TENNIS elbow or lateral epicondylitis is an extremely common injury that originally got its name because it is a frequent tennis injury, appearing in a large proportion of tennis players. Nevertheless it commonly manifests in a vast proportion of people who do not play tennis at all.
Known causes
Lateral epicondylitis occurs most commonly in the tendon approximately 2 cm below the outer edge of the elbow joint or lateral epicondyle of the humerus bone.
Specific inflammation is rarely present in the tendon but there is an increase in pain receptors in the area making the region extremely tender.
Tennis elbow is often caused by overuse or repetitive strain caused by repeated extension (bending back) of the wrist against resistance.
This may be from activities such as tennis, badminton or squash but is also common after periods of excessive wrist use in day-to-day life.
Identify it
Signs and symptoms of tennis elbow are pain about 1-2 cm down from bony area at the outside of the elbow (lateral epicondyle), weakness in the wrist with difficulty doing simple tasks such as opening a door handle or shaking hands with someone, pain on the outside of the elbow when the hand is bent back (extended) at the wrist against resistance, pain on the outside of the elbow when trying to straighten the fingers against resistance and pain when pressing (palpating) just below the lateral epicondyle on the outside of the elbow.
Prevention
The best way to prevent tennis elbow is to stretch and strengthen your arm muscles so that they are flexible and strong enough for your activities.
Some other ways to prevent tennis elbow include staying in good overall physical shape, using the correct techniques and movements during activities and not overusing your arm with repeated movements that can injure your tendon.
Treatment
No single treatment has been shown to be totally effective, however a combination of the treatments below are known to resolve tennis elbow over time. For athletes, here are some tips to keep tennis elbow at bay.
● Apply ice or cold therapy to the elbow (15 minute up to six times a day). This will help reduce pain and inflammation if present.
● Rest - an extremely important component in the healing of this injury.
● Wear a brace or support (play video) to protect the tendon whilst healing and strengthening, particularly when you do take up sports. The brace should not be put on the painful area but rather approximately 10 cm down the forearm.
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