lateral epicondylitis Archives

Tennis Elbow: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

June 13, 2022March 28, 2024
by Eva Hospital

Even though the name might suggest that Tennis Elbow is an issue that persons involved in that sport will undergo, that notion is entirely incorrect.

Caused by the repeated contraction of the forearm muscles used in straightening and raising your hand and wrist, tennis elbow is a condition common not only among athletes but also among non-athletes.

What is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow is a condition caused by excessive or overuse of tendons in your elbow. Over time, certain arm and wrist motions tend to weaken arm muscles and tear the tendon that attaches these muscles to the bony end of your arm. This condition, medically christened as lateral epicondylitis, is known as tennis elbow.

For the uninitiated, tendons are bands of tough tissue that attach your muscles to your bones, acting as a cushion.

Tennis Elbow: Symptoms

If the pain radiates from the outside of your elbow into your forearm and wrist, these are signs of a tennis elbow. Those suffering from lateral epicondylitis will typically suffer inflammation in the area where the tendons of their forearm muscles attach to a bony bump on their elbow. The pain may radiate from this part and be felt in your wrist till the ends of your fingers. Those suffering from tennis elbow may sometimes suffer pain when performing the following activities:

Lifting something
Making a fist
Raising hand
Straightening wrist
Turning a doorknob
Shaking hands
Keeping a firm grip on an object

Tennis Elbow: People prone to getting lateral epicondylitis

Athletes and professionals, who make excessive use of specific arm and wrist motions are more vulnerable to getting a tennis elbow. These include:

Tennis players
Squash players
Racquetball Players
Baseball players
Softball players
Bowlers
Gold players
Fencers
Painters
Dentists
Carpenters
Plumbers
Gardeners
Butchers
Chefs
Auto mechanics

Tennis elbow symptoms

Inflammation
Pain in the outer elbow
Swollen elbow joint
Pain in twisting, bending & extending your arm
Weakened grip

Common arm motions can cause tennis elbow

Repetitive arm movements
Use of the backhand stroke with poor technique in racquet games
Using plumbing tools
Painting
Driving screws
Cutting up cooking ingredients
Excessive computer mouse use

Tennis elbow versus golfer’s elbow

Tennis elbow affects the tendons on the outsides of your arm while a golfer’s elbow affects the tendons on the inside of your elbow.

Tennis elbow treatment

Self-care steps

Rest
Use ice pack on the affected area
Use an elbow strap to reduce further strain
Compression
Specific exercises
Physiotherapy
Use pain relievers

When to see a doctor?

Typically, a tennis elbow does not cause a long-term problem and can be cured with conservative self-care methods. In case, the conservative methods fail to cure the situation for a prolonged period of over a year, you may be suffering from a severe case of tennis elbow. In this case, you need to see a doctor, who may recommend surgery. The surgery would typically involve removal of the damaged section of tendon and repair of the remaining section. The recovery in such cases is 4 to 6 months.

FAQs

What is the main cause of tennis elbow?

Tennis Elbow is a medical condition, caused by the overburdening of the tendons in your arm.

What is the best way to relieve the tennis elbow?

Rest, physiotherapy, and over-the-counter medication are considered to be effective in dealing with tennis elbow.

What is the fastest way to cure tennis elbow?

The fastest way to cure a tennis elbow is to immediately stop the activity that caused the problem and rest. Use an ice pack on the affected area and design a workout program to recover from the injury.

What is the best tennis elbow treatment?

The best self-care treatments for a tennis elbow are rest, ice, and physical therapy.

How long does a tennis elbow take to heal?

With proper treatment, it may take nearly 18 months for a tennis elbow patient to undergo complete recovery.

Will the tennis elbow fix itself?

Resting and stopping the activity that caused the issue could result in a tennis elbow fixing on its own between 6 to 18 months.

Eva Hospital

Lateral Epicondylitis – The Most Common Overuse Syndrome in…

January 16, 2021March 30, 2024
by Eva Hospital

For most people “tennis elbow” is just something that Sachin Tendulkar had. It gives a vague idea of elbow injury in sportspersons.

However, it is not only a sports injury. Actually, some people might suffer from the condition without recognizing it.

What is Tennis Elbow or Lateral Epicondylitis?

Lateral Epicondylitis is a painful condition of regeneration of the tendons on the outer part of the elbow. It causes pain while performing actions such as gripping, lifting, and grasping.

The pain persists in the restful state too. It can affect anyone, not just sportspersons. A plumber, a mechanic, or even a homemaker may suffer from it.

What is the Cause of Tennis Elbow?

The primary cause is overuse.

You may ask- how can one overuse an elbow joint? Well, all actions involving the forearm, if done repeatedly with force over a period of time cause tennis elbow.

To understand the causes leading to Lateral Epicondylitis, we must understand the structure of the joint.

The two bones of the forearm are the radius and ulna, supported by the muscle Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis(ECRB), which helps to straighten and support the wrist.

It is attached to tendons that transmit its power to the bones in the outer part of the elbow (lateral epicondyle).

Overuse happens in repeating actions that use the ECRB muscle, such as the groundstroke in tennis.

Other similar manual tasks such as painting, cleaning, operating machinery, or even dusting may lead to Lateral Epicondylitis. The muscle weakens and microscopic tears are formed in the tendons.

The other less common causes are trauma and osteoarthritis. A physical impact or bone weakness causes tendon tear. The result is pain and inflammation.

Common Symptoms of Tennis Elbow

Symptoms of tennis elbow appear gradually. In the beginning, pain is mild and is only triggered with certain actions – lifting weight, carrying stuff, and twisting or squeezing.

The pain is located in the outer bony bump of the elbow which spreads to the forearm. The severity increases when we repeat similar actions.

Lateral Epicondylitis affects the more active arm, however, it may affect both the elbows.

The symptoms become severe with time and negligence. A simpLateral Epicondylitis action like lifting a teacup also becomes painful and difficult.

Treatment for Lateral Epicondylitis

Non-Surgical Treatment

The main objective of treatment for Tennis Elbow is relieving pain and controlling inflammation.

Rest: Complete rest to the arm and wrist and not performing painful actions.

Pain killers: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed by the doctor to lend relief from pain and inflammation.

Ice pack: Cold fomentation with an ice pack thrice a day speeds up the healing process.

Brace: A constrictive strap provides rest, support, and prevention of worsening the condition. The braces act as auxiliary muscles to the ECRB and a suitable alternative for patients with extreme pain who do not respond to other forms of treatment such as physiotherapy or injections.

Braces prevent further wear n tear and reduce pain in the long term.

Steroidal injections: Corticosteroid injections have been found to provide short-term relief, especially when the patient is in acute pain. The injections are administered directly into the area.

Your consulting orthopedic surgeon can advise you better, considering the condition and personal need.

Strengthening Exercises: Strengthening exercises are the most effective long term treatment for Lateral Epicondylitis.

They build up the forearm muscles and prevent a recurrence. Fist clench, wrist extension, wrist flexion, and supination are some of the stretching workouts for the affected arm.

However, you must consult your doctor before starting them

Surgical Treatment for Tennis Elbow

When the symptoms of Lateral epicondylitis persist and the patient does not respond to conservative treatment even after six months, surgery is considered.

Dr. Tanveer Bhutani, known for his expertise in treating joints and bone problems, specializes in treating elbow problems.

He says,” We personalize the treatment for each patient according to the root cause. If an operation is needed, we consider the options of minimally invasive Arthroscopic surgery and Elbow Joint Replacement.”

The right approach and experience are very important in contemplating surgery.

Recovery

Tennis elbow can be a very annoying, painful, and lingering condition if not addressed properly.

Talk to your bone and joint surgeon in Ludhiana to discern the best treatment alternative for you.

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