Taking Care Of Tennis Elbow
February 27, 2023
Even if you’re not an avid tennis player, you’ve likely heard of tennis elbow. More formally known as lateral epicondylitis, tennis elbow is marked by pain in the tendons of the elbow, which sometimes spreads to the forearm and wrist.
“Tennis elbow is caused by inflammation or microtears in the tendons surrounding the elbow, and it’s a common form of repetitive motion injury,” explains Katie Vaughn, an occupational therapist with Franciscan Health Mooresville.
Patients with tennis elbow often report sharp pain or a burning sensation at the elbow site, as well as weakened hand grip strength.
Learn what causes tennis elbow, the signs of tennis elbow, and how you can treat and prevent pain in your elbow.
What Causes Tennis Elbow?
Essentially, tennis elbow is a result of joint and muscle overuse. But this overuse injury can be caused by more than just playing tennis, pickleball or other racquet sports. Any long-term, repetitive motion of the arm or hand – particularly lifting or repetitive hand extension and gripping – could strain the tendons of the elbow, eventually causing pain.
“I frequently work with construction workers who have tennis elbow due to repeated gripping of power tools or heavy lifting that puts strain on their arms and wrists,” Vaughn explains.
What Are Symptoms Of Tennis Elbow?
Symptoms of tennis elbow include:
- Pain on the outside of your upper forearm.
- Pain when lifting or bending your arm.
- Pain when writing or gripping small objects.
- Pain when twisting your forearm.
- Pain and stiffness when fully extending your arm.
How Is Tennis Elbow Diagnosed?
Your doctor can typically diagnose tennis elbow through a physical examination and evaluation of potential risk factors for forearm and elbow overuse from your work or hobbies. In some cases, diagnostic imaging – including an X-ray or an MRI – may be needed to confirm tendon damage and rule out other potential sources of elbow pain, such as arthritis.
How Is Tennis Elbow Treated?
Many patients can successfully recover from tennis elbow with rest and over-the-counter pain medications. Specifically, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, can help lessen pain and inflammation associated with the condition. Always consult a physician before starting any anti-inflammatory medications. Applying heat or ice to the elbow also may help reduce pain.
For more severe cases, your doctor may prescribe cortisone injections in the elbow to further reduce joint pain and swelling. Some patients may also be candidates for platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy – a process in which a patient’s own blood platelets are injected into injured tissue – to speed tennis elbow recovery. In rare instances, arthroscopic surgery may be required to correct the condition.
Following the diagnosis of tennis elbow, you may be referred to a physical or occupational therapist who will prescribe a series of exercises to strengthen and stretch your arm muscles. This targeted therapy can lessen tennis elbow pain symptoms and reduce the likelihood of a future recurrence of the condition.
How Can Tennis Elbow Be Prevented?
“Strengthening and stretching your forearm muscles and using good body mechanics are all great ways to help prevent future repetitive-motion, workplace injuries,” Vaughn says.
Physical therapy for tennis elbow typically takes between six to twelve weeks, depending on the severity of the case.
“Like most health conditions, the more promptly you address tennis elbow, the better the long-term outcome will be,” Vaughn says. “When pain from tennis elbow begins to impact your day-to-day life, it’s definitely time to address it.”
Do you have lingering elbow pain as a result of a repetitive sports movement or task at work? Ask your doctor about treatments for tennis elbow – so you can get back to moving comfortably again.
