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February 19, 2019
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April 2, 2020

Tennis Elbow Explained

April 19, 2019

Many clients present to our physiotherapy clinic reporting pain in the outside forearm or elbow. Some are avid tennis players and some have never picked up a tennis racquet in their life. Tennis elbow, also known as lateral elbow pain or epicondylalgia, is a very common condition affecting individuals of all ages and fitness levels.  Physiotherapy can help with reducing acute symptoms and helping clients return to their normal activity level.

Lateral epicondylalgia involves irritation in the tendons that control wrist extension, that is lifting or bending the wrist back as you would to push a door open.  Lateral elbow pain often begins as a result of an increase in load or activity, which involves repetitive wrist extension or gripping.  Such activities can include using secateurs to clip a large shrub in your garden, pulling out weeds, using a manual screwdriver, increasing your tennis or squash game,  changing your racquet or simply entering data on your computer.

An increase in load creates excessive stress in the muscles and the tendons as they attach to the bone on the outside of the elbow.  This area is known as the common extensor origin and often clients report point tenderness at this location as well as in areas along the muscles in the forearm.  As with any tendon injury, there are often signs of wear and tear, which is a normal part of aging.  When the muscle and tendon are overloaded this can spark a pain response.  Pain is often gradual in onset and is most often classified as nociceptive pain, which is pain caused by tissue damage.

A physiotherapist will perform a thorough assessment and take into account what is happening around the shoulder and neck to ensure the cause of the pain is localised to the elbow.  Treatment will focus on reducing pain and improving function through the use of therapeutic ultrasound, acupuncture and joint and soft tissue mobilisations.  An important part of physiotherapy treatment is a graduated exercise program to help restore pain-free movement and strength in the forearm muscles and elbow.  This is crucial to helping the client return to sports and/or work tasks free of pain.

If you are suffering from elbow pain don’t hesitate, to book an appointment now with your physio to ensure a full recovery and get back to what you love to do.