Tennis Elbow: Treatment, Diet and Home Remedies

Food and Nutrition

Foods to be taken

• Fresh celery juice and celery extracts are both good cures for tennis elbow. Consuming warm water with 8-10 drops of celery extract is an effective remedy for reducing pain and inflammation caused by tennis elbow.
• Fish such as mackerel and salmon are rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids and should therefore be included in the daily diet while suffering from this condition. Flax seeds are another good cure for tennis elbow.
• Foods such as spinach, broccoli, cabbage, whole grains, nuts, blueberries and green tea should be included in the daily diet.
• Pineapples eaten whole or fresh pineapple juice is also beneficial for tennis elbow treatment. Pineapples are rich in vitamin C that helps in building collagen. They are also rich in bromelain, which contains powerful anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce pain and swelling caused by tennis elbow.
• Foods like milk, cheese and eggs are rich sources of minerals and vitamins that should be a part of your daily diet while suffering from tennis elbow. These nutrients can help in the recovery of the inflamed tendons and muscle coverings.
• Low fat protein food such as chicken helps in building new tendon material thereby effectively treating problems like tennis elbow.
• Barley also contains anti-inflammatory properties that can alleviate the painful symptoms of tennis elbow.

Foods to be avoided

• Avoid alcohol and caffeinated products
• Limit the intake of sugar and its products
• Processed and fried foods

Yoga and Exercise

Ideally, exercises and stretches for tennis elbow are taught by an experienced physical therapist as part of a rehabilitation program. After teaching proper techniques, exercises may be continued at home.

Yoga

• Cobra pose
• Supine thunderbolt pose
• Yoga exercises like Pawanmuktasana, Trikonasana, Sarvangasana, Vajrasana and Nadi Shodhana pranayama are all helpful in preventing and treating tennis elbow.

Home Remedies

• Take rest. Avoid activities that aggravate your elbow pain.
• Apply cold compress or heat pack for 15 minutes three to four times a day. Donot apply ice or a heat pack directly to your skin as it can damage your skin.
• Wear a strap, splint or brace around your forearm to help relieve the strain through your tendon.
• Do gentle exercises, specifically for tennis elbow, which help to ease stiffness, strengthen your joint and help you to get the full amount of movement back.