Tennis Elbow

There are two key elements to exercise treatment for tennis elbow. First, extensor stretches. Extend your arm forward with your elbow straight, grasp the back of your hand with your opposite hand, and slowly pull your wrist downward. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds until you feel a pull on the outside of your elbow. Repeat 3 to 5 times a day. Second, eccentric strengthening exercises. Hold a 0.5–1kg dumbbell with the back of your hand facing upward, lift your wrist with your opposite hand, and then slowly lower it over 3–5 seconds using only the strength of the painful side. There is sufficient evidence that performing 2–3 sets of 10–15 repetitions for 8–12 weeks promotes tendon regeneration. Slight pain during exercise is acceptable, but if the pain worsens by the next day, please reduce the intensity. In Korean medicine, exercise is a treatment that circulates Qi and blood naturally. The *Donguibogam* also regarded moving the body to allow Qi to flow as the foundation of health preservation. However, the sequence is important because moving while there is a blockage can cause Qi and blood to collide in front of it, potentially leading to pain. At Dongjedang, we first open the pathways by releasing hardened adhesions and blood stasis on the outer side of the elbow using acupuncture and needle acupuncture. Then, we determine the timing and intensity together to ensure that the patient's stretching and eccentric exercises are effective. This is the reason why patients who previously struggled with exercise often improve with the same exercises after adhesions are released. When internal treatment is added to replenish depleted liver blood, the materials are prepared so that the stimulation from exercise leads to actual tendon regeneration. Exercise daily and treatment periodically; the sum of these two determines the speed of recovery.