Tennis elbow produces a burning pain over the bone area, to the side of the elbow that can be quite severe. Medically tennis elbow is called lateral epicondylitis and is also called shooter’s elbow or archer’s elbow in layman’s term. Tennis elbow is an overuse injury commonly associated with playing tennis, badminton and other racquet sports, but can also happen in other daily activities. Tennis elbow is also considered a degenerative disease.
Tennis elbow often arises due to overexertion or overuse. Tennis elbow can also be the result of heavy trauma, direct injuries to the epicondyle or a sudden forceful extension. Although the real cause of tennis elbow has not yet been clearly defined, many studies claim that it is actually caused by small tears of the tendons and ligaments located at the muscles of the arms. This theory explains that the presence of microscopic tears between the common extensor tendon, and the periosteum of the lateral humeral epicondyle is the reason for the occurrence of tennis elbow.
Many people who experience this condition, as well as thumb joint pain, are those involve in heavy workloads such as construction workers and other manual laborers such as carpenters, painters and gardeners. This condition is also commonly seen in individuals who are active in sports such as tennis, badminton, lacrosse and other racquet sports. This condition is characterized by pain on the outer part of the elbow or the lateral epicondyle, point tenderness over the lateral epicondyle, pain during wrist extension and lifting movements and morning stiffness.
Diagnosing tennis elbow is performed through the application of pressure on the affected area while instructing the patient to move the elbow, wrist and fingers. Other diagnostic tools also involve the use of MRI, X-rays, and ultrasonography. However, only a minority of patients requires diagnostic studies since some results are not that reliable for example, X-rays of patients with this condition may appear normal.
Tennis elbow treatment involves a variety of procedures ranging from simple basic steps to more complicated procedures such as surgery. Patients suffering from this condition are prescribed with anti-inflammatory medications, cortisone injections or elbow braces. Exercises that are intended for the elbow are also beneficial. More complicated tennis elbow treatments include extracorporeal shock wave therapy, autologous blood injection and surgery. Extracorporeal shock wave is a therapy involving the use of sound waves to induce microtrauma to tissues that will promote the healing of the damaged tissues at the site, and can also be useful for degenerative spondylosis.
Since the cause for tennis elbow might not be clearly defined, it is difficult for experts to identify the single most effective therapy for tennis elbow. It is therefore recommended for most to rely on lifestyle modification for managing the discomfort brought about by this condition.