Also called lateral epicondylitis, tennis elbow is an inflammation with pain on the lateral side of the arm near the elbow. This is due to a partial tear of the fibers of the tendon connecting muscle to the bones of the lateral elbow. This pain usually has a somewhat gradual onset, radiating from the lateral tendinous attachment of the elbow down the forearm and/or back of the hand when grasping or twisting. This can also cause a weak grasp.
Though it is called tennis elbow it can come from any repetitive activity that involves twisting the wrist. Painters, plumbers, woodworkers, butchers, and cooks are susceptible because of the repetition. Constant computer keyboard and mouse usage can also contribute.
Basic acupuncture prescriptions
Option 1
Opposite side to pain: Jian Zhong, Xin Men, Gb 34, and Shen Guan
Same side as pain: Use a guide point on the affected channel/s
Option 2
Use a guide point on the affected channel, or a guide point on one of the coupled channels. Usually it is the Large Intestine channel that is most affected, but you may also find reactive points along the Small Intestine and Lung channels. You could use a Spleen point, the xi cleft on the affected channel (like LI 7), etc.
I've had pretty decent success treating s/sx of tennis elbow with both of these sets of points. On occasion I've had patients who didn't respond well to distal treatments, so I've used points proximal and distal to the affected tissue and applied e-stim. After a couple of e-stim treatments, the distal treatments seem to work better.
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