Tennis Elbow
Uploaded by mumsa1 on Jan 30, 2012
The pain caused by tennis elbow normally lasts for 6 to 12 weeks.
In this article:
What is tennis elbow?
Diagnosis
How Chemist Online can help
Symptoms
Effect on your life
Advice & Support
Causes
Treatments
What is tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow is basically an inflammation of the tendons around the elbow area usually caused by twisting and over-strenuous use of the forearm and the muscles around the elbow joint. It can be extremely painful, even when doing simple things like shaking hands, washing dishes, using a mobile phone, or turning a door handle.
The scientific name for the injury is lateral epicondylitis which means inflammation to the outside of the elbow bone. It usually occurs in adults, with approximately 5 in 1000 adults developing the condition in the UK each year.
Tennis elbow usually affects the elbow of the dominant hand (i.e. the hand you use the most). So if you’re right-handed, it will usually be your right elbow that causes you pain once your symptoms develop.
Symptoms
Typical symptoms of tennis elbow are:
Pain, tenderness and inflammation on the outside of the elbow, and
Pain on the inside of the elbow – also known as Golfer’s Elbow
These symptoms will usually last for up to about 3 months. However, in severe cases, the pain can continue for several years. You may also experience swelling around the elbow area (due to the tendons being inflamed), as well as stiffness.
People with tennis elbow can develop the condition through activities they perform frequently in their jobs, such as: using a power drill or a screw driver, ironing and repeatedly turning the dials on industrial washing machines in a laundry room, or performing IT tasks like data entry at a computer keyboard all day.
Causes
For tennis players, the condition is usually a direct result of repetitively hitting countless tennis balls over many years – possibly from childhood. However, tennis elbow is not just caused by playing tennis. Any activity which involves excessive and repeated use of the muscles that straighten the wrist can put an unnatural strain on the tendons, injuring them, and leading to tennis elbow. The tendons suffer tiny tears as a result of this over-straining, and, because the tendons are not given enough time to heal properly, they tear again and rough tissue forms.
As well as racquet sports, other sport and leisure activities which can lead to tennis elbow include swimming, bowling and volleyball.
Diagnosis
If you are experiencing the aforementioned symptoms, then make an appointment with...