Tennis elbow occurs, when tendons in the elbow are overloaded, thanks to repetitive motions of the wrist and arm. Contrary to popular belief, athletes aren’t the only people who develop tennis elbow. It was named after the health problem of tennis players, that had a result in several minor injuries, called microtrauma.

It happens as an effect of overuse, and muscle strain injury. Repeated motions and stress to the tissues result in tiny tears in the tendons. Besides tennis, other forms of motions can cause tennis elbow, such as repetitive computer mouse use, painting, digging, lifting, or using plumbing tools. Mostly it is a chronic, sterile inflammation, that can often have a „source” behind it. Problems, associated with teeth, may intensify the complaints, even if the bad tooth does not hurt.

Factors, that may increase the risk of tennis elbow include occupation – carpenters, butchers -, age (mainly in adults, between the ages of 30 and 50), and some kinds of sports such as team sports and combat sports.

The pain can radiate from the outside of the elbow into the forearm and wrist. When the patient grip an object, or shake hands, he/she might feel weakness, and increased pain in the forearm. The pain can also radiate into the shoulders.

In case of golfer’s elbow, the inner surface of the elbow is pressure-sensitive. Bending the back of the hand involves intense pain. In some cases, the pain does not cease even at resting state. The patient is unable to grip the objects. Tennis elbow occurs, when the extensor muscles of the forearm are overused. In this case, the outer surface of the elbow is inflamed and painful at the site of adhesion of the affected muscle. The patient feels intense pain when stretching the elbows, hands and fingers backwards. It is difficult to grip and hold an object.

During the orthopedic examination, the disease can be diagnosed easily on the basis of the patient’s complaints (the pain radiates from the outside of the elbow into the forearm and wrist.) The doctor may apply pressure to the affected area, or ask the patient to move his/her elbow and wrist in different ways.

In some cases, tennis elbow gets better on its own. The disease can be relieved by avoiding strenuous movements, putting the elbow and forearm in rest, and applying physical therapy. A physical therapist can teach exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles of the forearm. If there is no change, then steroid injection is needed. Anti-inflammatory drugs and patches also help heal. If conservative treatment does not lead to results, orthopedic surgery is required. During surgery, the damaged tissue is removed.