The game of darts isn’t the most active sport around, but that doesn’t mean that you still aren’t prone to an injury. If you play darts for extended periods of time, then you will be exposing your body to repetitive motions. Can playing darts cause tennis elbow over an extended period of time?
The answer to this question is yes. Tennis elbow develops over time from repetitive motions. The constant flexing of the elbow and gripping of darts while throwing can eventually cause damage to the tendons in your elbow.
Tennis elbow, sometimes referred to as dart thrower’s elbow, is a type of tendinitis called lateral epicondylitis. It involves the swelling of the tendons in the elbow and arm. Although there is no way to completely avoid getting tennis elbow at some point, there are many things you can do to help prevent tennis elbow as well as speed up the healing process.
How Long Does It Take for Tennis Elbow to Heal?
One good thing about tennis elbow is that it usually heals on its own with rest. Every case of tennis elbow is different and depends on the severity of the tendons that were damaged.
You can usually treat the tennis elbow with rest, pain relievers, a brace, athletic tape, and making a few adjustments to how you play darts or other activities. The pain should improve within 6 to 12 months if properly taken care of.
You can usually treat tennis elbow with rest, pain relievers, an elbow brace, and a few adjustments to your game or other activities. If the pain doesn’t improve in 6 to 12 months then it is possible that other treatments may need to be discussed with your primary doctor.
How Do You Heal Tennis Elbow Fast?
The number one way to healing tennis elbow is by removing the activity that caused it in the first place. Some other effective ways to help heal your tennis elbow faster include:
- Icing the Affected Elbow – Medical experts recommend that you ice the affected area for about 20 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for the next 2 to 3 days or until the pain is almost completely gone.
- Take Pain Relievers – Pain relievers like ibuprofen and aspirin are anti-inflammatory NSAIDS that help reduce pain and inflammation. Use these sparingly if you are in a lot of pain since they can actually delay the healing process.
- Use an Elbow Strap or Athletic Tape – These both work by protecting the injured tendon from further strain.
- Using an elbow strap to protect the injured tendon from further strain.
- Perform Range of Motion Exercises – Incorporating range of motion exercises on a daily bases will help reduce stiffness and increase flexibility of your elbow.
- Physical Therapy – Working with a physical therapist can help strengthen and stretch your muscles.
What Are Home Remedies for Tennis Elbow?
The number one home remedy for tennis elbow is to simply rest your elbow. Tennis elbow forms from the repetitive nature of constantly gripping the darts and flexing your elbow while throwing. It may be best to take a few weeks off from playing to help your tendons rest and heal.
Taking pain relievers can help reduce the pain, but at the same time can delay the healing process since inflammation is part of the natural healing process that our bodies go through.
Always have some type of icy hot patch or ice pack nearby to help easy the inflammation and pain.
Don’t forget to stretch the affected arm and elbow on a daily basis to help loosen up the muscles and increase flexibility. A stiff or rigid muscle is more prone to injury than one that is actively stretched and flexible.
What Is the Best Treatment for Tennis Elbow
The best ongoing treatment for tennis elbow is to use an elbow brace with compression pad like this one from Amazon.
The elbow pad works by compressing the upper forearm which helps absorb the forces that would regularly be transmitted through the soft tissues in your arm and elbow. The elbow brace will help relieve pain and help prevent future injuries of tennis elbow.
Using an elbow pad coupled with resting the affected elbow is the best way to naturally treat tennis elbow. This elbow pad can even be used while throwing darts to help relieve pain, especially if you’ve been suffering from this condition for an extended period of time.
Final Thoughts
Playing darts can in fact cause issues in your elbow and forearm which can lead to tennis, dart thrower’s, or golfer’s elbow. It can be a very serious injury that could potentially end your darting career if not taken seriously.
The best way to treat tennis elbow is to try and prevent it in the first place. Proper stretching before and after a heavy dart’s session is a must. Also try to limit the amount of time you play darts on a daily basis if you play everyday.
If tennis elbow is something that you currently have, or been suffering from, the best measures to take are rest and using an elbow pad designed to help treat tennis elbow.