Tennis elbow braces can work wonders to push the pain away when you’re enjoying your favorite sport. They may work so well for you that you start to wonder if you should use them at night. So, should you wear a tennis elbow brace at night while you sleep? Does it even help?
Here’s the simple answer:
Key Takeaway:
No, you should not wear a tennis elbow brace at night as they are designed to prevent pain during an activity, not heal existing injuries. Wearing one at night may reduce the blood flow which can prevent healing, so try to only use your tennis elbow brace during play.
The keywords here are prevent and heal. Tennis elbow braces are intended to prevent an injury during play, not heal an injury during time off. There is a big difference there.
Throughout the rest of the article, I’ll explain more about how tennis elbow braces work and why you shouldn’t use them at night.
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How Tennis Elbow Braces Work
Also known as a counterforce brace, tennis elbow braces work by applying pressure to muscles overworked during an activity. The tension in the brace supports the muscles and keeps them from painful over-extensions while still allowing the user their full range of motion.
When applying a tennis elbow brace, you fasten it just below the elbow. It should be snug enough to stay in place and apply some pressure but not so tight that it cuts off circulation. The last thing you want is a glorified bracelet flopping around by your wrist as you’re trying to hit a devastating forehand winner.
Related: Click the link to learn how to properly wear a tennis elbow brace. Yes, there is a right and wrong way.
The Drawback of Wearing a Tennis Elbow Brace
Because tennis elbow braces need to be snug to be effective, they end up cutting off a little blood flow no matter what. That’s why counterforce braces aren’t recommended for extended use. If you use them that way, they can delay the healing process.
Damaged muscle tissue and tendons in any part of the body require blood flow to heal. It’s why rehabilitation exercises focus on higher repetitions. The more reps you do, the more blood your body pumps to the area you’re using for the repair job.
Tennis elbow braces are great for reducing further injury and pain to your forearm muscles, but they aren’t necessary when at rest and can lessen blood flow to your arm. Wearing them at night would be a mistake.
The Effect of Wearing a Tennis Elbow Brace at Night
Like most people, you probably spend at least 6 hours in bed every night. That’s a good base to look at when considering the effects of wearing a tennis elbow brace at night. The time spent at rest is restorative, especially for athletes. Not only is your mind taking a break, but your body is working hard to repair the muscle tissues you used throughout the day.
The most important material for that repair job is blood, and tennis elbow braces tend to restrict the amount that moves through that part of your body.
The lack of blood flow quickly becomes detrimental to muscle repair over the course of a 6-hour sleep. Think of a fuel tank only filled to 80 percent. It’ll only get you so far the next day.
In the case of your elbow injury, it means a healing deficit.
Should You Wear a Tennis Elbow Brace in the Evening?
Okay, so wearing the counterforce brace to bed isn’t a good idea, but what about wearing it throughout the evening? Surely it can’t hurt to have it on for short stretches while watching TV or reading?
You should not wear a tennis elbow brace in the evening when you are at rest. You should only wear it when performing an activity that may potentially cause pain or further injury to the forearm muscles. This might include things like strenuous housework or gardening.
You should remove the tennis elbow brace after the activity is finished.
Your muscles need that blood flow, so it’s best to free them when you’re not doing an activity that puts them under stress.
What To Do For a Tennis Elbow Injury When Inactive
Since you shouldn’t overuse your elbow brace you might be wondering what you can do to help heal your elbow injury.
There are many factors to consider, the first one being assessing how serious the problem is. Once you have that information, you can take the steps below.
Talk to a Medical Professional
When worried about any medical issue, the first step should be a trip to the doctor. They can use their expert knowledge as well as medical tools to figure out exactly how serious your elbow injury is. Sometimes, what you think is just a minor case of tendonitis can end up being something worse like a bone fracture.
Other times, you’ll find yourself worried over very little.
Whatever the case, a doctor will help you figure out a path to recovery.
Ice Your Arm
Once you know you’re dealing with tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, you can start to treat it. And one of the simplest ways to tackle that issue is by managing the pain and inflammation. After finishing a rigorous activity, you should immediately apply an ice pack. It’ll work to relieve pain and get rid of unhelpful inflammation.
Rest
Another way to reduce stress on an injured body part is to give it rest. If you’re not using it for a necessary activity, you should do your best to avoid using that arm at all. This will give your body time to heal properly rather than giving it more work to do.
If the garbage needs to be taken out, pass the buck on to someone else. Do the dishes need doing? Save them for a friend.
Compression Sleeves
While elbow braces aren’t meant to be worn when inactive, there are other options if you’re looking for something that can help with your injury. Studies show that compression sleeves help with muscle recovery when worn after the activity is over. They can also help with inflammation.
You may want to give one a try if you’re looking for extra solutions to your injury recovery routine.
Should I Wear a Tennis Elbow Brace at Night – Final Thoughts
Tennis elbow braces are designed for use throughout an activity, not as a healing tool when inactive. You shouldn’t wear one at night unless it’s as an aid to another strenuous action. If you’re looking for relief from your injury, try other solutions like speaking to a doctor, icing your arm, resting, and compression sleeves.
Sources
- National Library of Medicine: Do Compression Sleeves Reduce the Incidence of Arm Lymphedema and Improve Quality of Life? Two-Year Results from a Prospective Randomized Trial in Breast Cancer Survivors
- National Library of Medicine: Compression garment promotes muscular strength recovery after resistance exercise
- Ortho Info: Tennis Elbow
- COAST Rehab: Why we use high repetition exercises
- Hortons O and P: Injection Alternatives in Tennis Elbow Treatment Using Orthotic Braces
- John Hopkins Medicine: Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow)
Welcome to TheVolleyLlama.com. My name is Keith, I’m just a lover of all sports that involve a racquet, net and a ball. I played competitive high school varsity tennis, love racquetball and my whole family plays pickleball regularly. I started this website to help give people like you the basics to learn these wonderful games.
