Tennis elbow
Tennis elbow causes pain outside the elbow. The clinical name of the condition is lateral epicondylitis. The tennis elbow happens after repeated or overuse actions of forearm muscles near the elbow joint. The pain will be on the elbow outside, which may also travel down the forearm when:
- Bending or lifting your arm
- Gripping small objects like a pen
- Twisting your forearm while opening a jar
- Extending your arm fully
Tennis elbow causes
Overuse of elbow muscle often causes the tennis elbow. When the muscles undergo strain, they develop inflammation and tiny tears near the outside bony lump on the elbow.
As the name, playing tennis can also cause tennis elbow, but any activity that stresses the elbow joint can also cause the condition.
Pain on the elbow’s inner side is a golfer’s elbow.
Tennis elbow preventions
It is not easy to avoid tennis elbow if it is developing due to work. Not causing too much stress on the elbow muscles will help prevent the condition from worsening.
Changing your technique might ease the problem if you are a tennis player or into any sport that puts repeated strain on your elbow,
Tennis elbow treatment
The condition will improve on its own without any treatments, but certain treatments might help improve symptoms and speed up recovery.
Rest the injured arm and try avoiding the activity causing the problem. Hold a cold compress against your elbow several times daily to ease the pain.
Prescribed painkillers can also help reduce mild pain. Still, in severe cases, the doctor might refer to physiotherapy, massaging, and manipulating the injured area to help ease the stiffness and pain, improving your arm’s range of movement.
Surgery to remove the damaged tendon part will be the last resort if the therapies and medications are unsuccessful.
Tennis elbow may last for up to two years, but 9 out of 10 cases make a full recovery within a year.
Reviewed by – Dr. Priyanka, MBBS MD Microbiology
Page last reviewed: 16 JULY 2022