Latest News / Dealing With and Preventing Injuries

Dealing with Tennis Elbow: An Injury Not Limited to Tennis Players

Tennis elbow, more formally known as lateral epicondylitis,  is a condition in which pain is felt on the outside of the elbow. It is an injury that is most certainly not limited to tennis players.

Pain symptoms are commonly a result of overuse or repetitive strain caused by repeated extension (bending back) of the wrist against resistance, such as with gardening, painting, using a screwdriver or racquet sports. In today’s society where being desk-bound at work is increasingly common, using computers is the most frequent way for tennis elbow to occur in the general population.

It is most common in those aged 35-65 in both men and women and usually occurs in your dominant hand.

How is it caused?

Tennis elbow is thought to be due to small tears of the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the outside bump of the elbow. This bump is a boney point called the lateral epicondyle. The repetitive stress that causes this micro-tearing can be a result of:

• A lack of strength or flexibility in the forearm muscles.
• An instability of the elbow joint.
• Poor technique during sporting activities (especially tennis and golf) that puts too much strain on the elbow joint.
• Inappropriate sporting equipment, such as using a heavy tennis racquet or having the wrong sized grip on a tennis racquet or golf club.
• Repetitive or sustained movements of the hands and arms, such as with painting, using a screwdriver or using a mouse or keyboard. Just think of how much time an average desk-worker spends each week with these muscles contracting with every keystroke, mouse movement or click.

What are the symptoms?

• Pain 1-2cm below the outer edge of the elbow joint.  Specific inflammation is rarely present but it extremely tender to touch.
• Weakness in the hand and wrist with difficulty doing simple tasks such as gripping a coffee cup or shaking hands with someone.
• Dull ache when at rest.
• Pain on the outside of the elbow when either the wrist is extended or the middle finger straightened against resistance.
• Pain radiating down the forearm.

How is it diagnosed?

A diagnosis is principally made through clinical testing. X-rays and scans of patients who have the diagnosis of tennis elbow are almost always normal.

How is it treated?

• It is most important to avoid aggravating activities. The affected elbow must be rested until it is not painful. By pushing through pain you are continually aggravating the injury. Stop any unnecessary activities which place additional stress on the elbow.
• Stretching of the forearm muscles is an important part of treatment and prevention.
• Ice can be applied regularly to help reduce pain symptoms, particularly during the acute phase.

Professional help

If the pain in your elbow that you are managing yourself does not improve it is best to seek advice and consult with one of our physiotherapists to get an accurate diagnosis of the injury and the most appropriate treatment plan. Other sources of similar elbow pain may require different treatments eg. nerve entrapment or neural irritation.

A physiotherapist at Jubilee Sports Physiotherapy can provide:

• Manual therapy techniques such as gentle massage or myofacial release to the forearm muscles.
• A supportive brace to reduce pain and protect the tendon whilst healing and strengthening, particularly when returning to sport/work.
• Specific stretching exercises for the forearm muscles and nerves (if nerve involvement is suspected).
• Advise on an appropriate strengthening rehabilitation program. Specifically a type of strengthening called eccentric strengthening is introduced.
• Correction of any predisposing factors leading to tennis elbow.

How long will tennis elbow take to get better?

Getting treatment early can dramatically reduce your recovery time & minimise the disruption of your normal work & daily activity. Mild cases that are treated early can make a full recovery in 8-10 weeks with only mild alteration in your normal activity, especially by using the brace. However the rate of recovery differs from person to person, & in cases where the problem has been left to worsen for some time then recovery can take 6 months or more.

For more information regarding tennis elbow or to arrange an assessment of your condition contact one of the physiotherapists at Jubilee Sports Physiotherapy.