What is Tennis Elbow?  Causes, symptoms, and treatment

Dr.Neeraj Godara, 4 mins read

What is Tennis Elbow?  Causes, symptoms, and treatment

Lateral epicondylitis, more commonly known as Tennis elbow, is a painful condition sized due to inflammation of the elbow joint, it occurs due to repetitive over usage of the arm and the accompanying stress on the elbow joint. The pain is sharp and usually can be found on the exterior (lateral side) of the elbow, yet it can gravitate down to the back of the respective forearm. People who come down with a tennis elbow will invariably experience pain while straightening or fully extending the afflicted arm. Tennis elbow treatment depends on the severity of the pain. 

The causes of tennis elbow:-

Most tennis elbow-related causes can be traced to tendons; the part of muscles that attach to the bone. We have tendons in our forearms that attach the muscles in the forearm to the outer bone of the elbow. Tennis elbow mostly occurs when a muscle in the forearm, specifically the extensor carpiradialisbrevis or ECRB muscle — gets irritated or damaged. The ECRB helps in raising the wrist. Excess stress can weaken the ECRB muscle, leading to minuscule tears in the tendon at the point where it attaches to the elbow. These tears cause inflammation and pain, you can consult a tennis elbow specialist in Delhi if you are experiencing similar pain. 

A full-blown tennis elbow can be tipped off by any activity that entails repeated twisting and lifting of the wrist. Such activities include playing tennis or other racquet sports, holding objects like hairdryers and scissors while working with hair, swimming, playing golf, doing handiwork like using a screwdriver or hammer, typing on a computer, and even while turning a key. 

The symptoms of tennis elbow:-

You may experience some of the following tennis elbow symptoms: 

• Elbow pain that may be mild initially but could get worse afterward
• Pain that stretches from the elbow down to the forearm and wrist
• Pain while pressing or squeezing objects
• Difficulty shaking hands with people.
• A weakened grip and grasp.
• Pain while lifting tools or while opening jars
• Holding the steering wheel or turning your car.

Diagnosing a tennis elbow:- 

A tennis elbow diagnosis can be done with a physical exam by a tennis elbow doctor in Delhi. The doctor will pose a set of questions regarding your work, physical activities, sports, and the progression of your symptoms and then put you through a range of motion tests to help make a conclusive diagnosis. The severity of the tennis elbow will be gauged when the doctor applies some pressure to the spot where the tendon is attached to the bone to see how much pain it’s causing. In addition to this, you may have to undergo some imaging tests like an MRI scan or X-ray, this is usually done to rule out other potential disorders that also cause arm pain like arthritis in the elbow. These tests are not always required to make a diagnosis, however. 

Treatment for tennis elbow:-

Tennis elbow treatment can be non-surgical or with surgery. 

Nonsurgical treatment:-

Almost all cases of tennis elbow cases are successfully treated without any surgery whatsoever. At Aakash Healthcare, our doctors begin by prescribing one or a combination of the following treatment options. They are: 

• Rest and rehabilitation - The first step in any recovery is rest, and for a tennis elbow you’ll have to give your arm some rest for some weeks. This is tennis elbow treatment at home per se. You may be given a brace on your doctor’s recommendation to help steady and immobile the affected muscles.
• Ice - Ice packs placed over a tennis elbow can help with inflammation and provide relief from bothersome pain.
• Over - Counter readily available medicine like aspirin and ibuprofen can reduce pain and swelling, these are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine.
• Physiotherapy-  A physical therapist can help you strengthen your forearm muscles through a series of tennis elbow exercises that also speed up the healing process. These include exercises for the arms, muscle-stimulating techniques, and massages. 
• Ultrasound: an ultrasound probe will be placed over the painful area on your arm. It will then emit high-frequency sound waves into the tissues and thus the line of treatment will reduce inflammation and promote better, faster recovery.
• Steroids: In severe tennis elbow cases, a doctor may inject a corticosteroid medication directly into the affected muscle to reduce inflammation immediately. 

Surgery

Surgery may be needed in case of chronic tennis elbow or when symptoms haven’t improved after continued treatment. 

Tennis elbow surgery is either performed arthroscopically or through open surgery. Both methods aim to remove dead tissue and reattach healthy muscle to the bone. The decision will be made by you and your doctor together. At Aakash Healthcare we have the best team of specialists for Tennis elbow treatment.

Post-surgery, your arm will be kept in a splint to restore muscle strength and flexibility.

Surgery is usually successful for treating tennis elbow but you must know that some loss in muscle strength is experienced thereafter. To know more consult our Hand Surgery Specialist at Aakash Healthcare.

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