Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Tennis Elbow Relief with expert exercise physiologist, Dan Zemper, of Zemper Restorative Therapy in Traverse City Michigan
Tennis Elbow does not have to keep you from doing what you love. You do not need to take months off , but trying using th
ese
simple techniques to relieve it.
In Today’s episode, I talk with expert exercise physiologist Dan Zemper of Zemper Restorative therapy on the causes, his unique treatment and prevention of tennis elbow and I finish up with questions some of my listeners have on Serving, Doubles Communication, anticipation and the mental game
Dan does incredible work when it comes to tennis elbow and on today’s show you will experience a different way and method of getting rid of it very quickly. He worked wonders on me and I know that he, or someone like him, can do the same for you with these techniques.
Susan, from Michigan asked in the questionnaire she filled out after subscribing, what can she do at home regarding her tennis elbow.
Well today, I talk tennis elbow with the Founder of Zemper Restorative Therapy, Dan Zemper, an exercise physiologist, out of Traverse City, Michigan who will give you some great tips on tennis elbow that you can do right at home,
I will also share with you what I do when I feel it coming on and I learned this straight from Dan and it works great
Have you ever had tennis elbow? I sure have, I got it from building my house. That is what swinging a 22 ounce hammer will do for you and it made playing tennis for me almost near impossible. I could not even lift a glass of water without major pain, not to mention, holding on to my racquet was extremely difficult
I just tried to ice it, rest it as much as I could, but it was not getting any better. A friend of mine suggested that I see Dan because he was one that specializes in a technique known as “Active Release Technique” or A.R.T.
ART is similar to a deep tissue massage that breaks up the scar tissue and releases it naturally, eliminating the pain.
Well it took me 3 months to finally see Dan, being that I was never really sold on any type of alternative therapy and within 3 visits, I was FREE of elbow pain.
Since then, I have sent many players, some who have had tennis elbow for 10 years and ART has proven itself over and over. There will always be a few that say they had no improvement, but the percentage is very little.
Tennis Elbow is inflammation and chronic tension of the extensor muscles of the forearm
Tennis Elbow is inflammation and chronic tension of the extensor muscles of the forearm
It originates at the elbow so that is where you feel the pain but the actual problem is down at the forearm.
We get tennis elbow many different ways. Splitting wood, grooming your dog….etc, but overuse is the real problem.
It isn’t something that just happens because of a grip change, but the grip change can bring it out
of harboring itself. Any additional workload can bring it “over the edge” and start to produce pain in your elbow.
Treatment is all based on miofascial release or breaking up the scar tissue that surrounds the muscle in the forearm. You traction the muscle tissue, break it up and flush it out.
The body recognizes this broken up scar tissue as a waste product and flushes it out of the tissues.
The key is to keep the muscle moving freely after this and stretch the forearm properly so that the muscles can stay relaxed and express itself fully.
A tight muscle is a weak muscle and cannot express itself freely
A tight muscle is a weak muscle and cannot express itself freely
He also goes over some detailed stretches so that you can keep the muscle from tightening up, so please click the link in the post on the podcast page under episode #12 or go to realtennisnetwork.com/012 to get you straight there.
Now I am not a therapist or a doctor, but when my elbow starts to have a slight twinge to it, I just use these same techniques on myself. I relax my hand by letting my fingers point down toward the floor and with my opposite thumb, I can get in there and loosen up the tight muscles in my forearm. It really helps. I just make sure that I am moving my thumb in the direction of the muscle strands ( up and down the arm) and not across them in order to get them to relax. Once I feel the tight muscle, I just dig right in and try to get it to relax.
I also have produced a tennis elbow relief video of our interview and it also includes Dan working on one of his clients and explaining what is going on in much more detail. I will make sure to include the link to the video in the post and show notes in case you would like to see him in action using the techniques that he is describing in our interview.
CLICK HERE for Video of Dan Zemper Working on client
Much better to go and see someone like Dan for tennis elbow relief, but definitely worth a try. To find a certified ART person in your area, you can go to: www.activerelease.com and click on the “Find a Provider” tab at the top of the page.
Dan can be reached at 231-941-7085 in traverse city, Michigan or you can go to www.zempertherapy.com and contact him via his website
Questions from Subscribers
In this episode I also answer questions from my subscribers. They include:
1. From Dale in Michigan – Go to 27:17 in podcast for FULL detailed answer
What is the best way to let your partner know what kind of serve you will be using so they can set up correctly?
Short answer – Communicate before the point starts with your partner
2. From Ken- Go to 29:29 in podcast for FULL detailed answer
What is the best grip for first and second serves.
Short answer – Continental, but you can also vary this grip to have the serve do more what you want it to do
3. From Nancy in Michigan- Go to 31:50 in podcast for FULL detailed answer
What can I do on the court to maintain focus and block out distractions?
Short answer – Eye control between points either on racquet or court
Links related to this episode
CLICK HERE for Video of Dan Zemper Working on client ( much more detail here)