What Is Tennis Elbow and How to Get It Treated?

What Is Tennis Elbow and How to Get It Treated?

Tennis elbow is a condition that causes pain around the outside of the elbow. The article lists the frequently asked questions and answers about the condition.

Regarded as one of the most common sports related elbow injuries, tennis elbow refers to a painful condition that causes pain and inflammation around the outside of the elbow. The condition occurs when the tendons (that join the muscles of the forearm to the outside of the elbow) in your elbow are overloaded, usually by repetitive motions of the wrist and arm. Also called lateral epicondylitis, this painful condition can affect people of any age group but is most common among people in the age group of 30 - 50 years. Reports suggest that the condition affects between 1 to 3 percent of the population in the United States. Leading pain management and rehabilitation centers based in Brooklyn, NYC offer effective treatment modalities that help relieve pain and other symptoms associated with the condition.

Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about tennis elbow –

Q: What causes tennis elbow?

A:

The painful condition is caused by repeated contraction of the forearm muscles that people most

often use to straighten and raise their hands and wrists. The repeated movements may result in a series of tiny tears in the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the bony prominence at the outside of your elbow. As the name suggests, playing tennis sport is one of the prominent causes of tennis elbow.

However, many other common arm motions like – using plumbing tools, driving screws, repetitive use of

computer mouse, playing some types of musical instruments, painting and cutting up cooking ingredients can cause tennis elbow.

Q: Is Golfers elbow different from tennis elbow?

A:

Golfers elbow is quite different from tennis elbow in that the pain is focused on the inside of the

elbow. However, the causes are quite similar such as tendon tears caused by repetitive movements (whether it’s a golf swing, lifting weights or simply shaking hands).

Q: What are the most common symptoms of tennis elbow?

A:

A burning sensation and pain surrounding the elbow is one of the common symptoms associated

with the condition. Generally, the pain makes it difficult to grip small objects, lift or bend the arm or twist the forearm. Other related signs and symptoms include – Wrist weakness Chronic pain when lifting or bending the arm Difficulty in extending the forearm fully Pain and stiffness when fully extending your arm Pain when lifting and carrying Tenderness outside the elbow The elbow pain and discomfort may radiate from the outside of the joint into the forearm and wrist and can last for weeks, months and years. If left untreated, the pain can get worse so that it can become extremely difficult for patients to even shake hand or grip an object, turn a doorknob or even hold a cup of coffee.

Q: Can non-tennis players get tennis elbow?

A: Yes, even non-tennis players can suffer from this painful elbow condition. Tennis Elbow gets its name due to the muscle group involved. The wrist extensors are at work during the common tennis motions of cocking the wrist back and stabilizing it while gripping a racquet. On the other hand, other sports or even jobs which involve repetitive motions in the wrist and arm may lead to this condition. Other jobs that cause this condition include – plumbing, painting, and carpentry.

Q: What are the risk factors for this elbow condition?

A: There are several factors that may increase the risk of suffering the condition which may include •

Age – While people of all age groups can develop tennis elbow, the condition is most common in adults aged between 30 to 50 years.

• •

Sports – Any racket sports can increase the risk of tennis elbow, especially if your stroke technique is poor or underdeveloped.

Occupation – Jobs that involve repetitive motions of the wrist and arm are more likely to lead to tennis elbow.

Q: How is the elbow condition diagnosed?

A: Initial diagnosis of the condition may begin with a detailed physical examination wherein the pain management doctors will ask patients to move their elbow, wrist and fingers in various ways to identify the root cause of pain. If the physician suspects that some other factors are causing the symptoms, Xrays or other types of imaging tests may be recommended to confirm the diagnosis.

Q: How is this elbow condition treated?

A: For majority of patients, tennis elbow is treated non-surgically as it helps relieve pain and weakness associated with the condition. There are different types of non-surgical treatment methods for this condition, which may vary depending on the type and severity of symptoms. The top non-surgical treatment options for treating tennis elbow include ✓ Physical therapy – Physical therapy exercises help strengthen the muscles of the forearm and improve joint flexibility. Generally, these exercise programs include – strengthening, stretching and aerobic exercises. Patients are generally advised to perform these workouts about 3-5 times a day. ✓ Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) – TENS involves the use of low voltage electric current for pain relief. ✓ Chiropractic care – Chiropractic treatment helps repair the normal alignment of the elbow joints and improve joint flexibility. It also reduces inflammation and allows the damaged tendons to heal more quickly. ✓ Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – Anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin may be prescribed to alleviate pain and inflammation. ✓ Pain injections – Cortisone pain injections are directly administered into the joint to ease pain. ✓ Ice and heat application – Ice packs reduce inflammation and heat packs provide muscle relaxation. ✓ Game Ready Cold Therapy and Compression – This compression therapy involves the application of controlled cold therapy and intermittent compression to promote healing.

If the pain in the elbows becomes severe and chronic, surgery to remove the damaged part of the tendons would be recommended by physicians.

Q: What are the lifestyle modifications for managing tennis elbow?

A: Taking proper body rest is one of the most important steps for managing symptoms of tennis elbow.

Patients need to strictly avoid or modify physical activities that cause strain to the affected muscles and tendons. In most cases, patients are advised to stop participating in sports activities or other manual tasks (that involve lifting) for several weeks until the damaged tendons heal and the pain in the arm subsides completely. In some cases, to prevent further damage to the tendons, patients can wear an arm brace or a wrist splint when using the arm. Generally, a physiotherapist can recommend the type of brace or splint to use.

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