Tennis Elbow.

Most people have heard of “Tennis Elbow”, but many are confused if they’re diagnosed with Tennis Elbow despite not playing tennis!

Tennis Elbow is not exclusive to tennis players… The medical term for tennis elbow is “Lateral Epicondylitis”, meaning inflammation of the tendons attaching to the lateral epicondyle of the elbow.

This primarily occurs due to overuse of the muscles attaching at the lateral elbow with insufficient recovery. This can lead to microtearing of the tendons and subsequently, pain and inflammation in this area. In more severe cases, this pain can radiate down the forearm to the wrist and hand as well.

There are several muscles that attach to this area of your elbow, all of which are responsible for bending the wrist backwards, gripping and stabilising the wrist and elbow. This means that these muscles are particularly active while playing tennis, hence the term “Tennis Elbow”.

BUT these muscles are also active during many other daily tasks such as gripping power tools, hand tools, a knife when chopping, lifting, painting and any other repetitive hand or wrist movements. This makes Tennis Elbow a common condition, and one that our physio’s are very familiar with!

The diagnosis is typically made based on the history of the complaint and several quick tests, without the need for more time-consuming and expensive diagnostic tests. Our physiotherapists have a variety of treatment techniques for initial pain management, including dry needling, soft-tissue massage and taping. Then, through targeted exercise, we can help you return to the tasks you need to do pain-free.

If you’re suffering from elbow pain and you’ve been told it’s “Tennis Elbow” then please book in to see one of our Physiotherapists. The sooner you seek treatment, the quicker you can recover!