The patient does not need any special manual strength or dexterity to apply a strap as he or she would (for example) to pull on and adjust a high compression elbow sleeve. No adjustment is necessary other than making sure the patient is wearing it in the correct place on the arm or elbow.
Although it is useful for treating tennis or golfers elbow, an elbow strap has limited applicability in other circumstances. For example, it will not help to treat general elbow soreness or tired arm muscles. Those conditions require larger coverage areas than a single precise spot. Elbow strains are also not ideally treatable using this type of elbow brace.
Another limitation of some straps is their inability to apply adjustable compression. This means that the patient will not be able to adjust its compression (or comfort) level to suit different situations. However, some elbow straps use Velcro or other similar attachments that allow the owner to adjust the compression level as necessary.
How Often Should The Elbow Strap Be Worn?
Generally speaking, we would suggest (at a minimum) wearing the strap in any situation requiring activity that may aggravate the symptoms of tennis or golfers elbow. This means that the patient should wear the strap whenever he or she needs to perform activities requiring high gripping forces. Most people don't need to wear it at rest; take it off when you're not using the arm, and loosen it if the hand tingles or goes numb.
