Keen Knowledge About Tennis Elbow : From Definition to Treatment
If you are facing severe pain in your elbow, do not ignore it. Do you know, even minor pain can tend to become extreme and unbearable pain. Moreover, before continuing the write-up, let’s talk about the short introduction to the tennis elbow.
Tennis elbow occurs because of continuous and tedious use of the same motion, like swinging or twisting your lower arm for a very long time. Putting extra pressure on your elbow harms the tendon that connects your elbow muscles to your forearm. Nevertheless, numerous individuals get better within a few months with non-surgical treatments, whereas some need professional assistance to cure it from the ground level. Furthermore, on this page, we will discuss in detail all the corners that cover tennis elbow.
What is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow is a condition that hurts and inflames the elbow. It’s most likely a repetitive strain injury. Repetitive strain injuries occur when you use a part of your body to repeatedly perform the same type of movement so frequently that it hurts your tissue. Tennis elbow is named after a typical sports injury for individuals who play tennis or similar racket sports. It occurs when you overuse the tendon connecting your forearm muscles to your elbow (your extensor muscle tendon).
In medical terms, the name for tennis elbow is lateral epicondylitis. Epicondylitis is an inflammation of the extensor muscle tendons. Lateral epicondylitis is on the outside lateral, in that direction that you are facing your eyes, if your palms face the front when your arms rest by your sides when you are standing. Any activity that causes you to grip, twist, or swing your forearm a lot can lead to tennis elbow. If you injure your elbow or experience pain that won’t improve by itself in one week, seek care from a health provider. Seeing a provider at the initial onset of pain can increase your treatment options (and the success of your activities).
How Common is Tennis Elbow?
One of the most typical causes of elbow pain is tennis elbow. Therefore, skilled and experienced doctors claim that around 3% of all individuals in India experience tennis elbow every year. Moreover, even though tennis elbow is named for tennis, skilled doctors estimated that more than 90% of individuals who have it do not develop it from playing tennis or other related sports. So, yes, we can state that tennis elbow is the most common medical condition faced by a large number of individuals in India. However, research has found that other similar medical conditions, like golfer’s elbow, are rapidly increasing in India.
What are the Essentials Symptoms of Tennis Elbow?
The primary symptom of tennis elbow is tenderness and extreme pain in the bony knob on the external elbow part. This bony knob is placed where the injured tendons connect to the bone. Furthermore, here we have mentioned the most common symptoms of tennis elbow:
- Swelling
- Stiffness
- Extreme pain in the elbow
- A weakened elbow grip
- Redness
How do you Identify If You Have a Tennis Elbow?
You will not know if you have tennis elbow without consulting a doctor for diagnosis. Numerous indivifuals with tennis elbows feel a particular kind of severe pain in their bony knob and arms. About the pain, read the pointers mentioned below.
- Burning or Sharp feeling around the elbow
- It is worse when you bend or twist your arm to open jars, turn a doorknob, or do any activities with your arms.
- It radiates from your corner of the elbow to your forearm and wrist, especially when you sleep at night.
Causes of Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow is caused by overuse of the arm and muscle strain. However, the primary cause is not well understood. Sometimes, frequently tensing the elbow muscles used to raise and straighten the entire hand and wrist triggers the symptoms of tennis elbow. Therefore, it can cause a deterioration of the tendon fibers that attaches the forearm muscles to the corner or bony knob at the external part of elbow. Moreover, here we have mentioned some major activities that can cause tennis elbow:
- Playing badminton, tennis, and related racket sports.
- Painting
- Using plumbing tools
- Using a desktop mouse more frequently
- Driving screws
- Chopping foods for cooking, specifically meat
Nevertheless, tennis elbow may result from hobbies or jobs that require continuous arm movement, such as:
- Fencing
- Tennis
- Racing
- Weightlifting
- Carpentry
- Painting
- Typing
- Racquetball
- Knitting
- Squash
What are the Risk Factors that You Must Know?
Tennis elbow can happen to anyone without any medical history or sports activities. Check out the list below to learn the risk factors that can lead to developing tennis elbow.
- If you are older than 40
- Have a smoking habit
- Have obesity
- If you used to lift 45 pounds, approximately 22 kgs, every day
Sportspersons who play sports that put extreme pressure on their arms or elbows, including:
- Weight lifting
- Softball
- Bowling
- Baseball
- Tennis
- Golf
Individuals whose professional jobs or hobbies put a lot of pressure on their elbows, including:
- Chefs or cooks
- Carpenters
- Manicurists
- Painters
- Gardeners
- Plumbers
- Musicians
- Cleaners
Diagnosis of Tennis Elbow
At Kush Orthopedic & Health Centre, our skilled and experienced doctors will diagnose tennis elbow with some tests and a physical examination. They will examine your elbow injuries and ask questions related to the symptoms. Ensure to discuss everything openly with our healthcare experts so they can easily find an effective way to treat your tennis elbow. Here are the imaging tests that our doctors will recommend you do. Only after this can they check the inside damage to your elbow and forearm.
- Elbow X-ray
- Electromyography (EMG)
- Ultrasound
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI
What are the Treatments for Tennis Elbow?
Our doctors will suggest treatments to assist you in preventing tennis elbow. The RICE method is one of the most effective methods that can fix your tennis elbow if it is at a minor stage:
1. Rest
You need to take a significant amount of rest from the activity that caused tennis elbow. During the healing process, do not try to use your forearm, or it can become more severe than it is.
2. Ice
Apply an ice pack or a cold compress to your elbow for at least 20-25 minutes, often throughout the day. Additionally, wrap an ice pack in a thin towel so ice does not touch your skin directly.
3. Compression
Wrap your entire forearm, covering the injured area of your elbow, with a compression bandage. Doctors can show you how to apply it safely.
Nevertheless, in many severe cases, tennis elbow is not easily curable. Thus, in such cases, doctors suggest other non-surgical treatment options. Here are
- Over-The-Counter (OTC) Pain Relievers
- Physical Therapy
- Wearing A Brace
- Platelet-Rich Plasma
- Corticosteroids
- Tenotomy
- Shockwave Therapy
Moreover, individuals do not need surgery to treat tennis elbow. Doctors might suggest surgery if you are facing extreme symptoms after several weeks of conservative treatments. Here are the top two surgical options doctors mainly recommend.
- Open surgery
- Arthroscopic surgery
Things to Consider to Prevent Tennis Elbow
The most promising way to prevent tennis elbow is to avoid overexposing your arm and elbow. Following these prevention tips during sports or other physical activities:
- Wear the appropriate protective layers for all your sports, work, or hobbies
- Do not continue to play when you feel pain during or after physical exercises or sports
- Give your body proper rest and recover after intense sports or activity
- Never forget to stretch and warm up your body before playing sports or hitting the gym
- Engage your body in specific exercises that keep your body healthy and energetic
It’s Time to Conclude Here!
We hope this page has provided you with all the precise details about tennis elbow, covering all the major topics. However, tennis elbow is one of those common injuries that can happen to anyone, whether you are a professional tennis or badminton player, or an individual doing their daily chores. We hope you’ll follow the above prevention tips so that you never have to face such a painful situation. Furthermore, if you are looking for the best orthopedic & health centre near me, look no further than Kush Orthopedic & Health Centre.
We are here to provide top-notch medical assistance to every individual facing a severe health condition. Our primary goal is to treat every patient with all cutting-edge technologies. Additionally, our team of experienced and skilled professionals will ensure we cover all areas of your medical checklist. So, do not ignore any tennis elbow symptoms. Book your consultation today. Let us be your companion in health.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here we have mentioned some of the most immediate ways to cure tennis elbow:
- Rest
- Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medicines
- Physical Therapy
- Arthroscopic Surgery
- Equipment Check
Yes, tennis elbow often cures on its own. However, if pain becomes unbearable and other self-care steps are not working effectively, you can opt for physical therapy or surgery. Ensure to follow the doctor’s suggestion regarding the treatment of the tennis elbow.
Tennis elbow impacts individuals of any age. However, most patients with tennis elbow tend to be between 30 and 50 years of age.