Tennis Elbow

Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) presents as pain and tenderness on the outer part of the elbow. It is not caused exclusively by tennis; it can be caused by any activity that overuses the wrist extensor muscles (i.e. the muscles that bend the wrist back). For example: gardening, working on a computer, carrying heavy objects, repetitive gym work etc. Neck problems may also produce elbow pain.

Tennis elbow presents in many ways:-

Pain and tenderness along the outer part of the elbow.
Pain with bending the wrist back or lifting the middle finger up, with or without resistance.
Weakness of the wrist muscles.
Pain with elbow movements.
Pain when gripping.

Physiotherapy can help with Tennis elbow in the following ways:-

Advise active rest of the area, by either avoiding the painful motion, wearing a wrist resting splint or an elbow strap.
Reduce pain and inflammation with icing and electrotherapy.
Restore normal muscle and tendon extensibility and strength with massage, exercises and stretches.
Correct posture, movement patterns and sports techniques to eliminate the causative factors.