A Guide to the cause of tennis elbow Treatment and Prevention

Also known as lateral epicondylitis, tennis elbow is a condition characterized by pain of the elbow due to overuse of the elbow muscle and tendons. In details, it is the inflammation of the tendons joining the muscles of the forearm on the outside part of the elbow. These forearm tendons and Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis (ECRB) muscle tend to be damaged or develop small tears due to similar repetitive motions of the arm over time. The damage leads to inflammation putting stress to the rest of the hand thus making it painful to grip or lift things. The injury is mostly associated with tennis players hence the name. However, it is good to note that anyone can suffer from tennis elbow even those who are not so sporty. Up to 3% of the population suffer tennis elbow especially those between the ages of 30 and 50 years. However, despite the name, less than 5% of the tennis elbow cases are the ones linked to tennis and other racket games. In most tennis elbow patients, pain is reported to occur along the outside of the elbow at the area of the lateral epicondylitis. These patients will also experience the joint stiffness, especially in the morning, joint weakness and numbness or tingling sensations which go down into the fingers.

Causes of Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is caused by a repetitive stress or injury brought about by overuse that leads to damage of the forearm muscles. All activities that are known to involve use of hands and especially those that strain the elbow muscle can be a cause. Also people who engage in activities requiring overhead arm use are also at a high risk of developing tennis elbow. Golfers suffer same kind with a different name “golfer’s elbow”. While playing tennis, hitting a backhand stresses the forearm muscles and repeatedly contracts once you hit the ball. For those with poor techniques on racket grip or hold it too tightly, the stress may increase on the tendons connecting the elbow and forearm muscles.
It is good to note that not only Tennis or golf players can suffer tennis elbow. Those playing other racquet sports like squash or racket-ball are prone to this injury. Your occupation also plays a role in placing you at a risk of having tennis elbow condition. One can also get tennis elbow from the activities or jobs involving repetitive arm movement. These jobs are:

However, studies show that sudden forceful pull, forceful extension and trauma caused by direct blow on the epicondyle cause more than half of these tennis elbow injuries.
Not forgetting, age is also a risk factor of one developing tennis elbow. The most common cases are reported to be increased in people of ages between 30 and 50 years of age.

Symptoms of Tennis Elbow

It is important to know the symptoms to avoid misdiagnosing yourself and treating something totally different from your problem. The common symptom of tennis elbow is pain on the outside of the elbow which progresses to chronic pain over few weeks or months. This may lead to the outer elbow becoming so painful to even touch and swelling. Eventually it becomes more painful to lift or grip things. At times, the tennis elbow affects both arms. Individuals with tennis elbow report pain that worsens when: lifting, shaking objects, opening a door, making a fist, raising the hand or straightening the wrist etc.

Tennis Elbow Treatment

Tennis elbow is a self-limiting condition, meaning it will sooner or later get better on its own without any treatment. However, tennis elbow sometimes can last for weeks or months or sometimes a year and more, this is basically because tendons take long to heal. In rare cases, tennis elbow can last for a year or more.
Several simple treatments listed below can help reduce or eradicate the pain of tennis elbow either at home or in the hospital.

Prevention

It is difficult to prevent tennis elbow injury. However, avoiding strain on the elbow can help prevent the condition or prevent worsening the symptoms. Below are some of the measures one can take to prevent tennis elbow from developing or recurring.

Conclusion

Tennis elbow is a condition that arises from the strain, overuse or injury at the elbow joint. The pain is majorly felt on the outer part of the elbow. However, it is a manageable condition and it is easily treatable. Prevention is better than cure, so stretching your arm muscles before any racket game could go a long way in preventing tennis elbow. Rest can help relieve pain of tennis elbow and reduce the inflammation. It is good to understand that muscle and tendon injuries take long to heal and patience is necessary. Some risk factors associated with tennis elbow are age-common with people between the ages of 30 and 50 years, Occupation-people with jobs involving repetitive motion of arm and wrist and lastly certain sports- most racket sports if you have poor stroke and racket grip techniques. Treatment for this condition ranges from simple home remedies such as placing compressed ice cold packet of peas wrapped in a towel on the elbow, to over-the-counter medications and more complicated treatments like shock wave treatment and surgery. In most cases, tennis elbow is treated effectively using non-invasive techniques. Seek medical attention if the pain is so persistent and severe and last for long. There could be another underlying problem or illness and not necessarily tennis elbow.