful when holding and lifting objects. Symptoms of tennis elbow develop steadily. Most often, pain starts mildly and slowly gets worse over time. No specific injury is associated with the beginning of tennis elbow symptoms ^[1] .

• Common symptoms of tennis elbow are:
• Weak grip strength

Burning or pain on the outer area of the elbow

These symptoms will become worse when you use forearm activity, like turning a wrench, shaking hands, or holding the racquet. The most affected arm is your dominant, but two arms could also be impacted.

People between the ages of 35 to 65 are more vulnerable to this problem, especially among the ones who often play some kinds of sports, including tennis, badminton or among the ones who do some kinds of movement, such as carpentry, knitting, painting, etc.

If your elbow is painful due to tennis elbow, it is time for you to read through our article “21 Home Remedies For Tennis Elbow Pain Relief”. I think you will know how to handle with your tennis elbow. Take a look at TrueRemedies.com. However, keep in mind that you must go to see your doctor if your condition is severe, including feeling so difficult to breathe, having your painful chest.

Top 21 Effective Home Remedies For Tennis Elbow Pain Relief

1. Ice Cubes

Being the cheapest and simplest option among home remedies for tennis elbow, ice cubes work very well to help you not to suffer from tennis elbow any more. This remedy will help you to alleviate the pain as well as the swollen areas. In addition, using ice to rub on the affected areas can also give a hand in preventing the condition to become worse.

Here is all what you need to do:

• Take some ice cubes.
• Cover them with a thin cloth.
• Now, put your elbow on a soft pillow.
• Put the cloth on your elbow.
• Allow it to stay on for about 20 minutes.
• Apply this process a few times every day.

Note:

• Don’t place the ice directly on your skin.
• Don’t apply this method for more than 20 minutes for each application.

2. Contrast Hydrotherapy

In this method, you will apply some hot or cold objects to compress on your affected elbow. Ice packs and heating pads are very familiar rehabilitation tools, yet a lot of people have never heard of contrast hydrotherapy. This therapy means quickly changing tissue temperature from hot to cold and vice versa. This technique is considered as one of the effective home remedies for tennis elbow. For injury recovery, contrasting is a cheap, good, safe and simple technique. It is so clear that the heat is so effective in promoting the blood circulation, reducing pain; whereas the cold helps to ease the inflammation and swollen areas. However, it will not work any miracles. There is no reason to believe that contrasting will create an enormous difference in healing.

If you still want to try this technique, follow the steps below:

• Pour hot water in a bottle.
• Tightly cover the bottle.
• At the same time, put some ice cubes in a cloth.
• Wrap it.
• Now, put the hot bottle on the affected elbow for a few minutes.
• Take the bottle out of the elbow and put the cold cloth on it immediately.
• Do the repetition for half an hour.
• Do this process several times every day.

3. Turmeric

Thanks to the curcumin compound, turmeric owns it a wonderful power to combat against the inflammation caused by tennis elbow. It has the power to fight against the bacteria causing the infection as well as repairing the infection quickly. According to researchers at the University of Nottingham and Ludwig Maximilians University, curcumin could suppress the biological mechanisms sparking inflammation in some tendon diseases.

In addition, turmeric can play as the role of a naturally powerful painkiller. Furthermore, it has a huge number of antioxidants, helping to remove free radicals and promoting the healing process.

Simply doing the steps below, you own one of the best home remedies for tennis elbow:

Method 1:

• Take a teaspoon of turmeric powder.
• Put them in a pot.
• Then, add a cup of milk to the pot.
• Stir them well.
• Pour them in a pot.
• Turn on the heat at low temperature for some few minutes.
• Remove the heat.
• Pour the mixture in a glass.
• Add some raw honey for making it tasty.
• Consume the mixture

Method 2:

Consume turmeric capsules thrice every day. (The suggested dose is about 250 milligram to 500 milligram).

Method 3:

• Take a small amount of turmeric.
• Put it in cup.
• Then, add some water to the cup.
• Mix them well to make a paste.
• Apply the paste on your injured elbow.
• Allow it to stay on the elbow for about 15 minutes.
• Wash them off.
• Apply this method once every day.

4. Ginger

Ginger is not only a favorite spice but also a good natural way for treating tennis elbow. Containing gingerol, ginger owns its medicinal properties. Ginger has been used for thousands of years by the Chinese to treat pain. More specifically, ginger helps to boost your digestive process, treat nausea as well as combat against the cold and the influenza.  As to tennis elbow pain, ginger has its strong ability to combat against the inflammation. Both fresh ginger and heated ginger were commonly used for this purpose. You can either make fresh ginger tea or apply a ginger compress to your affected area. This will help to ease the pain due to tennis elbow, accordingly ^[2] [3].

Method 1:

• Wash a ginger root thoroughly.
• Cut it into small slices.
• Take one and put it in a pot.
• Then, add 2 cups of water to the pot.
• Boil the mixture for about 15 minutes.
• Remove the heat.
• Strain the mixture.
• Add some raw honey to the mixture.
• Sip it thrice every day.

Method 2:

• Wash some ginger roots carefully.
• Grate them.
• Take about 4 tablespoons of them.
• Put them in a cotton cloth.
• Tightly wrap the cloth.
• Then, place it in hot water and remove it immediately.
• Allow it to cool naturally.
• Now, put it on your affected elbow for about 20 minutes.
• Do this process several times every day.

Method 3:

• Take some ginger roots.
• Put them in a bowl of fresh water.
• Wash them thoroughly.
• Chop them into small slices.
• Then, put them in a blender to make a paste.
• Now put the paste on your injured elbow.
• Let them sit on for at least 15 minutes.
• Wash them off.

5. Massage

Simply massaging the affected areas or massaging with some oils, such as avocado oil and can be another choice for your treatment. These oils are commonly used to reduce pain and inflammation. On the other hand, massaging works well to promote blood circulation as well as ease muscle soreness. There are two ways of massage that you can use in this situation. The first way is called “trigger point massage” which should be done by a professional. The second way is friction massage which you can do by yourselves.

Here is the simply way of applying friction massage that you can apply:

• Take a small amount of avocado oil.
• Apply the oil to your affected elbow.
• Use your thumb to rub over your sore tendon.
• Do this method thrice every day.

6. St. John’s Wort

St. John’s Wort is among must-try option among home remedies for tennis elbow pain relief thanks to its wonderful power to combat against inflammation. This amazing plant was traditionally used for the nervous system and used by many herbalists to help ease tension, anxiety, seasonal affective disorder, neuralgias, and mild to moderation depression. Beyond the emotional support, this herb is also used to relieve physical pain and tension.

It is beneficial in diminishing pain both internally and externally. Furthermore, St. John’s Worth also possesses antispasmodic property, thereby helping relax muscle spasms, including spasms in the colon, lungs, and reproductive tract. In addition, it can work well to ease the pain due to tennis elbow because of its analgesic effect ^[4].

Here is the guide on how to use St. John’s Wort for treating tennis elbow:

Method 1:

• Take 2 teaspoons of St. John’s Wort.
• Put it in a bowl.
• Then, pour some hot water in the bowl.
• Cover the bowl.
• Allow it to steep for about 15 minutes.
• Strain the mixture.
• Add some raw honey to the mixture.
• Enjoy about 2 cups of the mixture every day.

Method 2:

• Take a small amount of St. John’s Wort oil.
• Apply it to the affected areas of your elbow several times every day.

Note: It is not advisable for the persons using any prescribed medicine.

7. Fenugreek Seeds

Also known as Methi, fenugreek seeds constitute a generous amount of saponins and fibres because of its infinite health benefits. You can use fenugreek seeds to alleviate the pain caused by tennis elbow because of its strong anti-inflammatory power. In fact, these seeds are commonly used in traditional medicine to deal with colds and kidney ailments and to lessen pain accompanied with tennis elbow or arthritis. These seeds help to ease the swelling as well as the inflammation, shortening the recovery time ^[5].

The instruction below will show you how to utilize fenugreek seeds for reducing the discomfort due to tennis elbow:

Method 1:

• Take one tablespoon of fenugreek seeds.
• Put them in a blender to grind them.
• Pour them in a bowl.
• Then, add some milk to the ground seeds.
• Mix them well to form a paste.
• Then, apply the paste to your affected elbow.
• Allow it to stay on for at least an hour.
• Use warm water to wash it off.

Method 2:

• Take a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds which are ground.
• Put it in a bowl.
• Add some warm water to the bowl.
• Stir them well.
• Consume the mixture every morning.

8. Garlic

Garlic is considered as one of the herb containing a lot of medicinal properties thanks to its allicin compound. In addition, the high amount of selenium and sulfur regards garlic as one of the wonderful home remedies for tennis elbow. This compound assists in inhibiting inflammatory responses within the human body, making it a great agent for curing inflammatory and arthritic diseases. The antioxidant content of garlic might help with pain management, so it alleviates the pain and the swollen areas due to tennis elbow.

Follow the instructions on how to use garlic for treating tennis elbow:

Method 1:

• Crush 4 cloves of garlic.
• Pour 2 tablespoons of mustard oil in a pan.
• Then, put the crushed garlic in the pan.
• Heat the pan until the oil becomes dark.
• Strain the mixture.
• Allow the oil to cool down naturally.
• Apply the oil to the affected elbow when it is still warm.
• Massage your elbow for several minutes.
• Allow it to stay on for some hours.
• Do this process 2 times every day.

Method 2:

• Take about 2 cloves of garlic.
• Consume them every day.

Note:

Generally, garlic is safe for most matures, yet you still need to consult your doctor prior to using it, particularly if you are taking medicine or have a health condition. For instance, garlic could interfere with the HIV drug saquinavir’s effectiveness. Some side effects can be body odor, bad breath, heartburn, upset stomach, allergic reactions. As garlic also has blood-thinning effects, it makes your condition worse if you suffer from a bleeding disorder.

9. White Willow Bark

White willow bark is another natural pain reliever that you can utilize to help yourselves getting rid of the discomfort caused by tennis elbow. It is thanks to the salicin-called compound which is so effective in reducing the pain. Willow bark is also known as “nature’s aspirin” that can provide the same benefits like the tablet.

Willow bark, particularly white willow bark, is widely available in the form of powder, liquid extract and bits for chewing. The common dose of white willow bark is 240mg per day.

Willow bark is possibly safe for the majority of us if taken by mouth for less than 12 weeks. Sometimes, it might cause digestive system upset, itching, and allergic reactions. Pregnancy and lactating women, people with bleeding disorders, kidney disease, or undergoing surgery should best avoid it.

Here is what you can do:

• Take a teaspoon of white willow bark which is dried.
• Put them in a bowl.
• Pour some boiling water in the bowl.
• Then, cover the bowl.
• Allow it to steep for 20 minutes.
• Strain the mixture.
• Consume the mixture when it is warm.
• Do this process every day.

10. Comfrey Leaves

In this tip, we mention to comfrey leaves as a wonderful suggestion among home remedies for tennis elbow relief. It can give a hand in helping your body to heal injuries. Its benefits to tennis elbow can be explained based on its nutrient components. Comfrey leaves contains minerals and a number of vitamins. Among its clinical uses, comfrey leaves could help in relieving pain, decreasing inflammation of joints and muscles, and promoting the healing of contusions and bruises while potentially supporting fibromyalgia treatment ^[6].

In addition, it plays a natural painkiller for tennis elbow that you are suffering from.

The thing you need to do is very simple:

• Take some comfrey leaves.
• Put them in a bowl.
• Pour some hot water in the bowl.
• Leave them out of the bowl when you think they are soft.
• Allow them to cool down.
• Put them on your affected joint when they are still warm.
• Ensure a towel around the joint.
• Let it stay overnight.
• Do this remedy every day.

Note: Comfrey leaves should be just use topically up to 10 consecutive days to avoid bioaccumulation.

11. Epsom Salt

Epsom salt has anti-inflammation power and muscle-relaxing strong ability. That is why it is listed as a great solution for tennis elbow. Basically, Epsom salt is a natural anti-inflammatory agent and exfoliant that could be used to relieve muscle aches as well as sore muscles, dry skin, and a number of internal health problems.

More specifically, it is magnesium in Epsom salt that helps to alleviate the tension in your affected elbow significantly. In addition, the salt is so effective in absorbing excess fluids caused by the inflammation, helping to shorten the recovery time. A warm bath having Epsom salt is renowned to relieve inflammation, ease pain at root causes.

Here is the guide on how to use Epsom salt to combat against tennis elbow:

• Prepare a tub.
• Fill the tub with warm water.
• Then, take ½ cup of Epsom salt.
• Pour them in the tub.
• Stir them well to dissolve the salt.
• Soak your elbow and forearm in the tub for half an hour.
• Do this process a few times every week.

12. Pineapples

Pineapple is considered as one of the common fruits for treating a number of health problems. Containing bromelain-called enzyme, it is a wonderfully natural remedy for curing tennis elbow. This plant enzyme can ease joint inflammation and may hlpe with pain associated with tennis elbow or arthritis. Bromelain is not exclusively found in this fruit, yet it happens naturally in fresh pineapples. Cooked pineapple just has ½ to 2/3 less. Bromelain might decrease both swelling and inflammation in joints. After inflammation and swelling subside, your elbow’s mobility will improve. Furthermore, the vitamin C content in pineapple juice also plays an important role in repairing collagen in connective tissues that keep your joints functioning well, in accordance with WholeHealthMD.com.

Just 1 cup of pineapple juice has 25mg of vitamin C (about 42% of the essential daily value).

You can prepare pineapples in different ways to treat tennis elbow:

Method 1:

• Consume a raw pineapple every day.

Method 2:

• Prepare about 2 pineapples.
• Peel them.
• Chop them into small pieces.
• Then, put the pieces in a blender.
• Blend them for a few minutes.
• Next, strain the mixture.
• Add some water to the mixture.
• Consume the mixture about thrice every day.

13. Rest

Taking a rest is the next natural remedy that you should not miss out because of its simplicity.

Allow your elbow to rest to push the healing process up. In other words, you should avoid move your arms repetitively while keeping your daily movement so that your arms are not weakened gradually.

14. Celery

If you are so worried about your arm due to tennis elbow, celery will be a wonderfully natural medicine for you. Its effectiveness is proved to work well for tennis elbow. It is because celery is rich in vitamins, such as A, C, B as well as a great number of minerals, including copper, calcium, etc. Furthermore, celery contains its ability to combat against inflammation, alleviating the swollen areas and pain due to tennis elbow. Furthermore, this vegetable plays the role of a diuretic, eliminating uric acids which are the main cause for causing the discomfort and pain in your elbow.  You can utilize both the leaves as well the seeds ^[7].

I will show you some of the easy way to prepare the leaves and seeds for treating tennis elbow:

Method 1:

• Take about 12 celery leaves.
• Wash them carefully.
• Put them in a pot.
• Then, add some water to the pot.
• Turn on the heat.
• Boil them.
• When the water boils, turn off the heat.
• Allow them to be simmered in the water for at least 30 minutes.
• Later, strain the mixture.
• Consume this mixture 2 times every day.

Method 2:

• Take some seeds of celery.
• Wash them thoroughly.
• Chop them into small slices.
• Put them in a blender.
• Then, extract the juice from the chopped slices.
• Pour them in a cup.
• Add some water to dilute the extract.
• Pour some drops of the diluted juice in a cup.
• Add some hot water to the cup.
• Enjoy the mixture before your meal every day.

15. Broccoli

Broccoli may be one of the healthiest vegetables that we consume every day. Being rich in a number of nutrients, including vitamins, and calcium, this kind of vegetable helps our body to be healthy. This potent anti-inflammatory food can block enzymes in the body which cause joint destruction and inflammation. Also, it is a powerhouse of nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C, K and E, fiber, manganese, magnesium, selenium, zinc, iron, protein, copper and more. Experts discover that copper, iron, vitamin B3 and C are nutrients helping the human body to rebuild cartilage in joints. As a result, it makes broccoli a wonderful veggie to consume if you are suffering from arthritis, tennis elbow, or any type of joint problems. As to tennis elbow, it gives a helping hand in not only reducing the pain, but also strengthening your elbows.

All you need to do is:

• Take some broccoli.
• Wash them carefully.
• Cut them into pieces.
• Then, put them in a blender to make a paste.
• Apply the paste on your elbow.
• Let them sit on for half an hour.
• Wash them off.

16. Consume Some Types Of Tea

Some kinds of tea are so beneficial to treat health problems, such as green tea, oolong tea, etc. Therefore, consuming tea every day can be one of the effective home remedies for tennis elbow. Green tea and Jamaican dogwood are the two kinds of tea which you should try to reduce the uncomfortable symptoms of tennis elbow.

Green tea is so healthy for our health thanks to its antioxidants. Having tennis elbow, it means that there are free radicals in your injured elbow. Consuming green tea will help to limit free radicals, facilitating the healing process. Plus, there are some nutrients contained in green tea, which contributes to heal you injured elbow.

Jamaican dogwood is another choice for you. This kind of tea relaxes your nerve pain thanks to its relaxing ability.

Simply following the guide below, you own an effective home remedy for your tennis elbow:

• Take some root of Jamaican dogwood.
• Wash them carefully.
• Then, put them in a pot.
• Add some hot water.
• Cook them until the mixture boils.
• Allow the mixture to simmer for about 15 minutes.
• Next, strain the mixture.
• Consume the liquid 2 times every.

17. Black Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds are also considered as a magically natural seeds for treating a number of health issues, such as diabetes, some kinds of cancers, lower blood pressure, etc. This kind of seeds is beneficial for our health because they contain a number of nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, calcium, fiber, etc. One of the noticeable benefits of black sesame seeds is that they help to reduce the inflammation, which will greatly alleviate your tennis elbow pain.

The instruction on how to apply this remedy is below:

• Take a tablespoon of the seeds.
• Put them in a pot.
• Add some water to the pot.
• Allow them to stay in the water overnight.
• Consume both the seeds and the water every day.

18. Tart Cherry Juice

Tart cherry juice can decrease muscle inflammation and soreness, increase strength, fasten recovery, and relieve pain ^[8]. Some scientific evidence suggests that drinking this juice or eating this food in season could assist in relieving arthritis pain, muscle pain and gout pain. The anthocyanins in tart cherries give this fruit their color and are responsible for their pain-killing and anti-inflammatory effect.

Cherries, in fact, have been widely researched for their impact on pain, yet some studies have been done with promising results.

Just simply consume 1 cup of tart cherry juice once or twice per day to harness its benefits for tennis elbow symptoms.

19. Perform Stretches And Exercises For Tennis Elbow

Though it sounds counterintuitive when it comes to home remedies for tennis elbow pain, in most cases of tennis elbow (except for severe case), moving the elbow and arm properly could help to resolve tennis elbow symptoms and relieve stiffness. Immobilizing your arms completely will not help with tennis elbow. Thus, you should consider do some stretching exercise to help break up the tissue adhesions which may just worsen your tennis elbow. However, do not overexert the affected area. Start slowly and gently. You should put the least amount of pressure on your affected elbow whilst stretching it. After that, increase resistance over time.

Some examples of exercises for tennis elbow are:

• Forearm extensor stretch
• Eccentric wrist stretch
• Tricep stretch
• Ball squeeze hand-strengthener

20. Try Out Egoscue

This method concentrates on some gentle stretches as well as exercise to help correct the misalignments in musculoskeletal system, which trigger poor posture and pain. In fact, Egoscue can alleviate joint or tendon pain by concentrating on appropriate form upon using different muscles or exercising. It is said that improper posture is the underlying reason for tennis elbow.

The approach focuses on properly correctly form of your back, shoulder, forearm muscles so that the elbow joints do not lose their whole motion range.

21. Plan A Healthy Diet

In order to maintain the inflammation levels at minimum levels, you should avoid processed foods like high-sodium foods, added sugar, saturated fats and refined fats-rich foods, processed grains and alcohol.

There are some anti-inflammatory foods that could help your body heal damaged tissue faster, including:

• Fresh vegetables, especially green leafy types
• “Clean” protein like raw dairy, wild-caught fish, grass-fed beef and cage-free eggs
• Melon, pineapple, citrus fruit, and berries
• Magnesium and potassium-rich foods, like avocados, sweet potatoes, bananas, coconut water, etc.
• Bone broth that has collagen to support tissue health.

Home Remedies For Tennis Elbow – Preventative Tips                                                       

• Do not strain your elbows.
• Alternate the activity causing tennis elbow.
• Get training from experts prior to playing sports like squash or tennis.
• Remember to warm up prior to any intense activity or exercise.
• Do stretching or dumbbell curls or any exercise that strengthens your forearm muscles.
• Consider acupuncture treatment from professionals ^[9].

Now we are sure that you might choose some natural home remedies that you can apply to escape from the annoying tennis elbow in our article of “21 Home Remedies For Tennis Elbow Pain Relief”. Because of the simplicity of these remedies, you can completely apply them at home. However, if your condition is not improved, it is a good idea for you to pay a visit to a specialized doctor for a better solution. If there are any concerns about the remedies mentioned in our article of “21 Natural Home Remedies For Tennis Elbow Pain Relief” presented in Home Remedies Category. Your comments and ideas are always welcomed. We will try to give the feedback to you as soon as possible.

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