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Orthopedics & Sports Medicine located in Santa Monica, Torrance and Corona Del Mar, CA1
Tennis Elbow Q & A
What is tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow is a painful overuse injury marked by the irritation and inflammation of the tendons in your elbow.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be an athlete to develop tennis elbow. Any activity that requires regular use of the muscles and tendons in your forearm can put you at risk.
What causes tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow is an overuse injury, meaning it develops due to repetitive movements.
Any job or activity that requires you to straighten and raise your hand or wrist repetitively puts a strain on the tendons in your forearm. Over time, these activities cause small tears to develop, which become inflamed.
Some common arm motions associated with tennis elbow include:
- Using hand tools
- Driving screws
- Painting
- Gardening
- Using scissors
In some cases, tennis elbow results from repetitive mouse and keyboard use.
What are the symptoms of tennis elbow?
The symptoms of tennis elbow vary depending on the severity of your inflammation. However, common signs include shaking or twitching hands, trouble grabbing onto objects or turning doorknobs, and difficulty holding a coffee cup or eating utensils.
In addition, pain caused by tennis elbow usually radiates from the outside of your elbow towards your forearm and wrist.
How is tennis elbow diagnosed?
The team at Artemis Health typically diagnose tennis elbow by performing a thorough physical exam, reviewing your medical history, and asking you a series of questions about your symptoms. Your provider may also ask you to perform a series of range of motion exercises.
If your initial exam doesn’t provide your doctor with enough information, the medical team may recommend an X-ray or MRI to rule out other potential causes.
How is tennis elbow treated?
Whenever possible, the team at Artemis Health uses conservative, non-invasive methods of treatment to relieve tennis elbow pain. For example, if your job is to blame, your provider may recommend an evaluation of your daily activities and modifications.
Physical therapy to strengthen the muscles in your arm and relieve inflammation can also provide relief.
If your pain persists, the team may recommend regenerative medicine like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy or injectable pain medications.
Symptoms that persist for more than six months may require surgical intervention. However, the team offers a variety of minimally invasive techniques, which offer a quicker recovery period and less risk of complications.
To learn more about the different treatments for tennis elbow, call or use the online booking tool and request your appointment today.