• Tennis elbow: what it is and why it happens
• Tennis elbow: symptoms
• Tennis elbow: treatment and natural remedies

Despite its name, tennis elbow is not something that affects only those who play with the racket, it is something quite common in people who perform repetitive movements with the arm. Tennis elbow can cause pain when bending or stretching the arms or grasping or lifting objects. In most cases, the pain can be relieved without having to resort to invasive treatments.

TENNIS ELBOW: WHAT IT IS AND WHY IT HAPPENS

Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is an injury to the tendons and muscles in the elbow area, usually caused by overuse.

The bones that make up the arm (humerus, radius, and ulna) are joined together at the elbow joint. Tendons hold together to these bones the muscles that allow us to stretch and flex our arm, twist our wrist, or move our fingers.

Repeatedly moving the elbow joint or carrying weight can cause muscle tears or tendon inflammation.

Practicing certain sports (such as tennis, bowling or baseball) or doing certain jobs (for example, hairdressers, cooks or musicians) or tasks (carrying children, using the computer for a long time) are the most common causes of tennis elbow, a pathology that usually affects people between 30 and 50 years old. Normally, tennis elbow affects the dominant arm.

TENNIS ELBOW: SYMPTOMS

Some symptoms can alert us that we suffer from tennis elbow.

• Pain in the elbow. The first symptom of tennis elbow is usually recurrent pain on the outside of the elbow that appears when performing everyday actions (for example, when turning a doorknob or opening a bottle) or lifting some weight. Stiffness or pain may also occur when extending the arm.
• Swelling in the elbow. Over time, the pain may get worse and may spread to the arm and forearm, and the elbow joint may be swollen and tender to the touch.
• Loss of grip strength. You may also notice a lack of strength when grasping or holding objects such as a pen or a key, or simply shaking hands with someone.

Repeatedly moving the elbow joint or carrying weight can cause muscle tears or tendon inflammation.

Practicing certain sports (such as tennis, bowling or baseball) or doing certain jobs (for example, hairdressers, cooks or musicians) or tasks (carrying children, using the computer for a long time) are the most common causes of tennis elbow, a pathology that usually affects people between 30 and 50 years old. Normally, tennis elbow affects the dominant arm.

TENNIS ELBOW: SYMPTOMS

Some symptoms can alert us that we suffer from tennis elbow.

• Pain in the elbow. The first symptom of tennis elbow is usually recurrent pain on the outside of the elbow that appears when performing everyday actions (for example, when turning a doorknob or opening a bottle) or lifting some weight. Stiffness or pain may also occur when extending the arm.
• Swelling in the elbow. Over time, the pain may get worse and may spread to the arm and forearm, and the elbow joint may be swollen and tender to the touch.
• Loss of grip strength. You may also notice a lack of strength when grasping or holding objects such as a pen or a key, or simply shaking hands with someone.
• When there is no pain, strength exercises help strengthen muscles and tendon. To do this, you can use light dumbbells or elastic bands.
• Acupuncture and dry needling (technique involves inserting a needle into the muscle through the skin) are also effective in many people with tennis elbow.
• On the other hand, shock waves (similar to those used to dissolve kidney stones) are sound waves that cause microtrauma that favors the body’s natural healing processes.
• The vast majority of cases (between 85% and 95%) usually remit with appropriate measures. In some cases, however, more invasive treatments (such as infiltrations or platelet-rich plasma) or even surgery may be considered.

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