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Tennis elbow
(Lateral
Epicondylitis)
Tennis elbow, also called lateral
epicondylitis, is a common cause of elbow pain.
Treatment
Initial treatment
of tennis elbow usually involves self-care steps including rest, icing
the area and use of acetaminophen or over-the-counter (OTC)
anti-inflammatory medications. If those steps don't help and you still
have pain and limited motion after a week or so, your doctor may suggest
other steps. These may include:
-
Analyzing
your arm motions.
Your doctor may suggest that experts evaluate your tennis technique
or job tasks to determine the best steps to reduce stress on your
injured tissue. This may mean going to a two-handed backhand in
tennis or taking ergonomic steps at work to ensure that the way you
use your wrist and forearm doesn't continue to contribute to your
symptoms.
-
Prescription medications.
If your use of OTC medications hasn't reduced pain and inflammation,
your doctor may prescribe stronger medications for a short period of
time.
-
Exercises.
Your doctor — or physical therapist to whom you've been referred by
your doctor — may suggest exercises to gradually stretch and
strengthen your muscles, especially the muscles of your forearm.
Once you've learned these exercises, you can do them at home or at
work. Your doctor may also suggest you wear straps or braces to
reduce stress on the injured tissue.
-
Corticosteroids.
If your pain is severe and persistent, your doctor may suggest an
injection of a corticosteroid medication. Corticosteroids are drugs
that help to reduce pain, swelling and inflammation. Injectable
corticosteroids rarely cause serious side effects, although they may
temporarily raise blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
However, a Mayo Clinic study showed that these medications didn't
provide a clear benefit over physical therapy exercises alone when
administered within a month of onset of symptoms. Your doctor may
also suggest use of topical corticosteroids for pain relief. These
corticosteroids are absorbed through your skin.
-
Surgery.
If other approaches haven't relieved your pain, if you've been
faithful with your rehabilitation program and given it enough time,
and if the activity of your arm is still restricted, your doctor may
suggest surgery. You'll be able to have the surgery done on an
outpatient basis, meaning you can go home the same day. Surgery
involves either trimming the inflamed tendon, or surgically
releasing and then re-attaching the tendon to relieve pain.
Prevention
Until
symptoms of pain and inflammation subside, activities requiring
repetitive wrist and forearm motion should be avoided. Once pain
decreases to the point that return to activity can begin, the playing of
sports, such as tennis, for long periods should not occur until
excellent condition returns. Many times, choosing a different size or
type of tennis racquet or tool may help. Frequent rest periods are
important despite what the wrist and forearm activity may be. Compliance
to a stretching and strengthening program is very important in helping
prevent recurring symptoms and exacerbation.
These steps may
help you prevent a tennis elbow injury:
-
In tennis,
have a tennis professional review your technique to see if you're
using the proper motion. Swing the racket with your whole arm and
get your entire body involved in the stroke, not just your wrist.
-
Prepare for
any sport season with appropriate pre-season conditioning. Do
strengthening exercises with a hand weight by flexing and extending
your wrists. Letting the weight down slowly after extending your
wrist is one way of building strength so that force is absorbed into
your tissue.
-
Try to keep
your wrist straight and rigid during any lifting activity —
including weight training — or during tennis strokes. Let the
bigger, more powerful muscles of your upper arm do more of the work
than your smaller forearm muscles.
-
Warm up
properly. Gently stretch the forearm muscles at your wrist before
and after use.
-
Try applying
an ice pack after heavy use.
Tennis elbow
(Lateral
Epicondylitis)
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