Tennis Elbow Diagnosis and Treatment
December 5th, 2009A common phrase used to describe pain in the most utilized arm or forearm muscles is “tennis elbow”; it describes elbow pain due to over exertion. This condition has nothing to do with tennis players other than it can occur in them often do to the use of the same arm frequently and strenuously.
This condition is triggered by either sudden or gradual damage to the muscle and tendon regions surrounding the outside of the elbow. Tennis elbow specifically targets the point where both the muscle and tendons meet with the outside bony region of the elbow. The medical term for this is “lateral epicondyle”. Another common overuse injury is “golfer’s elbow”, or its medical term, “medial epicondylitis”. This is the same process as with lateral epicondyle(tennis elbow) but it affects the inner portion of the elbow.
Tennis elbow usually affects individuals in the arm that is used for most of the work, for instance, if you are right handed and were to suffer from this condition it will most likely be in your right arm. It is not exclusive to your dominant arm though, and can occur in the non-dominant arm as well as both arms simultaneously.
Some warning signals to tennis elbow may include the following:
• Gradual increase of pain surrounding the outside of the elbow
• Pain becomes exasperated when shaking hands normally or squeezing things
• Pain is again made worse when you are trying to open jars, using tools, or simple lifting. These once simple tasks have become very painful on your arm.
Although tennis elbow affects nearly 50% of tennis players at some point during their careers, it also affects between 1-2 percent of the overall population. It is also more common in men than in women and in ages 30-50. Although it is more common in this age group it is not limited to and can occur at any age.
Other athletes and people whose hobbies or work involve the same movements repetitively in the arm, elbow, or wrist are prone to tennis elbow. For instance, those who work as gardeners, landscapers, carpenters, car mechanics or athletics in the fields of golf, baseball and bowling are susceptible to tennis elbow.
Tennis elbow unfortunately can not be confirmed through any type of blood test or x-ray, rather your doctor will have to rely on your pain descriptions to diagnose this condition. It is important to be as specific as possible when describing your symptoms to your doctor because there are other illnesses that can cause pain around the elbow. That is why it is essential to have a thorough consultation with your doctor.
Treating tennis elbow depends on many different factors. Factors that include age, if you are currently taking other medication, general state of health, medical history and the extent of pain experienced. Tennis elbow is usually successfully treated with cortisone injections.
You can also aide in the healing process by not over exerting yourself by resting and avoiding activity that will inflict pain on the elbow. Also place ice on the painful area as well as taking NSAIDS, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen.