The Pole Dancer’s Guide to Tennis Elbow

Do you feel an annoying twinge in your elbow when gripping the pole, opening a jar, or even picking up the kettle? If so, you might be dealing with a common yet frustrating condition known as tennis elbow. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

Wait, Tennis Elbow? I Don’t Play Tennis!

Yup, despite the name, you don’t have to be the next Wimbledon champ to suffer from tennis elbow. Officially known as lateral epicondylitis or lateral epicondylalgia, it’s a condition caused by overworking the common extensor tendon in your forearm. In plain English, it’s the result of repetitive strain from activities like gripping, wrist extension (bending the wrist backwards), and forearm supination (turning palm upwards). Despite it’s medical name suggesting, it isn’t an inflammatory condition (so NSAIDs have limited use) but is caused by insufficient repair of the tendon.

How Does Tennis Elbow Happen on the Pole?

Pole dancing isn’t just about looking fabulous—it demands serious grip strength and wrist stability, especially with that tricky split grip. When you overdo it—whether from poor technique, improper equipment, or suddenly ramping up your training—your elbow might start to protest. The repetitive stress can cause microtrauma to the tendons in your elbow, leading to that dreaded pain and weakness. In other words, your elbow is waving a little white flag, begging for some TLC.

Signs You Might Be Battling Tennis Elbow

So, how do you know if your elbow pain is due to tennis elbow? Here are the telltale signs:

• Pain on the outside of your elbow that might spread to your upper arm, forearm, or even down to your hand.
• Weakened grip strength, making it tough to hold onto the pole or, heaven forbid, a cup of coffee.
• Difficulty gripping or carrying objects—especially with your elbow straight.
• Reduced flexibility and strength in your wrist extensors and shoulder muscles.
• Night pain—yup, it might even keep you up at night.
• Pain and weakness when you try to extend your wrist against resistance.

Who’s Likely to Get Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow is the most common cause of elbow pain and it isn’t picky—it affects both genders equally, with a higher preference for those aged 30 to 50. It’s also more common in your dominant arm. If you’re a pole dancer who’s ramped up training, tried new grips, or just spent a bit too long perfecting that one move, your risk might be higher. And if your muggle job involves a lot of repetitive wrist movements, using heavy tools, or lifting heavy loads, you’re even more at risk.

Other factors like lifestyle habits (smoking and alcohol), being overweight, or even genetic predispositions can all increase your chances. Believe it or not, stress and anxiety can also make your elbow act up. And here’s a shocker—weak shoulders can cause elbow pain too!

Did You Just Say Shoulders Can Cause Elbow Pain!?

If your shoulder muscles are weak or fatigued, your body compensates by dumping extra work on your elbow. This puts extra strain on your elbow tendons, which can lead to nasty conditions like tennis elbow. The solution? Strong, stable shoulders to keep your elbows out of trouble.

How to Save Your Elbows and Keep Dancing

The good news? You can do plenty to avoid tennis elbow. Here’s how:

• Warm-Up Properly: Start every session with a solid warm-up, focusing on your wrists, forearms, and shoulders. Trust me, your elbows will thank you.
• Perfect Your Technique: Good form is key to keeping unnecessary strain off your elbows.
• Take Breaks: Give your arms a breather between intense sessions.
• Prehab: Incorporate strengthening exercises for your wrist extensors, rotator cuff, scapula, and core muscles.
• Mind Your Grip: Plan regular grip-strengthening exercises and switch up your grips (cup grip anyone??).

Treating Tennis Elbow: The Road to Recovery

Already dealing with tennis elbow? Don’t panic—recovery is possible with a bit of patience and care:

• Relative Rest: Give your elbow some time off from pain provoking moves and any other aggravating activities. You don’t need to completely stop—just reduce the load to a level that doesn’t make your symptoms worse.
• Activity Modification: Change your technique, switch up the moves you’re training, and consider using a counterforce brace during activity (like this one). Avoid using your elbow in a straight position, lift with two hands, and take breaks if you can’t avoid repetitive gripping.
• Ice and NSAIDs: Apply ice and use topical NSAIDs if you’re dealing with swelling, however as it’s not an inflammatory condition, these might not be much help.
• Alternative Treatments: Massage, taping, manual therapy, acupuncture, and other techniques might help—though the jury’s still out on their effectiveness. Just steer clear of corticosteroid injections; they might do more harm than good.
• Surgery as a Last Resort: If all else fails, surgery might be an option, but it’s typically the last resort.

And Most Importantly: Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is like your secret weapon against tennis elbow. Focus on strengthening your rotator cuff, scapula, shoulders, and even your core with exercises such as push up plus, YTWs and those not so sexy banded exercises. And don’t forget grip-strengthening exercises—wring that towel, squeeze that gripper, wrist extensions and pronation-supinations. Start with isometric exercises (no movement at the joint), and gradually progress to eccentric strengthening (the lowering portion) to really work those tendons.

Returning to Pole Stronger Than Ever

As you recover, ease back into pole training gradually, make sure you’re not jumping back to where you left off. Start slow, listen to your body, and as your symptoms settle and your strength returns, gradually reintroduce more challenging movements. Don’t forget to reassess your technique to avoid another flare-up.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Let Tennis Elbow Sideline You

Tennis elbow might be a pain, but it doesn’t have to stop you from reaching your pole goals. With some good old (p)rehab, proper care, and a focus on strengthening and correct technique, you can keep your elbows happy and your moves on point. Remember, it usually goes away within a year—even if you do nothing. But why suffer that long when you can tackle it head-on and with physio you can prevent reoccurences?

If your elbow’s giving you grief, why not book a session with a physio who understands the unique demands of pole dancing? The team at Polisthenics is here to help. And don’t forget to follow us for more and to share this post!

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Disclaimer: This post is for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment tailored to your needs.

References

Coombes, BK, Bisset, L and Vicenzino, B. (2015). ‘Management of lateral elbow tendinopathy: one size does not fit all’, Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 45(11), pp. 938-949. Available at: https://www.jospt.org/doi/pdfplus/10.2519/jospt.2015.5841 [Accessed 15 August 2024].

Day, JM. et al. (2015). ‘Scapular muscle performance in individuals with lateral epicondylalgia’, Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 45(5), pp. 414-424. Available at: https://www.jospt.org/doi/full/10.2519/jospt.2015.5290 [Accessed 15 August 2024].

Karabinov, V and Georgiev, G. (2022). ‘Lateral epicondylitis: new trends and challenges in treatment’, World Journal of Orthopaedics, 13(4), pp. 354-364. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9048498/ [Accessed 15 August 2024].

Lin, KM, Ellenbecker, TS and Safran, MR. (2022). Rehabilitation and return to sport following elbow injuries’, Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation, 4(3), pp. 1245-1251. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9210377/ [Accessed 15 August 2024].

Zhang, C. et al. (2024). ‘Impact of lifestyle and clinical factors on the prognosis of tennis elbow’, Scientific Reports, 14, 3063. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-53669-x [Accessed 15 August 2024].