Top 5 Best Tennis Elbow Braces, Wraps & Sleeves
Despite its name, less than 3% of people suffering from tennis elbow actually sustained their injury from playing tennis. Any activity that involves the repetitive movement of your arm and wrist—painting, plumbing, woodwork, cooking, auto repair—can lead to microscopic tears of the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the outside of your elbow. And if you’re currently dealing with this condition, you know how painful it can be.
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A brace is a great way to treat tennis elbow, but with so many options out there, which one should you choose? At ScripHessco, we’ve determined our top 5 best tennis elbow braces, wraps, and sleeves that are available on our site right now!
- DJO Universal Elbow Support Brace with FLOAM
- Thermoskin Sport Tennis Elbow Brace
- Scott Specialties Vinyl Padded Tennis Elbow Brace with Loop
- Core Neoprene Elbow Brace
- IMAK® Tennis Elbow Band
Keep reading to find out more details about these quality braces, as well as tips on treating your tennis elbow with arm supports.
The Best Elbow Brace Sleeve: DJO Universal Elbow Support Brace with FLOAM
The DJO Universal Elbow Support Brace features a comfortable strap made of neoprene. The FLOAM bladder is another feature of this tennis elbow brace that is included to provide you with greater comfort. The DJO universal surround elbow support brace is designed to cover your entire elbow with its wrap-around universal design and its loop-lock closure feature. The FLOAM material is made to decrease the amount of impact stress on your elbow's epicondyle. An epicondyle is a place in your body where ligaments and tendons attach to your bone.
The FLOAM material also works to make playing sports more comfortable for you by spreading out the muscle force over a larger area of your body. The DJO Universal Elbow Support Brace is durable so it can endure the wear and tear from playing sports, other kinds of exercise, and regular work conditions. This tennis elbow support brace is suitable for a number of muscle conditions including tennis elbow, obviously.
The DJO Universal Elbow Support Brace can fit arms up to a maximum of 18 inches in circumference. It also costs only $14.99. If you are interested in an elbow support brace that provides comfort and is durable, you can find out more here.
Best Tennis Elbow Brace for Athletes: Thermoskin Sport Tennis Elbow Brace
The Thermoskin Sport Tennis Elbow Brace supports and compresses injured elbows when you are more active than usual, like when you are playing tennis. The elbow brace also supports and compresses weak elbows during these times of increased activity. This elbow brace gives you targeted and localized compression thanks to the high-density foam that is in its tendon pad.
Its ambidextrous wrap design means you can easily use it on either elbow. This design, along with the brace's Velcro Responsive layer, gives you a larger amount of adjustability and therefore more comfort, as well. With the Velcro Responsive layer on the outside of the brace, you can secure the straps at any spot on the brace.
Another important feature of the Thermoskin tennis elbow brace is its S-Stretch core. This core is comfortable, lightweight, and flexible so you get good compression and support in general. The Thermoskin feature relieves pain and is therapeutic for your elbow because of its combo of support, compression, and the use of your own body heat to help relieve your pain.
If you are looking for a tennis elbow brace with plenty of features, the Thermoskin Sport Tennis Elbow Brace might be right for you. You can learn more about this elbow brace by visiting our website here.
The Best Tennis Elbow Brace for Your Budget: Scott Specialties Vinyl Padded Tennis Elbow Brace with Loop
The Scott Specialties Vinyl Padded Tennis Elbow Brace will only cost you $5.79. For that price, you get a vinyl wrap that looks like leather and has a nylon lining to provide additional comfort. This tennis elbow brace is easy to put on, and it is easy to adjust the brace's tightness.
This is because this tennis elbow brace is more like a strap for your elbow. The Scott Specialties Vinyl Padded Tennis Elbow Brace is 16 inches long and it is two inches in width. For an affordable tennis elbow brace that still gets the job done, check out this elbow brace here.
The Best Elbow Support in an Elbow Brace: Core Neoprene Elbow Brace
The Core Neoprene Elbow Brace works by administering gentle pressure to the area below your elbow. With this elbow brace, you will still be able to use your elbow and your arm like you normally would. This elbow brace is designed to contour to your body. It also helps your elbow recover through its contoured neoprene design which provides invigorating warmth. The neoprene tennis elbow brace from core products decreases the amount of strain on your forearm that is caused by repetitive use.
The core neoprene elbow brace is also made in the United States. You can get this elbow brace in small, medium, large, and extra-large sizes. The small size is for arms 9-10 inches in circumference, and the medium size fits arms 10 and 1/4 inches to 11 inches in circumference.
If you go up to the large size of this elbow brace, the brace will fit arms that are 11 and 1/4 inches to 12 inches in circumference. The extra-large size can fit you if your arms are 12 and 1/4 inches to 13 inches in circumference. This elbow brace provides quite a bit of support. You can see if it suits your needs by taking a look at it on our website.
The Best Elbow Brace for Comfort: IMAK® Tennis Elbow Band
The IMAK® Tennis Elbow Band helps your forearms and elbows recover from any injuries. This elbow brace also features a pressure pad that you can remove that uses ergobeads to give you a large amount of pain relief. You can also adjust the brace's pressure for optimal pain relief no matter what you are doing at the time.
The foam in this elbow brace is breathable, and it has a cotton lining to give you more comfort. The closure on the IMAK tennis elbow band is a hook & loop closure to help make sure that it fits as well as possible. This elbow brace is washable so you can easily keep it clean. There is also no latex in it.
The IMAK tennis elbow band has an ambidextrous design so you can wear it on both your right and left arms. This tennis elbow band is made so that it fits your arm no matter its size. It is 15 inches in length. The manufacturer of this product is Brownmed, Incorporated. If you want an elbow brace designed for maximum comfort, stop by our website here for more information.
What Is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow is also called lateral epicondylitis. Your elbow tendons getting overloaded is the cause of this condition. Typically, repetitive arm movements and wrist motions are what cause your tendons to get overloaded in the first place.
The name tennis elbow is somewhat misleading since this condition affects more than just athletes. Butchers, painters, and plumbers are a few examples of the kinds of people who can develop tennis elbow. People with these kinds of jobs can get tennis elbow because their jobs involve the kinds of repetitive motions that can cause tennis elbow. Tennis elbow primarily causes pain in your elbow's epicondyle. However, the pain may spread out into other parts of your body, such as your wrist as well as your forearm. Doctors will perform a physical exam on you where they might put pressure on the affected part of your arm.
Your doctor might also request that you move your elbow around as well as your fingers and wrist in different kinds of ways. Your physical exam in addition to your medical history usually gives your doctor sufficient information to diagnose you with tennis elbow. In the event that doctors do not believe that tennis elbow is what's causing the symptoms you have, they might recommend that you get some kind of imaging test. The most common type of imaging test is an X-ray.
How Does an Elbow Brace Work?
Elbow braces work by supporting your elbow and helping your elbow operate properly. If your elbow is working normally, this reduces the amount of strain and stress placed on your elbow. This reduction in elbow stress means that you are probably less likely to suffer an elbow injury because of this stress. The kind of elbow brace that you use depends on the severity of your elbow injury.
For more minor elbow injuries, a simple splint should do the trick. However, if your elbow injury is more serious, you may need a more complicated elbow brace like an elbow stabilizing system. The two ways in which elbow braces work are that they aid your elbow in healing and they can assist in preventing future elbow injuries, as well.
A splint is useful in helping your elbow heal because it can help in protecting your elbow from unnecessary movement. An elbow stabilizing system is more suitable if you have suffered a fracture of one of the bones in your upper arm. An elbow brace helps you by decreasing the swelling. Decreasing the amount of swelling can give you a greater range of elbow motion and reduce your pain in general.
You should know that elbow braces work differently compared to compression sleeves. Simply put, elbow braces hold the arm as well as the elbow in one stationary position. This is how the elbow brace speeds up your body's natural healing process. Many of these elbow braces are hinged elbow braces, and these also help by returning and bolstering your elbow's full range of motion.
In contrast, a compression sleeve gives you more mild compression and support than an elbow brace. This sort of more mild support still does relieve at least some of your inflammation and gets rid of some of the pain as well. However, a compression sleeve does not really work well for people who are dealing with tennis elbow.
How Long Should You Wear an Elbow Brace?
In general, you should only put on an elbow brace when you are utilizing your affected arm for the purpose of repetitive motions. This typically means when you are playing a sport that requires these kinds of movements, such as golf or tennis. These periods of time are usually short, typically no longer than a few hours at a time.
It's not necessary to wear an elbow brace if you're not engaged in such activities. In terms of a more long-term timetable, you only have to wear the elbow brace until you have the pain in your elbow under control.
Can You Wear an Elbow Brace Overnight?
You can definitely wear a tennis elbow brace overnight. Wearing a tennis elbow brace may decrease your nighttime elbow pain. This can help you sleep better. Elbow braces prevent the muscles in your forearm from completely contracting. This may help the tennis elbow you have if you find yourself clenching your hands into fists while you sleep.
What Should You Look for in an Elbow Brace?
For those dealing with tennis elbow, an armband style of an elbow brace is probably your best choice. This type of elbow brace consists of an elastic armband. The armband encases your forearm right below whichever elbow is injured. It makes you feel better by relieving pain and limiting inflammation.
In terms of materials, you should look for elbow brace materials that are washable. Cotton is a good material for the softer parts of an elbow brace because it is breathable, soft, and typically machine washable. Velcro is another good elbow brace material and this is because Velcro straps usually hold the elbow brace in place well. Leather is also a good choice of material to look for since it is both stylish and durable. Leather can come in a variety of different colors so you can probably get your elbow brace in your favorite color.
You should definitely look for elbow braces that are one-size-fits-all. Of course, one-size-fits-all elbow braces are usually somewhat expensive. Given this, you might want to settle for one-size-fits-most elbow braces, depending upon your budget. The elbow braces that are not one-size-fits-most tend to come in sizes ranging from small to extra large.
Adjustability is another quality that you should look for in a tennis elbow brace. Generally speaking, you should try to get an elbow brace that is as adjustable as possible. This means that you can increase or decrease the amount of compression on your forearm or elbow almost at will.
You should also look for elbow braces that include the term 'easily adjustable' in their product details section. Since you will most likely use your elbow brace fairly regularly, an easily adjustable elbow brace will likely improve your overall experience with the product.
To find the best tennis elbow brace for your needs, contact ScripHessco.