Contents
Musculoskeletal disorders of the elbow: complementary approaches
Processing | ||
Acupuncture | ||
Arnica, devil’s claw | ||
White willow | ||
Manual therapies | ||
Acupuncture. The results of a few clinical trials indicate that acupuncture helps relieve pain in the tennis player’s elbow (tennis elbow) more effectively than a placebo2-6 . Researchers who analyzed the results of 6 clinical trials (comprising 282 subjects in all, many of whom suffered from this condition), concluded that acupuncture effectively relieves pain, but only in the short term.6. Thus, 3 months after stopping treatment, the difference between the effect of acupuncture and that of placebo was no longer visible.
Musculoskeletal disorders of the elbow: complementary approaches: understanding everything in 2 min
Arnica (Arnica montana). Commission E recognizes that arnica flowers have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, and proposes topical use to treat joint disorders.
Dosage
– Several times a day, we apply to the elbow compresses or poultices soaked in an infusion prepared by putting 2 g of dried flowers in 100 ml of boiling water (infuse for 5 to 10 minutes and let cool before use ).
– You can also soak the compress or the poultice in a solution composed of tincture of arnica and water, at the rate of one part of tincture to 3 to 10 parts of water.
– Arnica-based ointments are also found on the market. These preparations should contain 20% to 25% tincture or 15% arnica oil to have an effect.
Devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens). Commission E and ESCOP have recognized the effectiveness of the root of this African plant in relieving arthritis and musculoskeletal pain.
Dosage
Consult our Devil’s Claw sheet for the dosage.
White willow (Salix alba). The bark of the white willow contains salicin, the molecule that is at the origin of acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin®). It has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Although it has been used for thousands of years to treat tendon conditions, no clinical trials have been conducted to confirm this use.
Dosage
Consult our White Willow file.
Manual therapies. For a minority of people, manual therapy (osteopathy or chiropractic) can be of great help in combination with physiotherapy. This is the case when the factor that hinders healing the most is not located at the place of pain, but related to the spine, for example. Thus, manipulations of the cervical vertebrae (in the neck region) or relaxation of muscle tension sometimes provide relief from elbow pain, because they correct a dysfunction that may contribute to the problem.