The Best Way to Sleep if You Have Tennis Elbow Pain
Struggling with tennis elbow pain during sleep? Try these tips to alleviate discomfort while sleeping and speed up recovery.
Published May 9, 2023.
Tennis elbow is a musculoskeletal injury that causes pain in the outer part of the elbow. It occurs due to repetitive use of the forearm muscles and tendons that attach to the lateral epicondyle on the outer part of the elbow.
Tennis elbow pain can interfere with your everyday activities, including sleeping. It can make it difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position or even sleep at all, and an improper sleeping posture when you have tennis elbow can exacerbate your condition and slow down recovery. To avoid this, you should adhere to optimal sleeping practices that won't affect your injury.
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How to Sleep With Tennis Elbow
When attempting to sleep with tennis elbow, your goal should be to to take up a position that makes you least likely to sleep on the affected arm. Here's how you can achieve that:
- Lying on your back or the unaffected side
- Placing pillows under the affected arm to support it and reduce the pressure on the elbow
- Using a specialized elbow brace or a rolled-up towel to elevate the arm
- Sleeping in a recliner
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Rest Well for Faster Tennis Elbow Healing
While appropriate medication can help with tennis elbow pain relief and limit inflammation, you must maintain a safe sleeping posture to let your arm heal properly. What's more, quality sleep is known to aid general recovery from injuries. So, take the time to rest well for faster tennis elbow healing and consult a professional if resting in a proper position doesn't help.
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Dr Lori Beth Bisbey