What Is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis or golfer’s elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is a painful upper extremity injury involving the tendons that attach the muscle to the bone on the outer side of the elbow (lateral side). This muscle is called the extensor carpi radialis brevis—it helps you extend and straighten your wrist. With tennis elbow, the tendon begins to break down where it connects to this muscle, which can be very painful when you’re lifting or gripping objects. This repetitive motion is most commonly experienced with tennis players, but the condition can develop from other work-related or athletic activities.
Signs & Symptoms
Pain in the outer elbow is the main reason people with tennis elbow see a doctor. This symptom usually happens when using the muscle to grip or lift objects, since this puts stress on the tendon. Others may notice that simply touching the area feels sore and tender.
In some cases, moving the elbow even slightly can hurt. The pain caused from tennis elbow usually starts at the elbow but can go all the way down to the forearm and hand.
Causes
Tennis elbow can result from a variety of activities, with the most common reasons being overuse and trauma.
- Overuse: Repeating the same motion on a regular basis—often with work or athletics—can cause stress on the area where the tendon attaches to the muscle. Common activities that lead to overuse of this area include gripping an overly large racquet handle or repeatedly grasping objects like those used in plumbing, painting, and weaving.
- Trauma: If the outer elbow undergoes a sudden hit, strain, or activity, this can cause the tendon to swell, leading to the tissue breaking down.
Tennis elbow most commonly occurs in men and women between the ages of 30 and 50. However, it can develop outside of this age range.
Treatment
A variety of treatment options are available for tennis elbow. One or more may be recommended for you depending on the severity of your condition and what treatments have been attempted in the past. In the beginning, your doctor may recommend non-surgical treatments to see if this helps your condition. In general, most patients will see improvement in their symptoms with appropriate rest and time, but it may take 8-12 months to completely resolve. If you don’t get the relief you need to function normally from day to day, you may need to undergo surgery. In general, our team has found positive outcomes from the following treatments:
- Limiting the activity that causes pain or modifying how it is performed
- Anti-inflammatory medicines or injections can be used to reduce the pain and inflammation
- A brace worn just below the elbow can lower the stress on the tendon, helping it heal
- Physical therapy may be recommended to stretch and strengthen the area
- Shockwave therapy sends pulses of energy to the area to help the tendon heal
- Steroid injections to decrease short-term pain
- Surgery removes the degenerated tissue (either through traditional open surgery or minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery)
Should you need to undergo surgery, recovery will take about four to six months. As you heal, you’ll need to practice physical therapy to improve your arm’s range of motion and strength. Our reconstructive hand surgeons at the Institute for Hand Surgery will determine the best treatment plan to get you pain free and back to your favorite activities.
