Tennis elbow, medically known as epicondylitis can be a very nagging and relentless injury. For the most part, it is highly irritating and the most recommended treatment it involves is getting a tennis elbow strap. A tennis elbow strap or braces are available in differed sizes and types depending upon the kind of tennis elbow injury you have.

Putting on this strap helps release the tension between the muscles. However, you need to choose your tennis elbow brace very carefully. It depends on how much you are willing to play and how much activity your elbow is allowed to have. The tennis elbow brace comes in three types and these are:

Epicondylitis clasp These straps need to be fitted in a very proper manner if you wish for them to work and they are comparatively more expensive than the other tennis elbow braces. They contain plastic clips or clasps that fit around one’s arms. They are then supported and secured with the help of a pressure point over the muscle that is a couple of centimeters below the point of where the elbow hurts.
These straps need to be fitted in a very proper manner if you wish for them to work and they are comparatively more expensive than the other tennis elbow braces. They contain plastic clips or clasps that fit around one’s arms. They are then supported and secured with the help of a pressure point over the muscle that is a couple of centimeters below the point of where the elbow hurts.

When the tendon or the muscle that attaches to the epicondyle is put under pressure, it absorbs the forces that are transferred through the tissues that have caused the injury to happen. It releases the symptoms of tennis elbow by changing the angle at which the tendon worked before that caused the tennis elbow to happen in the first place.

The advantages or benefits of this clasp are that they can be directly put on the affected area and fit accurately. However, it can get difficult to get them in the right place at times. Professional tennis players who require precision in their skills should use this tennis elbow brace.

Tennis elbow strap
These kinds of tennis elbow braces are of various kinds. They can be wrapped around the forearm or just below the elbow. Some of these even have extra pressure pads that are supposed to be placed below the point from where the pain is originating in the elbow. How they work is by putting pressure on the forearm. They transmit the force from the soft tissue to where the pain is occurring outside the elbow. They also change the tendon’s working angle so that the elbow get some more time to recover a hundred percent. The biggest advantage of this tennis elbow brace is that they are less expensive and can be found at the nearest drug store. They are easy to fit and the amount of compression your elbow requires can be changed according to your needs. The only disadvantage is that it can be a little imprecise and cannot retain much heat like the epicondylitis strap can.

Tennis elbow sleeve
In a tennis elbow sleeve, the elbow sleeve is simply attached to a strap. The elbow gets a lot of warmth and support with the help of this tennis elbow brace. One big advantage of this sleeve is that it gives warmth to the affected area. This is mostly used for recent injuries or temporary pain. The sleeve does not support a particular point but rather, supports the entire joint. The disadvantage it has is that it can be tightening and uncomfortable at times.

How you wear the tennis elbow brace also affects how much effective they turn out to be. Take the widest part of your forearm and place the brace on it. Always wear them while you are doing things that might be hurtful to you. The use of a tennis elbow sleeve can reduce your pain and also improve your grip as well as the strength.

In case your tennis elbow brace does not immediately ease the pain, there are a few other possibilities:

• Your condition is more severe than you estimated it to be
• You do not have a tennis elbow. You have a rather different problem that needs a scan or medical attention for proper diagnoses
• It could be a fracture than a tennis elbow
• You are not wearing the brace in a proper manner. Consult a physiotherapist if you are not being able to locate the point source of your pain

The brace is highly effective and works towards absorbing all the pain. This means that you gradually start feeling less pain and your healing rate increases as well. What kind of brace you require highly depends on what kind of tennis elbow or injury you have. Do not start buying a brace on your own without consulting a doctor since you might end up putting the wrong tennis elbow brace. This could also worsen the affected area or your elbow permanently.

Therefore, it is better for you not to take matters into your own hands and let the professionals take over to make your elbow heal faster and better.