Some Activities That May Cause Tennis Elbow

What is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow refers to a form of tendonitis that affects the outside (lateral) part of the elbow. It is medically referred to as Lateral Epicondylitis. It's a type of repetitive strain injury (RSI). Tennis elbow can develop gradually into a condition where everyday movements like pulling out zippers/fasteners such as at necklines, attempting to raise objects, and turning a doorknob become painful.

The tennis elbow affects the outside part of the elbow. A golfer's elbow affects the inside portion of your elbow. This is where tendons that attach to your biceps muscle are found.

Anyone can get it. In some cases, a person may have an injury or occupational hazard that causes chronic inflammation of the tendons in his/her elbow.

Tennis elbow can happen at any age, but it's more common in adults aged 35 and above. Athletes and people who do repetitive movements are more likely to suffer from tennis elbow. There's no shortage of professions where you might be at risk for developing a Tennis Elbow. A few examples:

• Athletes (tennis, baseball, softball and golf players)

• Computer Programmers

• Accountant

• Hairstylist

• Teacher

• Senior citizens who suffer from arthritis and do lots of things with their hands, like knitting

• Construction workers

• Waiters and waitresses

Tennis elbow can be difficult to identify because there are so many things that can cause pain in your elbow and arm, so it's important to know what the signs and symptoms are. They include:

• Painful or stiff elbow

• Pain while lifting or gripping items

• Pain when bending the wrist backward or stretching it out

• Tingling sensation in the arm (if the nerve is affected)

• Weakness in hand grip

• Shooting pains down forearm or into the hand

• Stiffness in lower arm muscles

There are many ways to diagnose tennis elbow. The most common method is the tender point exam/physical examination. This test can identify if you have pain at a particular spot on your arm. You insert your fingers into this area, push down, then release. If it hurts when you press onto it, it's likely a sign of Tennis Elbow.

Some other methods a doctor may use to diagnose tennis elbow include:

• X-rays

• MRI

• Ultrasounds

• CT Scan

• Nerve Conduction Study

• Electromyography (E.M.G)

• History of the patient's activities

Tennis elbow can be caused by one or more of the following:

• Repetitive use of your arm muscles: The repeated swinging or lifting of heavy objects can cause overuse in the forearm muscles, which leads to inflammation and pain.

• Improper form when playing racket sports: Tennis players and golfers may experience overuse from a faulty swing, where the arm is extended too far.

• Poorly fitted equipment or grip tools: such as poorly-fitting braces, or grip tools, which are too short to reach the end of the object being gripped.

• Muscle imbalance in the arm

• Improper form when lifting weights

• Genetics or aging

• Degenerative joint disease

• Arthritis

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (C.T.S): a condition where the median nerve becomes compressed in the wrist area

• Gout: which causes inflammation to form in joints

• Tendonitis: from overusing your muscles without giving them time to rest

Here are some treatment options for tennis elbow:

• Resting and icing your arm: This is the best way to start if you don't have any serious underlying health problems.

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication: This should be used with caution as it's been shown to increase your risk for heart disease and other conditions.

• Steroid/Cortisone injection: A cortisone injection can help reduce inflammation and relieve some pain. But it will only work temporarily because there's no way to heal damaged tissue with this option.

• Physical therapy: This can help ease discomfort and improve the range of motion in your arm. It also helps prevent future injury by strengthening muscles that support the joint and surrounding tendons.

• Extensive rest and immobilization/Splint/Brace: This can be used in serious cases when other treatments don't work or if you have a condition like arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis where you need to stop using your arm altogether for a short period to give it time to heal.

• Exercises: You may be instructed to do exercises, like strength training or stretching, to keep your arm muscles strong and flexible, which can help with Tennis Elbow as well as other injuries like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

• Surgery: In extreme cases where nothing else helps with chronic Tennis Elbow, surgery may be an option to relieve symptoms, but there is no guarantee that it will work right away.

• Platelet Rich Plasma (P.R.P) therapy: This treatment involves injecting the patient’s blood into an injured joint to help the body heal itself. P.R.P therapy is often helpful in cases where surgery or other more invasive treatments are unnecessary. It also has a faster healing time and is considered a minimally-invasive procedure.

• Shock-wave therapy: Also known as extra-corporeal shock-wave therapy, or E.S.W.T. It is a treatment that uses sound waves to stimulate healing in the body by increasing circulation and reducing inflammation. Shock-wave therapy is effective in the treatment of tennis elbow.

The above are some treatments for tennis elbow, which can be learned as common sense. But I hope you never need to use these methods. 

How to avoid Tennis Elbow

The following are 7 ways of preventing Tennis Elbow:

• Take frequent breaks from using the arm, wrist or hand.

• Reduce pressure on your elbow, wrist, and hand during activities that involve repetitive movements.

• Avoid bending your elbow more than 90 degrees (a right angle) when carrying anything heavy.

• Use a tennis-ball massage to loosen up tight muscles in the forearm, elbow or upper arm. It may also help to reduce inflammation.

• Ice packs can be applied to the sore area after heavy activity or injection to relieve pain and reduce swelling.

• Use a tennis racket that doesn't force you to make a ton of full swings.

• Warm-up before playing and stretching afterward.

• There are compression sleeves for the arm that can be worn during activities like racquet sports. These sleeves will help support the area of your arm that is susceptible to injury and can help reduce inflammation and pain.