Diane, Media executive came in with neck pain and “tennis elbow”
“I work long hours in front of a computer and my job is very stressful. I’ve always been getting headaches and neck pain – sometimes back pain – but usually I just take some ibuprofen and just soldier on. Things got really bad though when I started getting pain in my elbow; it got so bad I couldn’t use a mouse at work or even brush my teeth without it hurting!
I went to see the GP and he told me it was “tennis elbow” and just gave me some anti-inflammatories. They didn’t really help and it was starting to get worse. One my friends told me about Peter, and after the first treatment it immediately felt better. Peter’s great – he gave me loads of advice on how to adjust my work place and even recommended me a mouse which he said could have been a cause of the pain! He also worked on my neck pain which is so much better and I only get headaches very occasionally now. It’s made such a difference to my quality of life!
I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Peter – he’s a miracle worker! I don’t let anyone touch me and sort out my problems except for him!”
Peter says:
Tennis elbow – or lateral epicondylitis; is a common overuse injury. When I examined Diane, it was clear that long hours at work, poor office posture and stress were one of the key causes of the problem. Without treatment, it’s likely her condition would have got worse, with possible shoulder strain and continued neck and back problems.
Acute tennis elbow can often be so painful that even small movements like brushing your teeth or coming your hair can set off the pain. Anti-inflammatories can help, but they are only a temporary solution and fail to address the root cause of why the overuse is occurring. As an overuse injury, the ideal solution is to completely rest the arm but obviously for practical reasons that wasn’t an option for Diane. Instead we worked to try to relieve the pain and restore function, addressing her postural problems and working habits as a priority.
In addition to carrying out treatment, we also carried out an investigation on Diane’s working habits. It was clear that long hours at work over a laptop and a poorly ergonomic mouse were aggravating the condition. I gave her some easy exercises and some quick hints and tips she could use to make her working habits more “body-friendly” and sourced her an ergonomic mouse.
Diane has made a full recovery from her tennis elbow and now knows how to keep her neck, back and posture in much better shape.