What is tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is an injury caused by overuse of the muscles and tendons in your elbow. Despite its name, the injury is not limited to tennis players.
Any repeated motions of the wrist and arm can lead to tennis elbow injury. For example, tennis elbow has been known to affect plumbers, painters and butchers.
Tennis elbow pain can travel from the outside of your elbow into your forearm and wrist.
In most cases, tennis elbow will get better on its own. Resting your elbow and icing the injury can help the healing process. If you don’t see improvement, your doctor may recommend physical therapy, injections or other treatments.
The Ohio State Hand and Upper Extremity Team has the expertise needed to know if your tennis elbow will heal on its own or may need more advanced care.
What causes tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow is caused by repetitive motion and overuse of the muscles and tendons in your forearm. These motions can create tiny tears in the tendons, which lead to inflammation and pain.
Activities that can cause tennis elbow include playing tennis, but also painting, using hand tools and even typing on a computer.
What are the risk factors?
Several factors can increase your risk of developing tennis elbow:
- Age: This injury can affect people of all ages but is most common in those between the ages of 30 and 60.
- Work: If you have a job that involves repetitive motions of the wrist and arm, such as carpentry, plumbing or cooking, you may have an increased risk.
- Sports: Sports that involve repetitive arm movements, such as tennis or baseball, can increase your chances of getting tennis elbow.
- Other factors: Smoking and being overweight can also increase your risk of developing tennis elbow.
What are the symptoms?
The main symptom of tennis elbow is pain and tenderness around the outside of your elbow. This pain can sometimes spread to your forearm and wrist. The pain you experience may also lead to:
- Weak grip strength
- Difficulty turning doorknobs
- Difficulty holding a cup or lifting items
How is it diagnosed?
Your doctor can likely diagnose tennis elbow by asking about your medical history and performing a basic physical exam of your arm and elbow. During the exam, your doctor will apply pressure to the affected areas and ask you to move your elbow, wrist, and fingers to determine the location of the pain.
Your doctor may recommend an X-ray or other imaging test to determine if another issue, such as arthritis, is causing your pain.
How serious is tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow is not a serious condition, but the pain can affect your ability to do everyday activities. With proper treatment, most people recover fully within a few weeks.
Treatment for tennis elbow
Most cases of tennis elbow get better on their own with rest and ice. If your pain doesn’t go away, your doctor can recommend additional treatment options. Common treatment options include:
Self-care at home
- Rest: Limit the use of your arm and elbow and avoid activities with repetitive motion, allowing your tendons to heal. If you can’t stop activities altogether, try modifying or taking frequent breaks to reduce strain on your arm and elbow.
- Ice: Ice your elbow for 15-20 minutes at a time to reduce pain and swelling.
- Medications: Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen can help with pain and inflammation.
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center’s Hand and Upper Extremity Center specializes in injuries of the hand, wrist and elbow. Our team will work with you and provide exercises to stretch and strengthen your forearm muscles. These exercises can help relieve symptoms and prevent future problems.
Injections
Two common injections may be able to help address your tennis elbow:
- Platelet-rich plasma – In this procedure, your doctor will take a sample of your blood, then process it into platelets. These proteins encourage healing and will be injected back into your elbow.
- Corticosteroid injection – Corticosteroids are prescription anti-inflammatory medications that will be injected into your injured tendons.
Surgery
If your symptoms haven’t improved after 6 to 12 months of nonsurgical treatments, your doctor may recommend hand surgery to remove damaged tissue around the elbow. Few people need surgery to repair tennis elbow.
If needed, the surgery can be done at our outpatient office, meaning you can go home the same day. You should expect a full recovery within a few months.
