Tennis Elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a repetitive stress injury where tendons on the outside of the elbow have been damaged. These tendons connect some of the hand and forearm muscles to the arm.
What are the symptoms of Tennis Elbow?
Pain is the primary symptom of tennis elbow. Pain is initially localised at the outer elbow. Pain will heighten after activity and usually disappear within 24 hours. As the syndrome worsens pain will take longer to dissipate and eventually it will be present without movement.
Pain can occur when squeezing or gripping with the hand. Twisting of the forearm and lifting with the forearm can also cause pain.
How do I know if I have Tennis Elbow?
The direct cause of tennis elbow is still unknown, however some groups are more prone to this type of tendon damage than others.
Do you play tennis? Tennis elbow gets its common name from tennis, but that is not the only activity that results in this syndrome. Even though racquet sports are the main culprits, most sports can lead to tennis elbow including golf, swimming, baseball and fencing.
Manual laborers are the other group prone to developing tennis elbow. In short, any repetitive action that requires gripping and twisting of the forearm can lead to development of tennis elbow. Use of poor body mechanics and improper equipment further exaggerate the stressors.
A diagnosis by a health professional is usually made by a physical exam and a medical history. Since tennis elbow can be confused with some forms of arthritis and radial tunnel syndrome X-rays, Electromyograms (EMG), Magnetic Resonant Imaging (MRI) and bone scans are sometimes used.
Treatment and Prevention Options for Tennis Elbow
References
1. WebMD. Tennis Elbow. Retrieved September 5, 2006.
