Understanding Tennis Elbow: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

Tennis elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis) is an easy term for inflammation of the tendons that attach to the outer side of the elbow. This common condition affects the tendons connecting the forearm muscles to the bony prominence on the outside of the elbow.
Tennis elbow develops from repetitive wrist movements, particularly in people who lift heavy objects regularly, athletes in certain sports, or those who have experienced some elbow accidents.
Tennis elbow symptoms can be observed through elbow pain on the outer side, especially when gripping objects, tensing the wrist, or extending the wrist upward.
Tennis elbow typically persists for weeks or months and takes considerable time to heal naturally. However, seeking medical attention can significantly reduce recovery time and accelerate healing from tennis elbow.
Physicians diagnose the condition through medical history about wrist usage, physical examination for tender points, and the Cozen test. If there’s a history of accidents, an X-ray may be additionally considered.
Tennis elbow treatment methods include both non-surgical and surgical approaches. Non-surgical approaches are such as medications based on symptom severity.
After tennis elbow surgery, keep the wound dry until suture removal. Wear an arm sling initially, avoid heavy lifting, and undergo physical therapy to rebuild muscle strength.
At kdms orthopedic Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, specialized physicians in wrist and elbow conditions provide you thorough diagnosis. Supported by experienced physical therapists who are essential to effective tennis elbow treatment, patients will successfully return to normal wrist function with confidence.

Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis is a common condition among people who use their wrists heavily or perform repetitive gripping motions. When muscle injuries from these activities accumulate over time, they cause pain on the outer side of the elbow which significantly impacts daily activities. Consulting with a doctor at an orthopedic hospital becomes necessary to find appropriate tennis elbow treatment.

This article explores tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis in depth, including symptoms, how it harmfully affects arm function, what causes tennis elbow, and available treatment approaches.

Table of Contents

Understanding What Tennis elbow Is

Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, refers to inflammation of the tendons that attach to the outer side of the elbow. The condition affects the tendons of muscles that control wrist movement and extension, attaching to the bony prominence on the outside of the elbow and extending to the wrist. When repetitive gripping or wrist extension occurs, injury develops at the point that the tendon attaches to the elbow bone. As these small tears and injuries accumulate over time, tennis elbow pain begins to show up in that area.

What Causes Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow develops from multiple causes:

Repetitive wrist movements, including repeated gripping or wrist extension motions
Heavy manual work, especially for those who must lift heavy objects for extended periods and perform this activity every day
Certain sports activities that require frequent wrist movement or extension, such as tennis, golf, badminton, or other sports that heavily involve wrist muscles, including weightlifting or exercises with repetitive wrist extension movements
Certain types of accidents that result in impact to the outer elbow area

How to Recognize Tennis Elbow Symptoms

The primary tennis elbow symptoms which are commonly found include pain on the outer side of the elbow when gripping objects in positions requiring wrist tension or extension, such as holding objects with the palm facing down. In some cases, when symptoms have accumulated to severe levels, patients experience pain easily even when handling relatively light objects.

When Should You See a Doctor for Tennis Elbow?

Typically, tennis elbow symptoms persist for several weeks or months. When tennis elbow pain increases to the point of affecting daily activities and making wrist use uncomfortable, patients begin to recognize the problem and consult with a physician.

Despite the fact that tennis elbow can resolve naturally, it takes a long time to return to normal, potentially requiring up to 1 year without any treatment. Visiting a doctor helps reduce treatment duration, allowing tennis elbow symptoms to resolve much faster.

How Tennis Elbow Is Diagnosed

Physicians take a medical history regarding wrist usage that may have caused tennis elbow, including daily activities, sports participation, and exercise positions that increase the risk of this condition.

Followingly, the patient undergoes a physical examination to identify tender points located at the bony prominence on the outer elbow and to perform the Cozen test. This test requires the patient to extend the arm, turn the palm down, make a fist, then extend the wrist upward while the physician applies resistance to the back of the hand during muscle contraction. If the patient experiences elbow pain, this indicates a likelihood of tennis elbow.

If the patient has a history of accidents, the physician may order an additional X-ray examination to ensure no fractures or cracks in the bone from the accident.

Tennis Elbow Treatment Approaches

Tennis elbow treatment includes both non-surgical and surgical options, chosen based on symptom severity. Surgical treatment is considered when symptoms don’t improve within 6-12 months. Details are as follows:

Non-surgical tennis elbow treatment

Non-surgical tennis elbow treatment offers various approaches depending on symptom severity. The following methods are presented in order, from dealing with mild to severe symptoms:

Medication therapy: This is the initial treatment for cases with pain or inflammation. Physicians prescribe oral pain relievers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to alleviate pain or discomfort in the short term.
Exercise therapy: This focuses on stretching injured muscles by extending the arm straight, turning the palm down, then bending the wrist inward toward the body.
Physical therapy: This helps reduce pain and decrease muscle tension duration.
- High-frequency sound wave therapy (Ultrasound)
- Shock wave therapy
- Western-style dry needling
Injection therapy: This is used when oral medications, exercises, or physical therapy prove ineffective. Steroid injections into the tendon area may be considered to provide short-term symptom relief, though symptoms may recur. Frequent injections should be avoided as they can weaken and degrade the tendon.

However, tennis elbow typically doesn’t resolve immediately. Treatment requires several months before the affected muscle area can return to normal use.

Surgical tennis elbow treatment

If the patient has been through non-surgical treatment for approximately 6 months to 1 year but there is no improvement, physicians recommend surgical treatment to remove degenerated tendon tissue. Several surgical techniques are available, depending on the surgeon’s expertise:

Open surgery
Arthroscopic surgery
Percutaneous surgery

Self-Care After Tennis Elbow Surgery

Post-surgical self-care for tennis elbow includes:

Keeping the wound dry until suture removal, approximately 10-14 days after surgery
Wearing an arm sling initially, though patients can remove the sling to use the shoulder normally
Avoiding heavy use of the arm, including lifting heavy objects
Undergoing physical therapy after suture removal to exercise and rebuild muscle strength progressively

The Perks of Having Tennis Elbow Treatment at kdms Orthopedic Hospital

Tennis elbow treatment at kdms orthopedic Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, features specialized wrist and elbow physicians conducting thorough examinations and diagnoses. The patient will be supported by expert physical therapy physicians with comprehensive physical therapy equipment. The patient can select diverse treatment approaches as appropriate. Since tennis elbow treatment primarily focuses on physical therapy, the well-prepared physical therapy team at kdms orthopedic Hospital ensures highly effective treatment outcomes.

In Summary

Tennis elbow, medically termed Lateral Epicondylitis or inflammation of the lateral epicondyle tendon attachment, involves pain or restriction when extending the wrist or lifting and gripping heavy objects. This condition results from repetitive wrist movements, including gripping or wrist extension, certain sports that require frequent wrist use or snapping motions, and certain types of accidents causing impact to the outer elbow area. Generally, this condition can resolve on its own.

However, tennis elbow treatment can effectively reduce tendon recovery time, alleviating tennis elbow pain and enabling faster return to normal wrist use. Treatment can be accomplished through non-surgical methods, including medications, exercises, physical therapy, and injections. If continuous treatment for approximately 6-12 months doesn’t lead to improvement, physicians recommend a surgical option to remove degenerated tendon tissue, which accelerates post-surgical recovery.

At kdms orthopedic Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, we have specialized wrist and elbow physicians who provide thorough examinations and diagnoses. Moreover, we also have highly skilled physical therapists who are crucial to achieving effective tennis elbow treatment results, ensuring a return to efficient wrist function.

An article by Supakorn Buranawongtrakoon, M.D., Experienced Hand, Wrist, and Arm Surgeon

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