Tennis elbow
Tennis elbow
This information may be useful if you have been diagnosed with tennis elbow. If you have new or ongoing symptoms, please visit your healthcare professional for advice.
Read more about managing an elbow problem
What is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow is a condition that causes pain around the bony outer part of the elbow, spreading down into the forearm. It is also known as lateral epicondylitis or lateral epicondyle tendinopathy.
It most often affects the arm you use the most, your dominant side. Tennis elbow is usually an overuse injury, caused mainly by repetitive strain from tasks and activities that involve repeated gripping and movement of the hand.
It is called tennis elbow because it is a common injury among people who play racquet sports, though many other everyday activities can cause it too.
Common Symptoms
⚠️ This symptom list is for educational purposes. Having these symptoms does not mean you have this condition. See a doctor for proper diagnosis.
Medicines Commonly Used
⚠️ These medicines are commonly used for confirmed diagnoses of this condition. This is NOT a recommendation or prescription. Treatment must be determined by your doctor.
No medicines have been linked to this condition yet.
Causes
What Causes Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow happens when the tendons around your elbow become irritated or damaged. These tendons are the ones that help pull your hand and wrist backward.
You use these tendons all the time, in activities such as:
- gripping
- writing
- lifting
- pulling
- twisting
When the muscles that lift your wrist upward are used again and again, the tendon can start to wear down, usually because it's being asked to do more than it can handle.
A few other things can also affect how healthy your tendons stay, including:
- smoking
- obesity
- a diet high in fat
- high cholesterol levels
- diabetes (both Type 1 and Type 2)
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of tennis elbow
In order for tennis elbow to be diagnosed you’ll need an assessment from a healthcare professional.
They’ll initially ask you questions about your elbow issue and then carry out a physical examination. This may include checking your range of movement and strength.
You may sometimes need to have a further examination to rule out other possible health conditions.
Treatment
Treatment for tennis elbow
If your elbow pain is aggravated by certain movements try to reduce these by modifying your activity.
You can modify your activity by:
- changing how you grip or lift an object.
- reducing the weight you are carrying.
- taking regular breaks while doing aggravating activities.
As well as modifying your activities it’s important to start exercising your elbow.
Read about exercises for tennis elbow
Pain treatments
Pain medication can help you move more comfortably, which can help manage your symptoms.
More about taking painkillers.
Some people find an elbow support, sometimes called an epiclasp, can be helpful to manage the pain caused by tennis elbow.
Research suggests they may be useful in the short term but overall there is limited evidence to support their use.
If exercise, modification of activity and painkillers aren’t helping to control the pain, your healthcare professional may discuss the option of having a corticosteroid injection into your elbow. However, current evidence has shown limited benefit for this type of condition and may be detrimental to the health of your tendon.
Corticosteroids are medicines that help reduce pain and inflammation. They may also be given with a local anaesthetic.
Injections won’t cure your condition, they are used to help with the pain.
Read more about corticosteroids
Work
Tennis elbow can sometimes mean you need to take some time off work to help recovery. How long you’re off will depend on your condition and your role at work.
You don’t need to be symptom free before you consider returning to work. Continuing to go to work, or returning to work as soon as is possible for you, will help your recovery.
Gradually getting back to your normal daily activities can help to build up your strength and stamina levels.
Help and support
Following this advice, you should see gradual improvements over time.
Talk to a healthcare professional if you’re struggling to manage these symptoms on your own.
Read about how to access MSK services
When dealing with any health condition it’s important to also look after your mental wellbeing as this can impact your recovery.
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