In the past we have been taught many different ways to help pain caused by an injury, maybe ice, rest, pain killers, stretching, to name a few. But how the brain detects what is happening in the body and as a result spits out a “I am hurting” message is becoming more and more realised.

In a recent study into tendon injuries, it has been shown that you can change the part of the brain that feels sensation by doing different types of exercises.

Tennis elbow (TE) is the most common elbow condition we see in the physio clinic. It is characterised by pain on the outside of the elbow and most prevalent between the ages 30-60. Although common in tennis players you do not need to have played tennis to get this condition. It is caused by an acute or progressive overload to the common extensor tendons in your forearm that perform wrist extension or lifting the wrist up. Some examples of overload may include after a weekend of excessive gardening, a busy period at work of typing and mouse work, lifting weights incorrectly and technique problems during sports.

Tennis elbow (TE) affects up to 40-50% of all tennis players in their lifetime. In tennis, repetitive strokes place large demands on the wrist extensor muscle group. Backhand strokes have been shown to invoke higher stresses on the elbow than forehand strokes. The force imparted by the ball onto the racquet during a backhand stroke is transmitted via wrist extensors to the common extensor tendon origin on the outside of the elbow. When overloaded greater than capacity, the tendon begins to break down and lead to tissue disruption, hence the feeling of pain and weakness around the elbow.