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Sports injuries around the elbow or arm can often be daunting for players to deal with. You must consider the various types of gear that could help a player is combating these possible injuries sufficiently. The tennis elbow brace vs. compression sleeve debate is one of the most common debates due to the availability of both.
Tennis elbow brace vs. compression sleeve, which one should I choose? The tennis elbow brace would be best for those suffering from the dreaded tennis elbow injury many players have to deal with. The compression sleeve works almost anywhere throughout the body and would compress a specific body part when needed.
A common misconception is that the tennis elbow brace and compression sleeve are the same. However, there are a few significant differences between the two.
To help you understand which one would be best for you, you should consider reading through this article, and we will reveal some of the most common reasons to use each.
If you are wondering what are the pros and cons of playing tennis, I encourage you to read this article.
Compression Sleeve Vs. Tennis Elbow Brace Comparison
To give you a closer and faster insight into some of the differences between these two straps, we have created a good comparison that highlights the most important features of each to simplify your life.
- Pressure: The compression sleeve tends to give you slightly more pressure, which also covers a larger area. This would make it possible to give you the optimal level of pressure to help heal injuries. The tennis elbow might only cover a small portion of the body.
- Blood Circulation: Both should ensure optimal blood circulation, but the compression sleeve might be a bit better due to the overall design of the sleeve.
- Heat: The tennis elbow brace is much smaller, so it does not have as much coverage and should have less heat.
- Ease Of Use: Both of these units are functional and should enable you to use them without any real hassles. However, the sizing for the compression sleeve might be much harder to find, and there are numerous sizes you need to choose from.
- Comfort: Once you have the right compression sleeve, comfort should not be an issue. These straps should be functional and ensure that you can move freely or play the sports you want to.
What Is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is a common injury among tennis players, which often happens when the tendons in the elbow suffer from an overload of movement (Source: Mayoclinic). It commonly occurs when players play too much without giving the elbow sufficient time to recover after playing.
Tennis elbow might be a frequent injury tennis players experience, but it also occurs in other areas of life. Mechanics, electricians, and other sports athletes might also suffer from severe tennis elbow due to the nature of their jobs. The tennis elbow brace is one of many people’s main options to help relieve the pain.
If you are interested in buying a tennis elbow brace, here’s a link to get one on Amazon.
Tennis Elbow Brace Explained
The counterforce brace or tennis elbow brace is the brace most medical professionals prescribe to someone suffering from this issue. The device attaches to the elbow and helps create support for the elbow when moving your arm. This would compress the tendons to keep them from being overloaded continuously.
The main idea is that the brace would reduce the elongation and force which is applied to these internal muscles and tendons when performing activities.
Due to the constant pressure it applies, it would help heal the area while also reducing some of the pain and discomfort the player is facing.
Pros Of Tennis Elbow Brace
By choosing the tennis elbow brace, you have a few benefits that would apply. These benefits could help you continue your activities of working out or even playing tennis. Here are some of the benefits of the tennis elbow brace:
- Targeted Support: One of the main benefits of the tennis elbow brace is that it supports the elbow in a targeted manner. This means that you will still have a sufficient range of motion.
- Adjustable Force: Tennis elbow can vary in terms of severity, which means that it could often be worse or less. The brace enables you to adjust the applied force.
- Comfort: Another great benefit is that the brace would provide you with significant comfort, and you might not feel it in the way.
- Inexpensive: Finally, the tennis elbow brace is one of the most inexpensive options on the market today, which makes it easy for the user to use.
These are some of the benefits that would apply when it comes to dealing with the dreaded tennis elbow injury.
However, the brace is still functional for those that are dealing with tennis elbow for things like work and other possible issues. It would make the perfect tennis gift as well (pun intended)
Cons Of Tennis Elbow Brace
While the tennis elbow would give you exceptional value for money and comfort, it still has a few downsides. You must be aware of the frustrating aspects that could also be included when wearing a tennis elbow brace.
- Moves Around: One of the major downsides is that the brace would often move around, which could be irritating to many players.
- Small Coverage: Unfortunately, the tennis elbow brace only provides a small area of coverage, which might not be helpful when dealing with other injuries.
- Limited Use: The final issue is that the tennis elbow brace should be perfect for use during periods of discomfort but should not be overused.
As you can see, the tennis elbow brace offers great support for people suffering from the dreaded injury.
The only downside is that it is often limited when it comes to protective coverage and many people have issues keeping it in place.
What Is Compression Sleeve?
The compression sleeve is slightly more intricate, and these sleeves would work when you apply them to almost any part of the body where you would need protection. The compression sleeve can cover a targeted area of your body, which would help create some form of compression for the specific body part (Source: Nike)
When applied, the sleeve can improve blood circulation to the area, which helps to stem the inflammation that is often caused in the body.
Since compression sleeves are so functional, they would work wonders to help individuals deal with various injuries (Here’s a link to purchase from Amazon)
Pros Of Compression Sleeve
The compression sleeve is one of the best options when it comes to overall versatility. It works much better than the elbow brace due to the large area of coverage that it often offers the user.
If you are wondering if you should consider the compression sleeve, here are the benefits of using one:
- Versatility: One of the most pronounced benefits comes in the form of the versatility it offers the user. You can use the compression strap almost anywhere over the body.
- Improved Blood Circulation: One of the main benefits is the improved blood circulation that it offers. This would help to reduce the inflammation often found in the body.
- Flexibility: While the compression strap might feel like it would cause some frustration, it is often great for movement due to its added flexibility.
- Covers A Large Area: Another benefit is that the compression strap would cover a significantly larger portion of the body and provide more coverage.
- Wear For Long Periods: One of the final benefits is that you can wear this compression sleeve for much longer without any issues.
Cons Of Compression Sleeve
The compression sleeve might seem flawless, but there are still a few additional issues that you should be aware of. The sleeve might not be the best option on the market for everyone, and there are a few drawbacks you should be aware of.
Here are some of the compression sleeve’s drawbacks:
- Might Restrict Movement: When the sleeve is used over certain areas, it might slightly restrict the movement due to the large coverage area.
- Warm: Unfortunately, ventilation is not one of the main features of the compression sleeve, which means that it would be warm for some users.
- Sizing: Finally, it is hard for some people to find the right size. With so many sizing options available, many people find it hard to find the correct size.
The compression sleeve is one of the ideal options for those needing large coverage, which helps stem inflammation. The sleeve is not without any faults, but it should work wonders for those who need the additional coverage.
Wrapping Up
If you need to choose between the tennis elbow brace and the compression sleeve, I would recommend the compression sleeve for additional versatility.
Both these straps would offer you incredible functionality and would help you to get the best value for your money. We would love to see which one you prefer in the comment section below.
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