Tennis Elbow

"Tennis elbow", also known as lateral epicondylitis,  is a common problem that involves the inflammation of muscles connected to the lateral epicondyle, or the outside of the elbow. Muscle inflammation on the inside of the elbow is referred to as "golfer's elbow". Most often, these conditions are caused by repetitive stress, but they may also be caused by a blow or injury.

Symptoms of both conditions include tenderness over the affected muscle and pain that often radiates down through the forearm. The pain may be more intense when the hand and wrist are in use. This tenderness and pain may come on gradually or appear suddenly. Activities that require the forearm muscles to contract, such as carrying a briefcase, shaking hands, turning a door knob, or hitting a backhand in tennis, tend to make the pain more intense.

The first line of treatment may be rest. By stopping activities that put stress on the elbow, you may allow the muscles time to recover. Pain should be your guide when considering which activities you may continue. If an activity causes your elbow to hurt, stop doing it temporarily. Heat, followed by stretching and strengthening exercises may be helpful in increasing the circulation to the area and decreasing the tightness of the muscle. Ice massage following exercise may also help reduce swelling and pain. In addition, a tennis elbow strap, a snug fitting strap that is worn at the top of the forearm, may help take some of the stress of the muscle. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines will decrease the pain and inflammation. If symptoms persist beyond two to four weeks, a physician should be consulted. Steroid injections may be used and sometimes even a cast is necessary to alleviate the symptoms. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to correct the problem.