Tennis Elbow: Along With Treatment and Prevention

 

 

Tennis elbow

 

 

 

     Tennis elbow has been recognized for over 100 years. Tennis players are particularly at risk for this type of pain. However, only 5% of patients seeking medical attention for this condition are actual tennis players. This means that this pain can affect anyone.

 

 

 

 

The Causes of Tennis Elbow

     Tennis elbow occurs when the tendons and muscles attached to the outer bone of the elbow suffer damage, leading to injuries such as accidents, repetitive use causing tendon degeneration, sports activities, heavy lifting, frequent dragging, or even common household activities like sweeping, wringing clothes, or cooking.

 

The Process of the Disease

     When the tendons and muscles are injured and weakened due to age, if the area with the torn tendon is not allowed to fully recover before further use, repeated tearing can occur, causing inflammation and swelling. This results in a slow recovery that can take weeks or even months. Inflammation in the elbow may affect only the tendon (tendonitis), but often the inflammation extends to the tendon attachment on the bone and surrounding joints (epicondylitis).

 

Symptoms of Elbow Tendon Inflammation

• Intermittent pain in the outer elbow bone.
• Pain may radiate to the back of the arm and down to the wrist.
• Pain increases with lifting, especially with the palm facing downward, such as when sweeping, dragging objects, or stirring food.
• Some individuals may experience significant pain and be unable to fully extend their arms.

 

The Diagnosis of Tennis Elbow

The Diagnosis is generally easy through a medical history and physical examination based on the symptoms mentioned above. However, there are conditions often confused with tennis elbow, such as pain on the inner elbow (golfer's elbow) and pain at the back of the elbow from an inflamed bursa (bursitis).

 

Treatment for Tennis Elbow

Since the pain is related to tendon injury, the best treatment is rest, combined with other treatments, including:

 

• Medications: Doctors typically prescribe anti-inflammatory medications for patients in the early stages or those with mild symptoms. If these medications do not work, steroid injections into the tendon may be recommended to reduce inflammation quickly. However, these injections should not be used repeatedly as they can cause side effects, such as white spots at the injection site, loss of subcutaneous fat, and tendon atrophy.

• Surgical Treatment: If other treatments are ineffective, surgery (in about 3% of cases) may be considered. This involves scraping away damaged tissue and adjusting the tendon to prevent excessive tightness.

 

The Prevention

After resting, it is important to strengthen the muscles through specific exercises. If you need to return to activities that may cause the condition, you should warm up for 5-10 minutes and stop if you experience pain.

 

• Lifting objects with the palm facing upward.
• Frequent muscle strengthening exercises.
• Stretch muscles before use.

 

Exercises to Prevent Tennis Elbow

• Exercise 1 : Stretch the muscles used for wrist extension by extending your arm forward, turning your hand palm-down, and bending your wrist downward until you feel a stretch in your forearm muscles.
• Exercise 2 : Stretch the forearm muscles by extending your arm forward, turning your palm up, and bending your wrist toward your body.

 

 

 

 

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Both stretches should be held for 15 seconds, repeated 2-3 times, and done 3 sets per day.

 

 

 

 

 

Exercises with a Table or Chair

After stretching, you can strengthen the muscles by placing your arm on a table or armrest with your wrist over the edge. Then, hold a light object, such as a can, and:

 

• Exercise 3 : Hold the object palm-down, and lift your wrist upwards, holding for 2 seconds before lowering it slowly.
• Exercise 4 : Perform the same exercise, but with your palm facing up and lifting the wrist toward your body.

 

 

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Do these exercises 3-6 times per set, with 6 sets for a total of 30 repetitions.

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Strengthening Exercises

• Exercise 5: Strengthen the outer arm muscles by extending your arm forward, holding a weight vertically, with your thumb pointing up. Slowly raise and lower your wrist.
• Exercise 6: For wrist rotation, start with your hand upright and rotate it clockwise for 2 seconds, then counterclockwise for 2 seconds. Repeat 30-50 times.

 

Massage and Care

     Finish with a massage using your index and middle fingers to gently massage the painful area. You may use topical medication while massaging for about 5 minutes. If pain or soreness persists after the massage, apply ice.

 

Precautions for Elbow Tendon Inflammation

• Stop using the arm or doing activities that cause pain. If necessary, warm up the muscles for 5-10 minutes before exerting force and apply ice immediately afterward. Take frequent breaks.
• Use an elastic bandage or arm support below the elbow to reduce stress when engaging in sports or heavy lifting.
• Consult a doctor if the pain does not improve after several days. Chronic pain can lead to permanent disability or may be caused by other conditions, such as gout, infection, or cancer spreading from another area.

 

 

 

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The best treatment is resting the arm and avoiding activities that worsen the pain.

 

 

 

Last updated:

31st March 2022