Tennis Elbow

Do you play tennis or participate in other activities in which you use your arms continually? If so, then you should know about the causes and symptoms of tennis elbow and ways that it can be prevented. Most people have heard about tennis elbow but what many people don’t realize is that this medical condition is not just caused from playing tennis. It’s associated with playing tennis because it occurs when the elbow is overused such as when you’re participating in this sport. But other activities work the wrist and elbow just as much and can also cause this problem to occur. 

Tennis elbow occurs when damage is done to the tendons in the forearm muscles. These attach to the bony prominence that are located on the outside of the elbow and where the name came from. When you overuse your elbow and wrist it can create small tears in the tendons located in the forearm muscles. The reason it’s so closely associated with playing tennis is because this is a sport in which you use your arms and wrist, particularly when you use the backhand stroke.

Symptoms of tennis elbow include pain that starts on the outside of the elbow and then radiates to the forearm and wrist. Weakness in the forearm and pain when the wrist is extended are common. Over time, the condition will get worse and it will become painful to grip or hold objects. If you suffer from this condition you don’t have to let it prevent you from enjoying activates that you enjoy.

If the condition is not too bad then rest and over-the-counter pain medications can normally relieve the symptoms. If the condition has progressed, then it may be necessary to see your health care provider. Seek medical care if your elbow has a deformed appearance, you can’t bend the elbow or if it becomes hot and inflamed.

Adults between the ages of thirty and fifty are most susceptible to this condition but it can affect anyone at any age that repetitively uses these muscles. Continuing to use your muscles before they are completely healed will result in making the condition worse. Once damage has been done it can take between six months to about two years for it to heal depending on the severity of the damage.

Treatment includes plenty of rest for the affected area, placing ice on the area and taking Tylenol, ibuprofen or naproxen for the pain. However, it’s not recommended that you take these products for an extended amount of time because they can cause other problems.

If the damage is too severe and the treatment above doesn’t help or you still have limited movement in your elbow, then your doctor may recommend other treatments. They may suggest having a specialist analyze the way you move your arm in order to find ways to reduce further damage. You may need to wear a brace, take injections of corticosteroids or surgery may be necessary.

It may be possible to prevent tennis elbow if you use proper warm up techniques to help reduce the stress on your wrist and elbows. Always keep your wrist straight when doing any lifting to put most of the pressure on the larger muscles in your arms. Do strength building exercises to strengthen your muscles and review your techniques to see if there is something that you can change to reduce your risks.