TENNIS ELBOW ADVICE

Tennis Elbow

What is it:

‘Tennis elbow’ is a term used to describe pain and tenderness on the outer aspect of the elbow.  

How do we get it:

Aggravated with an increase in repetitive activities that require the wrist to be extended backwards such as with hitting balls playing tennis or repeatedly clicking a mouse on an excel spreadsheet.  

The pathology bit:

The repetitive nature of these, and many other activities, can cause micro-tearing of the tendons where they attach to the forearm likely due to the tighten/shorten of the forearm muscles.

Other contributing factors:

In my experience, more often than not, the pain in the elbow is not just due to the injured muscles/tendons but also due to irritation of a nerve radiating from the neck.

Whenever someone comes for treatment complaining of tennis elbow the first thing most clinicians will look at is the neck to make sure it’s not contributing in any way.    

What can be done to help:

There are many suggestions of how to help ‘tennis elbow’

Rest from the activities that aggravate it.... and if that’s not practical try making some adaptations such as using a mouse in the opposite hand or getting a vertical one which reduces the wrist extension, altering the size of your racquet handle, carrying in the other hand etc 

A clasp can also be helpful (there are lots to choose from)

Eccectric exercises for wrist flexors 

Good posture including at work

If these suggestions aren’t helping the next port of call is:

Physiotherapy assessment and treatment aimed at helping to free up the ‘tight’ stuff and take the tension away from the elbow.  The physio may well also give you exercises and postural advice which is valuable to help settle things down faster.  

After physio comes injections and then surgery as a last resort.