Tennis elbow is a repetitive stress injury of the outside (lateral) side of the upper arm near the elbow. When the muscles and tendons in the elbow area are used over and over again, small tears develop in the tendon. Over time, this leads to irritation and pain where the tendon is attached to the bone.
Activities that can trigger tennis elbow include (but are not limited to) racquet sports, movements that involve repetitive twisting of the wrist, and repetitive work with a keyboard and mouse.
Symptoms of Tennis Elbow
- Pain, especially over the outside area of the elbow to the forearm and back of the hand, that worsens when grasping or twisting
- A weak grasp
- Pain with wrist movement
Treatments for Tennis Elbow
- Rest to the area
- Hot/Cold therapy
- Stretching and strengthening with home exercises
- Active Release Technqiues
- Massage Therapy
- Active Isolated Stretching
Prevention of Tennis Elbow
- Perform the appropriate warm ups before physical activity and sports, as well as proper cool down stretches
- Be sure that your technique in these activities is evaluated for possible factors attributing to tennis elbow, so that you may avoid repetitive stress on your joints
- If using any kind of sports or work equiment that has a handle or strings, ensure that they are the appropriate size and weight for you to avoid extra stress on your elbow
- When treating any symptoms of tennis elbow, evaluating how often you perform the attributing physical activity can have an impact on your healing time