Tennis Elbow

What is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow is inflammation of the muscles and tendons of the forearm as they attach to the humerus (upper arm) bone. This inflammation is caused by prolonged gripping activities such as hammering, driving screws, weight lifting, playing certain musical instruments, canoeing, digging in the garden, driving and, of course, racquet sports.

Tennis elbow causes pain when the lateral epicondyle (outermost part of the elbow) is touched and also if the elbow is straight and the hand is moved forward and back at the wrist. The pain is exacerbated by gripping activities and in some cases simple things like turning a door handle can cause intense pain.

How to prevent Tennis Elbow 

Tennis elbow is usually caused by gripping activities, and gripping either too hard or for too long can bring on the pain. Make sure the item that you are gripping, whether it's a tennis racquet, a hammer, or a canoe paddle, is the correct size for your hand. If it is too small it will cause you to grip too hard. If you play tennis for the first time in a long while, or you have to do a strenuos activity such as decorate a room in one weekend, make sure you take regular breaks and stretch the muscles which work over the wrist by doing 'limp wrist' and 'policeman halting traffic' type stretches.

How to treat Tennis Elbow

The success of rehabilitation of tennis elbow is dependent upon first controlling the inflammation. Depending on the severity of the condition, this may be alleviated simply by rest or with the use of anti-inflammatory medication. However, in longstanding cases where there is degeneration of the extensor tendons, anti-inflammatory medication should be avoided. This is because they can hinder tissue healing and in fact cause more degeneration.