What is tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow or its official name – Lateral epicondylitis, is swelling of the tendons that bend your wrist backward away from your palm.
A tendon is a tough cord of tissue that connects muscles to bones and the tendon in question regarding tennis elbow is called the extensor carpi radialis brevis.
What causes tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow, as the name implies, is often caused by the force of the tennis racket hitting balls in the backhand position. Your forearm muscles, which attach to the outside of your elbow, may become sore from excessive strain. When making a backhand stroke in tennis, the tendons that roll over the end of our elbow can become damaged.
Although, many people who suffer from tennis elbow do not actually play tennis. The problem can be caused by any repetitive movement, for example painting with a brush or roller.
What are the symptoms of tennis elbow?
Symptoms often start with a pain, burning, or an ache along the outside of your forearm and elbow.
Overtime the pain gets worse and may even spread down to your wrist, even at rest. You could feel pain when you try to lift and grip small objects, such as a water bottle or coffee cup. A weak grip can also be another symptom of tennis elbow.
How is tennis elbow treated?
Avoiding the specific movement that caused your injury in the first place is very important.
Treatments may include:
- Rest and stopping the activity that produces the symptoms
- Ice packs (to reduce inflammation)
- Strengthening and stretching exercises
- Anti-inflammatory medicines (such as ibuprofen or naproxen)
- Steroid injections – help reduce swelling and pain
- Ultrasound – this can help break up scar tissue, increase blood flow, and promote healing
If you are suffering with elbow pain and feel it could be Tennis Elbow, then we can certainly help you. 🙂