Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is also called Lateral epicondylitis. It is a situation where the outer part of the elbow becomes sore and tender. Tennis elbow is also known as with the terms shooter’s elbow and archer’s elbow. There are small tears of the tendons that join forearm muscles to the arm bone at the elbow joint, which causes the tennis elbow problem.
 
As the name suggests, tennis players have more chances of developing the tennis elbow problem. But other daily activities can also cause this problem.
 

Causes of tennis elbow

The overuse or repetitive stress on the wrist caused by repeated action causes tennis elbow condition. This may be from activities such as tennis, badminton or squash but is also usual after periods of excessive wrist use in day-to-day life.
 
Tennis elbow is most commonly seen in two groups of people, manual laborers and sports participants. Manual laborers include plumbers, painters, gardeners, and carpenters, whereas sports participants include tennis players, racquet sports, golfers and fencers.
 

Tennis elbow may be caused by:

• A poor backhand technique used in tennis.
• A racket grip that is too small.
• Too tight Strings
• Usage of wet and heavy balls during play.
• Performing repetitive activities, like using a screwdriver, painting or typing.
 

Tennis Elbow Symptoms

Pain on the outside of the elbow is experienced by the patients suffering from tennis elbow disorder. The condition gets worst when they try to grasp things and raise back the wrist.
 

The most common symptoms of tennis elbow are:

• Pain over the outside of the elbow
• Pain when lifting objects
• Pain in extending down the forearm
• Pain that typically lasts for 6 to 12 weeks; the discomfort can continue for as little as 3 weeks or as long as several years.
 
The tennis elbow pain starts steadily but in some cases it can occur suddenly. The patients that suffer from this condition age between 35 to 65 years. Both men and women can get affected equally. It occurs in the leading arm in about 75 percent of people.
 

When to Seek Treatment

If you have the following symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor:-
• Inability to carry objects or use your arm
• Elbow pain that occurs at night or while resting
• Elbow pain that persists beyond a few days
• Inability to straighten or flex your arm
• Swelling or significant bruising around the joint or arm
• Any other unusual symptoms
 

How to prevent tennis elbow

 
The patient can use the following steps to prevent further damage:-
• Lift objects with your palm facing your body.
 
• Try strengthening exercises with hand weights. With your elbow cocked and your palm down, repeatedly bend your wrist. Stop if you feel any pain.
 
• Stretch relevant muscles before beginning a possibly stressful activity by grasping the top part of your fingers and gently but firmly pulling them back toward your body. Keep your arm fully extended and your palm facing outward.