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Tennis Elbow
Getting you back to life faster
Tennis-elbow (lateral-epicondylitis) is a painful condition of the elbow caused by overuse. Not surprisingly, playing tennis or other racquet sports can cause this condition. However, several other sports and activities can also put you at risk.
Tennis elbow is an inflammation of the tendons that join the forearm muscles on the outside of the elbow. The forearm muscles and tendons become damaged from overuse — repeating the same motions again and again. This leads to pain and tenderness on the outside of the elbow.
Causes of Tennis elbow
Tennis elbow is often due to damage to a specific forearm muscle. As the elbow bends and straightens, the muscle rubs against bony bumps. This can cause gradual wear and tear of the muscle over time.
Activities.Many people with tennis elbow participate in work or recreational activities that require repetitive and vigorous use of the forearm muscle. Painters, plumbers, and carpenters are particularly prone to developing tennis elbow.
Age. Most people who get tennis elbow are between the ages of 30 and 50, although anyone can get tennis elbow if they have the risk factors.
Unknown .Lateral epicondylitis can occur without any recognized repetitive injury. This is called “insidious” /unknown cause.
Symptoms of Tennis elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
The symptoms of tennis elbow develop gradually.
In most cases, the pain begins as mild and slowly worsens over weeks and months.
There is usually no specific injury associated with the start of symptoms.
Common signs and symptoms include:
Pain or burning on the outer part of your elbow
Weak grip strength
The symptoms are often worsened with forearm activity, such as holding a racquet, turning a wrench, or shaking hands.
Treatment of Tennis elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Rest. The first step toward recovery is to give your arm proper rest. This means that you will have to stop participation in sports or heavy work activities for several weeks.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines. Drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen reduce pain and swelling.
Physical therapy. Specific exercises are helpful for strengthening the muscles of the forearm ie ice massage, or muscle-stimulation techniques to improve muscle healing.
Brace. Using a brace centered over the back of your forearm may also help relieve symptoms of tennis elbow.
Steroid injections. Steroids, such as cortisone, are very effective anti-inflammatory medicines.
Equipment check. Stiffer racquets and looser-strung racquets often can reduce the stress on the forearm, which means that the forearm muscles do not have to work as hard. Similarly, If you use an oversized racquet, changing to a smaller head may help prevent symptoms from recurring.
Surgical treatment of Tennis elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Most surgical procedures for tennis elbow involve removing diseased muscle and reattaching healthy muscle back to bone.
The right surgical approach for you will depend on a range of factors. These include the scope of your injury, your general health, and your personal needs.
Open surgery. The most common approach to tennis elbow repair is open surgery. This involves making an incision over the elbow.
Open surgery is usually performed as an outpatient surgery.
Arthroscopic surgery. Tennis elbow can also be repaired using miniature instruments and small incisions. Like open surgery, it is also done as an outpatient procedure.
As with any surgery, there are risks with tennis elbow surgery. The most common things to consider include:
- Infection
- Nerve and blood vessel damage
- Possible prolonged rehabilitation
- Loss of strength
- Loss of flexibility
- The need for further surgery
Following surgery, your arm may be immobilized temporarily with a splint. About 1 week later, the sutures and splint are removed.
After the splint is removed, exercises are started to stretch the elbow and restore flexibility. Light, gradual strengthening exercises are started about 2 months after surgery.